A Stage Set for Villains - Shannon J. Spann

In a world where the gods are gone, the Players of the Playhouse wield deadly power, captivating audiences while bending reality itself. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the danger firsthand—after a run-in with a Player, she is cursed, slowly dying. When the Playhouse announces a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle offering a mortal the chance to steal a Player’s immortality, Riven sees her last hope to survive and infiltrates the competition. There, she encounters Jude, the brilliant and ruthless Lead Player, whose charm is as perilous as his magical abilities, and strikes a dangerous bargain to save herself. As the competition intensifies, the Playhouse’s dark secrets emerge, forcing Riven to question her role in the story. She begins to realize she may not be the hero she hoped to be—in fact, she might become the villain. With stakes of life, death, and a story that rewrites itself, Riven’s journey is as thrilling as it is deadly.