Theo J. Malloy

The first Mychal Halwood died ten years ago, and no one can ever find out. A transmasculine prince, running from his destiny.  A princess with forbidden magic, days away from being promised to the enemy.  And the heir to the evangelist northern kingdom, starting to doubt... Seventeen-year-old Mychal is a squire in the Holy Army, serving the officers by day and giving their secrets to the Resistance by night. It's risky work, but he's used to that; the Army would kill him if they ever found his greatest secret, that he and the missing princess are one and the same. Mychal ran away to become his true self years ago, but his kingdom is still occupied by the Holy forces, ten years after they executed his mother and brother. Meanwhile, Samira, his best friend from childhood, is harboring a secret of her own- she is a mage, with forbidden powers, only weeks away from being promised to the mysterious Godhead. Never mind that the only one she ever wanted to be with rode away in the night with a new name, leaving her behind. And Edris, the crown prince of the evangelist kingdom to the North, is still haunted by the night he helped Mychal escape. But when he meets a handsome knight from an enemy kingdom, he starts to doubt his commitment to the Faith. Mychal never meant to overthrow an empire. But when Samira asks him for his help and his first battle ends in disaster, he finds that he has to go home- and take his brother's name and place as heir to the throne. The Heretic Prince is the first book in the Heretic Prince series from new author Theo J. Malloy.