A Stage Set for Villains

Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper is slowly dying, a decade-long curse inflicted by a godlike performer known as a Player relentlessly consuming her. Her last hope lies within the Playhouse, a mobile, magical theater where Players reign, bending reality with their enchanting shows. When the Playhouse announces a spectacle offering a mortal the chance to steal a Player's immortality, Riven sees her only path to survival.

Infiltrating the dangerous competition, Riven finds herself entangled with Jude, the Playhouse's merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as lethal as his magic. A desperate bargain is struck, but as Riven navigates a world of illusions and betrayals, she uncovers the Playhouse's disturbing secrets. The line between hero and villain blurs, and Riven must confront the possibility that her own story might be rewritten in blood.