Ruinous Creatures by Jessi Cole Jackson: Hardcover; 384 pages / English

[Atria] For fans of One Dark Window and T. Kingfisher, a stand-alone romantasy debut about a woman who accidentally awakens the power to siphon magic from two phoenix skulls, binding her fate to a vengeful stranger and forcing them to navigate the devastating cost of their unbreakable bond. In a sanctuary of magical creatures hidden deep within a valley, magic is born from the bones of extraordinary creatures. For generations, a privileged few have siphoned this magic by wearing the skulls of these creatures and wielding their power, no matter what the consequences are to the valley itself. Assistant matcher Adela spends her days meticulously preparing these skulls to be matched, ensuring the magic endures and the valley sustains. But when she discovers two phoenix skulls—creatures she had believed existed only in children’s tales—she can’t resist the pull of their dormant magic. Defying the warnings of her mentor, Bartholomew, Adela accidentally awakens the skulls, unleashing a shockwave of power that throws the valley into chaos and ultimately leads to Bartholomew’s death, leaving Adela to face the consequences of her actions—and the magic she’s unleashed—alone. Meanwhile, young novitiate Kian prepares for the upcoming matching ceremony, but harbors a secret: he is only participating in order to destroy the magic of the valley and all the skulls it harbors to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of this tradition of power. As Adela and Kian’s fates intertwine in the matching hut, the connection between them grows deeper and the power of the phoenix skulls grows louder. An impulsive kiss seals their fate—to each other and each to one of the phoenix skull masks. Together, they wield the potential for both ruin and renewal. But as they grapple with the damage they inflict and the choices they must make, their fated connection becomes the key to either the valley’s salvation or its ultimate collapse.