City of Beasts (Beasts of Hedge End Book 1)

Power corrupts. Magic devours. In Hedge End, monsters aren’t born—they’re made. The city’s cursed gems twist human flesh into nightmares, and no one knows how to stop them. After the gems claimed her parents, Clara Aldridge, niece to the mayor and heir to his power, swore to protect what’s left of her broken home. But when a brutal murder shatters the safety of her household, her faith in law and order crumbles. The accused is her loyal housekeeper. The motive, unthinkable. And though every shred of evidence points to guilt, Clara knows in her bones it’s a lie. To uncover the truth, she must seek help from the last person she should ever trust: the thief Willoughby Tanner, the man who once betrayed her and vanished into the city’s underworld. Together, they descend into the veins of Hedge End, where the magic rots, beasts stalk their prey, and people vanish without a trace. Each clue drags them closer to the dark heart of the city... and to each other. But the closer they get, the more Clara realizes that saving Hedge End might demand more than courage. It might demand her soul. City of Beasts is the first book in A.N. Sage’s Beasts of Hedge End series—a lush, atmospheric romantasy of secrets, monsters, and dangerous desire, perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Olivia Atwater, and H.G. Parry. View Less