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The Courtesan's Eye
Release Date: Summer 2025
Subgenre(s): Dark Fantasy
Trope:
Courtesan, and spy-in-training, Cordè Cyra leads a glamorous existence. Arm-in-arm with her beloved bodyguard, she flits from client to client, stealing secrets under her mistress’s watchful eye. But when Cordè’s bodyguard is murdered, she’s left drowning in a sea of suspects: power-hungry politicians, possessive patrons, and even her mentor. Heartbroken and furious, she’ll endure anything to find her friend’s killer.
Enter Aelus, her replacement protector. Unfailingly loyal to an order of celibate priests who blind themselves in devotion to their god, he’s horrified by Cordè’s impiety—but duty and desperation are powerful motivators. Reluctant allies joined by a common goal, Cordè and Aelus investigate the murder. While Cordè hosts tea parties, infiltrates rival headquarters, and seduces duchesses, Aelus forges anmalliance with a nonverbal swordswoman and uncovers evidence his own brotherhood harbors
blasphemous ambitions.
Beneath the streets, however, a bigger threat lurks—one that’s stolen the power of the gods themselves. Now Cordè and Aelus are no longer hunters, but prey. As the bodies pile up, they’ll be forced to choose: save the realm, or save each other?
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Kate Hyers and J.C. Smith
Kate Hyers studied television, film, and writing at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Her career in communications has spanned numerous fields, from journalism to politics to international retail, but the one consistent thread has been writing. Kate is an out-and-proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and she’s been told she has major golden retriever energy.
Jessica Cornelius Smith, writing as J.C. Smith, received a master's degree in Applied Clinical Psychology from Penn State University. Her career in mental health involves advocating for children and adolescents from marginalized communities, with an emphasis on trauma. When not writing, Jess is either serenading her dogs with songs from Hamilton, or cursing at her Playstation in Sindarin.
