A Crown for a Fox

Will of the Familiars, Book 1

By: Cleo Nitz

Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi, Adam James Conner

A witch swears to protect the throne. A fox familiar vows to kill the king.

When Siel unearths the bones of villagers massacred on his fiance's orders, his heart breaks. His fiance: the king. A monster and the man who saved Siel from the depth of melancholia. The man Siel loves. But some loves have to die, and Siel will kill this one. With no army, his only weapon is his secret ability to change into a fox—he's a familiar.

Caius, an awkward witch, feels accepted at last when he joins the royal guard. For once, his rigid moral code is admired; the king, too, is an austere man who follows his head over his heart.

Caius swears to protect the throne with his life. But soon, an assassin fox shows up and leaves a trail of bodies. The palace is shrouded in fear; Caius chases a ghost, always ahead, always taunting. Frustrated by Caius' failures, the king turns on him—criticism, followed by insults, followed by pain.

Chasing and evading each other, Siel and Caius' dance brings them closer. Soon, they see the similarities: both wounded by the same man, both holding the same principles. And the same fascination for magic, a power neither can have on his own but that can only be shared.

©2023 Cleo Nitz (P)2024 Podium Audio

such a good story - rich world/cultures + great characters, plot, narrators

Really enjoyed this. I’m not familiar with the author but stumbled across this book and gave it a try. It was great! I was pleasantly surprised and can definitely recommend if you like mm fantasy (slow burn) with kissing but otherwise fade-to-black on the other stuff

Give it a listen. Highly recommend

Such a unique story and we'll written.

The world building in this story was incredible and the character depth really sucked me in. The thought process of the characters as they encountered conflict was so realistically done, showing the mixed emotions and gray areas of morality. The contrast of the two relationships was so relatable in the way people often ignore toxicity in one relationship but in hindsight that toxicity becomes perfectly clear when they find a healthy and loving one. I also enjoyed how the perspectives and personality of the fox transitioned into the human. I can't wait to read the next book.