A Quest of Blood and Stone — S. Usher Evans

A princess in search of a miracle A wizard apprentice in search of a stoneA knight in search of his placeIn six weeks, Princess Ayla will assume the throne left vacant by her murdered father. But without the magical Pennlan stone, stolen by her evil fae stepmother, Ayla fears her reign may be short-lived. Cade, her best friend and wizard apprentice, has been tasked to retrieve the stone from the dangerous fae realm. Completing this quest will be the last step toward becoming a fully-fledged wizard—and may just win the heart of his beloved princess. But Cade's not going alone. Ward, a knight eager to prove himself, has been tapped to escort him - and has his eye on the princess as well. But as their journey takes them farther from home, a mysterious fae girl begins to follow them, swearing their quest is a lie and there's more to the king's death then they've been told. And most importantly: she knows exactly where to find the stone.Full of twists and turns, magical monsters, and a slow burn mystery, A Quest of Blood and Stone is sure to delight all young adult readers of epic fantasy fiction.