IN THE FINCH'S HEART

A race of shapeshifting bird people, a kingdom scarred by war, and a heart that must choose between resentment and hope. As the next in line of a noble warrior family, Florence Finch longs to serve her queen as a royal guard. Florence's mother however plans to send her away to study as a fine arts noble in another kingdom. Florence must convince her mother to let her stay while also secretly practicing for the guard academy's archery contest in order to earn a spot as a cadet, a task seemingly impossible until she meets a strangely cheerful boy determined to help her.As a lower-class citizen, Peck Woodpecker knows better than to befriend a girl from the kingdom that conquered his people during the Swan Queen's war. She'll despise him once she learns the truth, but helping her is his only comfort from watching his siblings crumble after their parents' execution. If Peck can't make his family smile again, perhaps he can keep Florence from following them down the path of anger.Lies never heal however and soon Florence and Peck will need to confront the pain they're running away from or risk becoming another casualty of their kingdom's tragic history.Book one of A Tale of Two Birds, a noblebright YA fantasy trilogy Age rating: 13-17 is recommended Trigger warnings: physical abuse by a family member