Castles and kangaroos together at last!
Leo is a third-born prince forced onto the throne after the death of his parents and brother. His kingdom and castle are in shambles, his family’s murderers are getting bolder and he is utterly unprepared to be king, but Leo’s biggest problem is definitely the castle fool. It keeps making fun of him.
He just wants to make his dead dad proud. Or maybe to dismantle every shitty policy he ever made, and flip off his grave a whole bunch.
Of course, he might hate his new responsibilities more if there wasn’t a mystery man with a bad habit of appearing every now and then to test Leo’s morality. Leo doesn’t want to be the kind of king who has a secret lover. But his restraint is only so strong…
The assassins are creeping closer and if Leo can’t charm the neighbouring countries, it’ll mean war. He better learn how to juggle, fast.
Set in a fantasy version of Australia, a cult bent on overthrowing the Empire’s regime is targeting Leo and his family. This no spice/low spice, enemies to lovers LGBTQ+ romantasy features a king overwhelmed by trauma and responsibility taking refuge in his close family and the one person who doesn’t expect him to be perfect–his fool.
Put The Fool on your TBR on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Buy from my website, Amazon (AU, US, UK), Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Booktopia or pretty much anywhere books are sold. You can also request that your local bookstore or library order it in for you!
Australian bookstores who have it in stock include The Woodland Collection, Swoon Bookstore, Everybody Knows Books and The Ballarat Imaginarium.
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“A hilarious, incisive, and socially critical work of speculative fantasy, The Fool (The Austellus Saga Book 1) by Laura J. Fitzwilson is a masterwork of allegorical wit and whimsy. Begrudgingly taking the throne of a fictional kingdom that mirrors Australia in both demographics and oppressive history, Leo is ill-prepared for the burden of leadership, especially since his enemies are multiplying, his family members are dwindling, and the court jester is driving him crazy. Combining elements of fantasy, romance, satire, and LGBT fiction, this is a spectacularly sarcastic adventure from an irrefutably savage writer. Magical hierarchy, double-edged riddles, and royal machinations collide in an inventive and insightful novel that begs a timeless question: in a world gone crazy, is embracing madness the only way to survive?” Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★★
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