The Other Merlin

Everything was going to be fine.
     Emry Merlin staggered out the back door of the theater and gulped down the warm summer air. It wasn t much cooler outside than backstage, but at least it didn t stink of unwashed armpits. She hunched forward, hands on her knees, willing her heart to stop pounding.
     There was no reason to be nervous. She d filled in for a missing player plenty of times before. Besides, Pell s was a small part. A few lines, a skirmish of swords, a quick death halfway through the first act. And it was only the town theater it wasn t as though they were performing for their patron, the Earl of Brocelande, at his manor.
     And yet, it was dangerous. There was nothing wrong with employing a girl to help with the special effects so long as Emry stayed backstage. But the theater troupe would be in trouble if anyone discovered she was also their understudy.
     At eighteen, she was tall and skinny enough to play a boy s part, provided she flattened her chest and tucked her long black hair under a cap. Thankfully, most people assumed it was her twin brother onstage, a mistake Emmett was all too willing to encourage especially when the mistaken party was a pretty girl.
     A bead of sweat ran down her temple, and Emry wiped it away with the back of her hand. It was a scorching afternoon in June, and any sensible person would be indoors, wearing as few layers of clothing as possible.
     Unfortunately, Emry wasn t sensible.
      Smart as spades, but foolish as hearts, her father used to say. Whenever he d turn up, which wasn t often, he d give Emry a pretty ribbon for her hair and take Emmett out to the woods to learn magic. Emry found this arrangement enormously unfair, and campaigned to be included.
     When Father refused, Emry made her twin teach her everything he d learned. The next time their father had shown up,

Robyn Schneider grew up in Southern California, where she spent her childhood reading fantasy novels and searching for secret passages. She s a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied creative writing, and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where she earned a Masters of Bioethics. Robyn is the bestselling author of The Beginning of Everything, Extraordinary Means, Invisible Ghosts, and You Don t Live Here. Her work is available across the world in over a dozen languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her TV producer husband, their tiny puppy, and far too many books.
 

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Publishers Weekly
BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR - OUTSTANDING MERIT Bank Street
BEST FICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS Young Adult Library Services Association
A RISE: FEMINIST BOOK PROJECT SELECTION

 "Schneider s first foray into fantasy, a clever trilogy starter based in the King Arthur mythos, changes most of the canonical facts but gets everything that matters right in this funny, sharp, romantic, magic-filled book."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 "Rollicking humor, wry wit, and smoldering romance flourish amid political intrigues."
Bank Street College of Education (starred review)

"Charming and sharply hilarious, Schneider s entrance into historical fiction is such a natural fit, demonstrated by the strength of her storytelling and joyous voice throughout this fun, clever (and queer) tale."
Buzzfeed

"This book was a delight to read. Schneider crafts a deft world, painted alongside delightful characters and the perfect dash of wit. Everything I look for in my favorite novels including a smoldering romance! can be found in The Other Merlin, which is a wonderfully fresh take on Arthur and his storied knights of lore."
Renee Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful and The Wrath and the Dawn

"Simultaneously heart-pounding and hilarious, Robyn Schneider gives us a veritable romp through Camelot fueled by adventure and romance. A wonderfully smart, refreshing take for fans of Arthurian legend,  but also simply a great read for anyone wondering about their place in the world." 
Kerri Maniscalco #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kingdom of the Wicked and Stalking Jack the Ripper

Robyn Schneider brings everything I love about her contemporary books into fantasy with rich emotional arcs and friendships that are as compelling as the romance. These characters draw you in as the story keeps you guessing. I have no