Petra Lord's QUEEN OF FACES In-Store Event and Signing for Teens

Join us at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore on Friday, February 6 when debut author Petra Lord comes to the store to present her debut young adult fantasy novel for teens Queen of Faces. Petra will be joined in conversation by Michael Leali and will sign copies of her book after the presentation.

Click Here to preorder a copy of Queen of Faces

This blockbuster dark academia fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo follows a desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy who faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath.

This deluxe edition features gorgeous gilded edges, stunning case foil, and striking printed endpapers!

Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her.

But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.

With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of renegades: an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.

PETRA LORD is a biracial trans author. She has a BFA in TV Writing from New York University, which she uses to recommend TV shows to her parents and predict the endings of movies. She's currently based in Los Angeles, where she feeds her dual addictions to hot pot and Korean barbecue and sustains herself off videos of her cat. Queen of Faces is her debut novel. Follow her on Instagram.

MICHAEL LEALI is an award-winning writer and educator. He earned his MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He is the author of the Golden Kite Award–winning novel The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, Matteo and The Trouble With Triangles. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Michael currently lives in California.

THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 6:00 pm on February 6.

BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.

DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.

WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.

WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:15 and 6:30 PM for the event.

PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home.

OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.