A Stage Set for Villains (Hardback)

A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann is a dark, theatrical fantasy where immortality is a prize, reality bends at the whim of performers, and the line between hero and villain is razor thin.

The gods are dead, and the Players of the Playhouse have taken their place. Worshipped and feared, their performances don’t just entertain, they alter hearts, minds, and the world itself. To cross them is to risk everything.

Riven Hesper already knows that. An encounter with a Player left her cursed, the magic slowly draining her life. So when the Playhouse announces a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, a competition where a mortal can steal a Player’s immortality, Riven sees her only chance to survive.

She infiltrates the deadly contest and strikes a dangerous bargain with Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant and merciless Lead Player. His charm is lethal, his power intoxicating, and trusting him could destroy her faster than the curse ever would.

As secrets unravel and the truth behind the Playhouse grows darker, Riven is forced to confront a terrifying possibility: she might not be the heroine fighting against the story. She might be the villain it’s been waiting for.