Natural Outlaws and Fractured Sovereignty

By: S. M. Pearce

Narrated by: Caius Ashburn

A precarious royal court. Two thieves with everything to lose.

Caught robbing the governor’s mansion, Blythe is given a choice: steal the crown jewel of Ostrait’s greatest enemy, or her papa and friends all die. Forced undercover as a candidate in the Fletch King’s marital competition, she must survive the cut-throat court under the watchful eye of the governor’s pet assassin. But how much of herself will this mission cost her?

Kalen got her into this mess. And now they must keep their head down in the servants’ quarters, enduring their new superior’s brutality and confronted with the terrors of their past. It’s no longer as simple as crafting bombs and letting the fire do the work—there’s nowhere left to run, and his real talent seems to lie in screwing everything up.

Can a martyr learn what it means to live? Can a coward learn what it means to fight? They’re only a pair of outcasts. Failures. Will the cruelties of court tear their friendship apart? Or can they salvage a future together in a world that doesn't want them?

Trigger warnings include attempted suicide, sexual assault/coercion, mind control, violent abuse, drug/alcohol use, queerphobia/fictional slurs, classism, colonialism, death/grief, mental health issues, restrictive eating, aquaphobia, and fantasy religious trauma.

©2023 Sierra Pearce (P)2023 Sierra Pearce

Great Queer Heist Read!

Natural Outlaws and Fractured Sovereignty by S.M. Pearce is a royal heist/competition book with a cast if queer characters! It was a great book and I was drawn in fairly quickly. The character growth seemed natural and meaningful with all the tension during this journey.

At the beginning I was actual felt similar vibes as Mistborn (which was a good thing in my book). The platonic queer love and the use of They/He interchangeably for one character is a unique aspect of this book that worked very well. The pacing worked for me, even when some action sequences were left off the page. I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook, which was very well done and I highly recommend!

Please check the content warnings before reading because some subject matter may not be for everyone. I would recommend this book if you're in need of a queer heist, pretending to be royal, and a unique competition.