Amber & Dusk by Lyra Selene (Amber & Dusk book 1)

“Sylvie has always known she deserves more. Out in the permanent twilight of the Dusklands, her guardians called her power to create illusions a curse. But Sylvie knows it gives her a place in Coeur d'Or, the palais of the Amber Empress and her highborn legacies. 

So Sylvie sets off toward the Amber City, a glittering jewel under a sun that never sets, to take what is hers.

But her hope for a better life is quickly dimmed. The empress invites her in only as part of a wicked wager among her powerful courtiers. Sylvie must assume a new name, Mirage, and begin to navigate secretive social circles and deadly games of intrigue in order to claim her spot. Soon it becomes apparent that nothing is as it appears and no one, including her cruel yet captivating sponsor, Sunder, will answer her questions. As Mirage strives to assume what should be her rightful place, she'll have to consider whether it is worth the price she must pay.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Was this the best fantasy book I’ve ever read? No, but it wasn’t the worst. This book started off slow for me with all of the worldbuilding. I did find Sylvie to be a great character who knew what she wanted and didn’t back down or give up, no matter how many times someone told her that she should leave. It took a while for her to open her eyes to what was going on.

The author has loosely based the court of the Amber Empire on French King Louis XIV. Once the truth about Sylvie came to light, I was ready to finish the book to see how it ended,

Book two, Diamond & Dawn is due out on December 3, 2019.

Visit Lyra Selene’s website.