A Stage Set for Villains
A Stage Set for Villains

A Stage Set for Villains

By Shannon J. Spann

$22.99

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

+ -
Add to cart
Availability: Out of stock, but more arriving soon Pre-orders ship after the publication date.

Ages 16 And Up

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players…

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime—a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality—Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.

Caraval meets One Dark Window in this lush and dark fantasy.

About the Author

Shannon J. Spann is an NYC-based author from Virginia, where she grew up as one of six sisters and spent most days crafting stories in the woods (and subsequently performing them for anyone who would listen). A lifelong fan of ghost stories, old movies, and all things theatrical, she can most often be found wandering Central Park, exploring her local bookstore, or hunting down a sunbeam to read in. You can find her on Instagram @ShannonJSpann

Format: Hardcover with dust jacket

Pages: 448

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

ISBN: 9781649379511

Add to wishlist / Add to compare
Copyright 2025 Linden Tree Books - Powered by Lightspeed