First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
• Finally… reveal the book!

Happy Friday! I’m really excited to spotlight this weeks book. By an author I picked up in 202 I have been eager to get my hands on a copy of this book since it was announced, so I jumped with joy when my Netgalley request was approved. Described as a dark and sinister fairy tale about a woman who, in an effort to kill a Prince, has to complete three impossible tasks. I cannot wait to finally start reading this.

“The trees were full of Crows and the woods were full of madmen. The pit was full of bones and her hands were full of wires.”

Well… They’re certainly intriguing first lines. Ready to find out what book it is?

After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.