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The Killing Spell

Shay Kauwe

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In this spellbinding fantasy debut set in a future where language magic reigns, a young Hawaiian woman must solve a murder to clear her name.

Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble. At just twenty-five years old, she’s the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire.

Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her.

Just when she thinks things can’t get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes—LA’s most prominent Filipino activist—turns her world upside-down. Angelo was killed by a death spell—something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead.

To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo’s murder and confront LA’s most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking—can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it’s too late?

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Posts about this title from Left Unread Books

Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 2

MAY BOOKCLUB PICK


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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 1

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Posts about this book from across Bindery

Fairly Queer Books\ \ Fareeha\ \ • Jul 28

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Back on Youtube ! Help me choose my next read

It's been a while! Here's a short video to slowly make my way back onto youtube.


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ofpagesandprint\ \ Dahlia\ \ • May 20

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[With a little over a week left in May, I wanted to share some of the incredible AANHPI stories on my TBR to continue celebrating AANHPI voices all year long!\ *Pitches from the publishers.\ \

AANHPI Books on My TBR!


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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • May 2

MAY BOOKCLUB PICK


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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 25

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Friends, \ \ I'm back from New York and slowly adjusting! I've got Bookcon updates and more for you! I admit I am behind on EVERYTHING and might be that way for the next month! I'm behind on bookclub- our readalong- our calendar- and content LOL (though I do have TWO BIG surprises for paid subscribers later today)\ \ Each month, I select one day for us to support an indie bookshop as a community and what more perfect day that INDIE BOOKSTORE DAY!\ \ This month, we are supporting Quiet Quail Books, an Indigenous owned bookstore located in San Bernardino! All purchases through bookshop support both Quiet Quail Books (an Indigenous bookshop) and this imprint! \ \ One of the things I love about being a book content creator is sharing curated lists! I've attached some books to this post for easy clicking, but I've also created some lists. And if you don't like any of those, once you click on my bookshop link, you can buy anything and it will support Quiet Quaill! \ \ Must Read Women in Horror\ \ Must Read Indigenous Horror\ \ Must Read Indigenous Romance\ \ Must Read Indigenous Fantasy/Sci Fi\ \ Must Read Indigenous Thriller and Mystery\ \ From The Mixed Up Desk Indigenous Faves\ \ Also, what a perfect day to pre-order What Feeds Below! <3 (Speaking of What Feeds Below, paid subscribers- give me an hour and a very cool sneak peek is coming!)

Community Event: Support Indie Bookstores Day


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Two Stories Bookshop\ \ Queer-Owned Shelves🌈\ \ • Apr 14

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[I wanted to highlight some April 14 releases we're excited for!\ \

April 14 Releases!


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Ronnica Reads\ \ Ronnica Fatt\ \ • Apr 13

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Here are some April 14th new book releases on my radar (and should be on yours!). First, the one I had a chance to read already:\ \ Midnight, at the War by Devi S. Laskar 5/5 stars\ \ Put this on your TBR if you want to explore the humanity in war-torn areas alongside personal messiness. An incredibly timely book (Explosions being more newsworthy than the lives of brown people? Tracks).\ \ And the six I'm still waiting to get my hands on (but at least I have the first 2 preordered!):\ \ Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker\ \ Why it interests me: Japanese and gothic are two of my favorite descriptions of a book. But still, I was more excited that this Kylie Lee Baker's adult followup to Bat Eater.\ \ The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe\ \ Why it interests me: Hawaiian fantasy.\ \ Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein\ \ Why it interests me: this seems like a fascinating jumping off point for discussion around misogyny and inappropriate relationships.\ \ Leave Your Mess at Home by Tolani Akinola\ \ Why it interests me: messy 2nd generation Nigerian immigrant sisters.\ \ Cleo Dang Would Rather be Dead by Mai Nguyen\ \ Why it interests me: explores grief.\ \ The Take by Kelly Yang\ \ Why it interests me: speculative fiction exploring aging and power.

April 14th Releases that Should be on your Radar


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Two Stories Bookshop\ \ Queer-Owned Shelves🌈\ \ • Apr 10

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[Hello, friends!\ \ So we're going to be doing a Libro.fm Golden Ticket giveaway to honor Indie Bookstore Day on April 25! The Golden Ticket is good for 12 audiobook credits on Libro.fm! \ \ Rules:\ \

  1. Follow us on Instagram \ \
  2. Follow us on TikTok\ \
  3. Share our post about our Bindery account on your story on either platform (tag Ryn or the bookstore account!)\ \ \ Each share earns you one entry into the giveaway! It runs until April 25 at 11:59pm! I'll draw the winner on April 26. I have posted this giveaway on both Instagram and TikTok, so there will be a large pool of people who can win! \ **If you do not have social media, all I ask is that you consider ordering a book through our Bookshop.org shelves, perhaps the upcoming release The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe? I LOVED IT. \ \ Thanks!\ \ Ryn](https://twostoriesbookshop.binderybooks.com/item/w2ccDOFgF8z4hOJlQ1Ke/)

LIBRO.FM GOLDEN TICKET GIVEAWAY!


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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Apr 1

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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Dec 2 2025

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[Hello,\ \ So excited for next years books! Can't wait to read them together! If you aren't in the bookclub yet, simply join the Discord to join in the fun.\ \

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