The Sapling Cage cover art

The Sapling Cage

Daughters of the Empty Throne, Book 1

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The Sapling Cage

By: Margaret Killjoy
Narrated by: Jackie Meloche
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About this listen

In the gripping first novel in the Daughters of the Empty Throne trilogy, author Margaret Killjoy spins a tale of earth magic, power struggle, and self-invention in an own-voices story of trans witchcraft.

Lorel has always dreamed of becoming a witch—learning magic, fighting monsters, and exploring the world beyond the small town where she and her mother run the stables. Even though a strange plague is killing the trees in the Kingdom of Cekon and witches are being blamed for it, Lorel wants nothing more than to join them. There’s only one problem: all witches are women, and she was born a boy.

When the coven comes to claim her best friend, Lorel disguises herself in a dress and joins in her friend’s place, leaving home and her old self behind. She soon discovers the dark powers threatening the kingdom: a magical blight scars the land, and the power-mad Duchess Helte is crushing everything between her and the crown. In spite of these dangers, Lorel makes friends and begins learning magic from the powerful witches in her coven. However, she fears that her new friends and mentors will find out her secret and kick her out of the coven, or worse.

©2024 Margaret Killjoy (P)2024 Dreamscape Lore Coming of Age Epic Fantasy Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Witchcraft Magic Users

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All stars
Most relevant
loved everything about this. the political intrigue, the friendships, the learning of power, gripping throughout

great author, great story

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I recently heard the author as a guest on a podcast I listen to and was was intrigued to know what kind of books they write. Seeing that this book has just come out and was available on audible I got the book.

The book was too hard to put down or stop listening to in this case. The person that narrates the book did such a great job of bringing to life all the different characters and making it really easy to just see the world that Margaret Killjoy has created.

I really enjoy that Margaret created this character in her book that you immediately liked cared about and wanted to follow along on the journey to see what would happen in her story.

I like the way Margaret was able to take a fantasy novel and real life issues and themes and a whole story of just what it's like to be human and the world and how it is interwoven with a fantasy world of witches and knights.

There are also no small characters in this book. You care about all the minor ones as they're all integral and important to the story telling.

There are definitely moments in this book that really get you in the heart and might make you cry or tear up and even the ending you just feel so grateful to have gone on this journey with all these characters and they almost feel so real.

Lorel is one of my favourite literary characters and so I will definitely be rereading this book.

I would definitely recommend this book and will recommend this book to everyone.

- Bonnie Rose

Best story I have read and the audible version brings it to life.

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loved this book, I really struggle to get into fantasy books but this was easy to keep up with, the world building was good, I loved the way Lorel's trans journey was woven through the story. excited for more from this world. Also the voice acting was great

A wonderful story of sisterhood and magic

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This story touched my heart so very deeply. As a magical practitioner, I really appreciated the magic system in this world and the way in which magic in general is presented. She truly researched and thought through her magic system in a very unique way. And the coming of age story in which the heroine discovers her true self—who she has always been, and realises her own sovereignty in making decisions about her body and that she doesn’t have to do anything to make herself herself, but she can if she wants to—had me crying the happiest of tears. As a witchy auntie this will be one of the first books I recommend to my nieces and nephews when they reach their preteens! Beautiful. I honestly recommend this story to everyone.

Top of this Witchy Auntie’s Best Books For Preteens List!!!

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