By the Orchid and the Owl
- Author Mariah Montoya
- Narrator Amy Hall
- Publisher Tantor Media, Inc
- Publish Date 24 February 2026
- Run Time 12 hours
- Format Audio
- Genre Adventure fiction, Contemporary romance, Fantasy, Fantasy romance, Narrative theme: Coming of age.
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What to expect
On the island of Eshol, a ruling council gifts magic to all its citizens—whether they want it or not.
Eighteen-year-old Rayna Drey should be excited for her Branding, when the island's Good Council will infuse her blood with one of five sanctioned magics: the ability to wield elements, summon objects, shift forms, talk to wildlife, or manipulate minds. And the institution she must attend afterward, to learn how to control her new gift, is only a little dangerous.
As soon as she arrives at the Esholian Institute, however, a peer-pressured dare makes her explode with a power as deadly as it is forbidden. Worse yet, the only one who can teach her how to hide it from the Good Council is Coen Steeler, a much-too-handsome fifth-year who can manipulate minds as easily as he breathes. He alone understands Rayna's forbidden power . . . because he has the same one.
With their secret in each other's hands, Rayna soon uncovers other dark secrets that threaten the very foundation of the island itself. And the worst of them? If the Good Council finds out what lurks in her and Coen's blood, they'll both face a fate beyond obedience—and a punishment worse than death.
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