A Murder of Shadows — John Conroe

As the old saying goes: The first is the heir, the second is the spare, and of the third - beware!Savid DelaCrotia is the third born son of one of the Kingdom of Montshire's oldest and most respected High families. Cast aside by his father at an early age, it's up to him to make his own way and create his own honor. With just his horse, his weapons, the clothes on his back and in his pack, and the education that his family provided, he'll have to go it alone. Luckily, he already has a pretty good idea of what he's good at - fighting, and woodcraft - not to mention finding hidden and lost items.  It's also handy that he already knows exactly how to honor his Kingdom - by serving his best friend, who just happens to be the kingdom's scary smart princess. But what does a princess who already has everything need? How about her own Shadow? From the author of the Zone War trilogy and the Demon Accords series comes a slightly twisted take the genre of high fantasy. Swords and spies meet monsters and magic (sort of) in the world of Nengled and the Kingdom of Montshire. If you're looking for The Wheel of Time meets Game of Thrones, this isn't it. Mr. Tolkien, please shield your eyes.