“Within the treacherous walls of Eladine Academy, Melinda Gong paints an intricate portrait of espionage, twisting allegiances, and dangerous political intrigue that kept me enraptured from the very first page. Following Anna’s journey is a heart-pounding adventure, and she is all I adore in a main character: clever, determined, and (most importantly) great with a dagger…especially when she’s pressing it against Paris’s throat!” —Sophie Kim, #1 Sunday Times Bestselling Author of The God and the Gumiho

“Fast-paced and filled with romantic tension, This Wretched Dawn has a vicious edge to it that is as sharp as a well-honed blade. Two members of rival courts, Anna and Paris, must team up to uncover a plot that threatens both of their families. But first they must fight a war of a different kind: a war against their own hearts and history. A thrilling page-turner of a debut!” —Keshe Chow, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Girl with No Reflection

For fans of Chloe Gong comes a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy in which a young Shanghai woman must work with her ex, the London prince, to save their rival courts—if she doesn't kill him or fall back in love with him first.
It’s been nine years since the accords were established and centuries of war between the Midnight and Dawn Courts settled into a cold peace. But when poison created to eliminate the Dawn Court royal bloodline is stolen, all signs point to the Midnight Court and that tentative peace threatens to break. To prevent war, the Emperor tasks Anna Liang, daughter of the Midnight Court's deputy, with working with Paris, the youngest prince of the Dawn Court, to find out who was responsible and prove Shanghai’s innocence.
But underneath it, the real assignment: infiltrate the Dawn Court’s school for espionage, win Paris’s trust, gain intel, and then kill him—Paris, her first love and heartbreak.
Despite this complication, Anna is determined to complete her mission. But as her bond with Paris deepens and the true culprit is revealed, Anna must decide what she's willing to sacrifice to fulfill her duty, and if she even wants to.

Melinda Gong
Melinda Gong is a recent graduate from NYU with a degree in business. Born in New Orleans and raised in New Jersey, she grew up constantly surrounded by tales of Chinese mythology, forbidden love, and girls with swords taking over the world. She is now based in NYC and, when not busy with work, can be found with her head in the clouds, taking excessively long walks, or drinking far too much coffee.