A Villain's Hope
S.E. McPherson
BOOK 2 | THE HEART-MAGE TRILOGY
When mages come to collect on the deal that resurrected Elias, he and his royal loves must reckon with the man he was before his heart-mage rebuilt him to secure unlikely allies and stop ancient magic from breaking the world.
Queer PolyAm Romance | Fantasy | Own-Voices Bi, AuDHD Rep
Royal/Guard | Found Family | MMF | Friends to Lovers
Order Now
Praise for A Villain's Hope
"McPherson’s vivid and emotionally devastating tale addresses themes of self-sacrifice and true-believer righteousness. The well-developed characters, from the main trio to a minor page named Theo, provide the narrative with a strong backbone, and there’s engaging action throughout. What sets the novel apart from many of its contemporaries, though, is its representation of diverse sexualities and relationship types. The excellent pacing and delicious tension make the central polyamorous, LGBTQ+ relationship especially satisfying. An absorbing novel with deftly drawn characters, heart-stopping action, and genuinely felt romance."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The potent second entry in McPherson’s Heart-Mage Trilogy blends emotive magic, tense fantasy kingdom politics, smart questions about the nature of power, and enticing queer and polyamorous romance into an intoxicating concoction...McPherson’s prose has quicksilver power, alive with heat and heart. Plotting, too, is strong, as a compelling cast is tested in inventive ways, achieving some hard-won victories but with much danger to come in later books. Lovers of romantic fantasy will relish this."
"A passionate, intricate fantasy romance where the complicated past collides with the fiery present."
--Independent Book Review
Content & Trigger Warnings
-
Blood & gore depiction
-
Body horror
-
Scars
-
Grief & loss depiction
-
Knife, sword & magic violence
-
Suggestion of sexual assault (off-page)
-
Pregnancy & traumatic birth
-
Suicidal thoughts (brief mention)
Ending Spoilers (for anxious readers)
Does this book have a happy ending? Yes!
Do any of the main characters die? No
Who is the endgame? Beau, Penny, and Elias as a triad
Book Details
Author: S.E. McPherson
Publisher: Metaltail Press
Publishing Date: March 31, 2026
Hardcover
ISBN 9798992254341
Page Count: 398
Paperback
ISBN 9798992254334
Page Count: 430
Ebook
ISBN 9798992254358
Meet the Main Characters
Former Watcher
Elias Batesian
Meet Elias Batesian, recently resurrected revenant and once-Watcher, now the royal family's most loyal defender and partner. Sure, eldritch entities and strange mages keep calling him a "thrall," but he doesn't have time to think about that. There's a mage-king and a pregnant queen to protect.
But the history he thought he (literally) buried is returning to exact the price of what he's done for Beau, and he'll have to reckon with the man he was before his heart-mage—and might have to become again to save them all.
Ruler of Granvallée
Victoire Penamour
Meet Victoire Penamour, Queen of Granvallée, ferocious politician and scholar of magic. She plays the politics Beau can't, leading the kingdom into peace and prosperity with the help of Elias's supernatural eyes and ears.
As much as she loves them both, she can't help but wonder if they're wrong to believe the returning mages are dangerous; magic is a wondrous thing. With a heart-mage on her arm and another growing inside her, she'll have to balance her duty to her kingdom, her lifelong wonder about magic, and her partners' fears.
Swain Mage-King
Beauregard Highput
Meet Beau, a heart-mage just coming into his magic and a king just stepping into his power.
Too honest for a politician, too gentle for a swordsman, and too eager to see the good in people, Beau's not what Granvallée expected in a king. But as a heart-mage, he gives his people hope that magic and their nameless gods will return.
Unfortunately, all magic has a cost, and Beau must come to terms with what he—and his loved ones—will have to pay for his power.