"Penny Barclay thought she could trust those closest to her.
Her mother had been a paragon of virtue, a woman of sense and ingenuity in Penny's eyes. Lou had been Penny's friend, her confidante, her mentor. But both of them had kept dangerous secrets.
Now, Penny finds herself trapped in the capital with the evidence Prince Aiden, Lord of the Underworld, needs. With the notes she found in her mother's study, they could finally name the Cartographer and stop the rebellion running rampant through their kingdom. Only there's one problem: the Prince is avoiding her. If she can't figure out how to get him to talk to her, the very kingdom may find themselves redrawn under the Cartographer's hand.
Guilt dogs Prince Aiden's every footstep. He can still hear Penelope's screams in his dreams and see the flames devour Barclay Manor until it is nothing but ashes. But with a murderer on the loose in the capital, he can't risk allowing his feelings to cloud his judgment, even if it means keeping Penelope Barclay far away from him. With Penelope now trapped in the capital, Aiden has to do whatever he can to make the city safe—even if that means running away from the mage girl with cinnamon hair and emerald eyes shadowing his every move."
"Powerful plant mage and heir-apparent to the Duchy of Eleusion, Penny Barclay lives each day under two strict rules: Don't shame the family's magical heritage, and don't allow any man to turn her head.
While she knows her mother's restrictive rules come from a place of love, Penny doesn't always agree on how they should be followed—particularly with a rebellion threatening their way of life. The rebels' goal? For all magic wielders to be enslaved under those who have not received such a gift from the Goddess.
When whispers of a rebellion reach Penny's ear, she knows she must do whatever it takes to uproot the rebels from her lands. This is her chance to prove to her mother she can take on more than her mother believes she can. But Penny can't possibly uncover the sinister plot on her own—not without her mother finding out and locking her away for the rest of her life.
When Lou, a handsome spy sent by the Crown to investigate the rebellion, arrives with the expertise she needs to accomplish her goals, Penny demands she be included in his mission to help Lou uncover the leader of the rebellion... even if it costs her everything, including the freedom she's longed for.
The Spring Maiden is a bewitching debut from a strong new voice in fantasy. Book one in The Cartographer's War gives us a fierce, relatable heroine, forbidden love, and a noble quest to root for."
