December 16, 2024
Lau’s thrilling fantasy debut sees a pair of impoverished friends putting all their hopes in illegal monster-fighting sponsored by the upper class. Lythlet and her childhood friend Desil become conquessors, competitors in the fights set up by match-master Renveld Dothilos, who brings in monsters from the wild lands to fight in front of a betting crowd. Desil is already famous from his brawling days and is deemed a favorite, while Lythlet is seen as a burden. As their matches progress, however, it becomes evident that Lythlet’s quick wit is the thing leading them to win after win. Dothilos decides to personally train her, hoping to mold her into the ultimate fighter. Lythet’s ambition quickly grows, but when she uncovers the corruption and politics at play in the conquessor arena, she must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to escape her former life. Lau nimbly weaves complex themes of oppression, loyalty, and friendship into the action-packed and suspenseful plot. The writing can be a bit flowery—especially in the dialogue from supposedly uneducated characters—but that doesn’t diminish the impact of Lau’s powerful story. This leaves a mark. Agent: Keir Alekseii, Azantian Literary.
February 1, 2025
Lau debuts with a Malaysian Chinese-inspired epic fantasy. Trying to escape their lives of debt and poverty, friends Lythlet and Desil sign up to be conquessors, arena combatants who fight monsters. Lythlet's ambitions have unexpected costs, and she will have to decide if sacrificing her honor and friendship is worth a potential life of fame and wealth. Prepub Alert.
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Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2025
Lythlet Tairel, until recently employed as a bookkeeper, has turned to thievery to scrounge the coin she and her dearest friend, Desil, owe to a loan shark. When she barely makes it home before Tucoras starts breaking fingers, with her ill-gotten gains and a handbill advertising for fighters willing to face "sun-cursed monsters" in an arena, the promise of riches beyond all measure seems like it might be worth the risk. Desil's reputation from his previous stint as a brawler gets them an interview with match master Dothilos; Lythlet's clever mind gets them their first win. Desil and Lythlet become the Rose and the Golden Thorn, on a meteoric rise to fame and fortune as conquessors. Then Dothilos asks for a favor, a little help from Lythlet with a business problem. Lythlet is soon faced with a dilemma: will she follow her ambition to the top regardless of whom she hurts on the way, or will she choose friendship and hope that the corruption in the system can be rooted out? Lau's debut is a charming tale of corruption, ambition, friendship, and hope.
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February 1, 2025
DEBUT Lythlet and her only friend, Desil, are struggling to scrape together enough coin to keep the loan sharks at bay. Competing as conquessors who battle monstrous beasts in an underground fighting ring seems like the fastest way to earn money. Quick-witted Lythlet soon earns the spectators' respect, but this attention comes with its own kind of debt, drawing her deeper into the criminal underworld's network of favors. As her final match approaches, Lythlet must decide what she is willing to sacrifice--morals, freedom, or even friendship--to maintain her upward momentum. The book's characters fight their way through a unique and gritty fantasy world. Fans of tournament arc storylines will enjoy Lythlet's clever solutions for overcoming each enemy, but her toughest battle is escaping the cycle of poverty and exploitation she has been trapped in since birth. Her desperation and moral quandaries are compelling, even if the intriguing worldbuilding is not consistently fleshed out. The focus on her lifelong friendship with Desil also stands out against romantasy's recent genre dominance. VERDICT Readers looking for a clever and determined fantasy heroine motivated by platonic devotion will find much to enjoy in Lau's debut.--Erin Niederberger
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