A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this “irresistible elixir of romance and suspense” (Kirkus Reviews) from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.
Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.
Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this “irresistible elixir of romance and suspense” (Kirkus Reviews) from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.
Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.
Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
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2 books in catalog
Blending lighthearted romance with high fantasy and urban mythology, young adult speculative fiction often redefines classic tropes through a queer lens. F. T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author whose stories bring humor, emotional warmth, and LGBTQ+ representation to expansive magical worlds. Known for popular books like So This Is Ever After and Otherworldly, Lukens crafts character-driven adventures that explore what happens after epic quest endings or during unexpected supernatural encounters.
Before gaining widespread acclaim with major publishers like Margaret K. McElderry Books at Simon & Schuster, F. T. Lukens built a foundation in young adult science fiction and fantasy by publishing five YA novels with Interlude Press. Early critical recognition arrived with The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic, which was named a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Award for YA fiction and the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction, and earned a place on the 2019 ALA Rainbow Book List.
Lukens reached an even broader audience with the release of In Deeper Waters, a Junior Library Guild Selection that appeared on the 2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist. Following this success, So This Is Ever After became a New York Times bestseller, a 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee, and a 2023 ALA Rainbow Booklist selection. Lukens resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats, continuing to expand their bibliography with releases such as Spell Bound (a 2024 ALA Rainbow Booklist title), Love at Second Sight, Otherworldly, and the forthcoming novel The Last Best Quest Ever.
F. T. Lukens specializes in young adult speculative fiction, urban fantasy, and science fiction infused with queer romance, found family dynamics, and witty banter. Rather than focusing heavily on bleak or grim conflict, Lukens emphasizes joy, self-discovery, and comforting romantic subplots where LGBTQ+ protagonists navigate both personal growth and magical chaos.
2 books in catalog
Blending lighthearted romance with high fantasy and urban mythology, young adult speculative fiction often redefines classic tropes through a queer lens. F. T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author whose stories bring humor, emotional warmth, and LGBTQ+ representation to expansive magical worlds. Known for popular books like So This Is Ever After and Otherworldly, Lukens crafts character-driven adventures that explore what happens after epic quest endings or during unexpected supernatural encounters.
Before gaining widespread acclaim with major publishers like Margaret K. McElderry Books at Simon & Schuster, F. T. Lukens built a foundation in young adult science fiction and fantasy by publishing five YA novels with Interlude Press. Early critical recognition arrived with The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic, which was named a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Award for YA fiction and the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction, and earned a place on the 2019 ALA Rainbow Book List.
Lukens reached an even broader audience with the release of In Deeper Waters, a Junior Library Guild Selection that appeared on the 2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist. Following this success, So This Is Ever After became a New York Times bestseller, a 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee, and a 2023 ALA Rainbow Booklist selection. Lukens resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats, continuing to expand their bibliography with releases such as Spell Bound (a 2024 ALA Rainbow Booklist title), Love at Second Sight, Otherworldly, and the forthcoming novel The Last Best Quest Ever.
F. T. Lukens specializes in young adult speculative fiction, urban fantasy, and science fiction infused with queer romance, found family dynamics, and witty banter. Rather than focusing heavily on bleak or grim conflict, Lukens emphasizes joy, self-discovery, and comforting romantic subplots where LGBTQ+ protagonists navigate both personal growth and magical chaos.
