A Day of Breath -- Darby Cox, Paperback

A dark and imaginative coming of age adventure filled with demons and religious conspiracy, A Day of Breath is a perfect read for fans of Naomi Novik and N.K. Jemisin.

Oly is Niawa's longest serving Champion, a warrior given magical strength. She stands alone at the Edge, protecting the kingdom from demonic hordes that emerge from a rift between the realms. But her powers are fading; she has to find a way to get them back, and fast.

An answer comes when Heir Fallon, distraught when he is not chosen to be the next ruler of Niawa, attempts to change his fate by convincing Oly to leave the Edge for the first time in ten years for the Day of Breath. It's the one day a year demons can't breach the rift and Fallon's invitation is a chance for Oly to beg for her strength to be renewed.

But reuniting with family and regaining her strength is interrupted when parasitic demons spread through the kingdom on the one day it should be impossible. As Oly grows weaker and Fallon struggles to take the throne, they have until midnight to find a way to stop the carnage before the rift awakes again.

Author: Darby Cox
Publisher: Angry Robot
Published: 02/10/2026
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.81lbs
ISBN: 9781836730026

About the Author
Fuelled by anime, Final Fantasy, and the Elfstones of Shannara books on her parent's bookshelves, Darby Cox has been writing since the age of ten. Though life got in the way of the stories floating in her mind, during the early years of the COVID pandemic, she completed her first manuscript in 6 months and hasn't looked back since. She is a Virgo sun, Leo moon, Cancer rising. i.e. she's sensitive, loud, and always on a strict schedule. A Day of Breath will be her debut novel.