A Stage Set for Villains (Exclusive OwlCrate Edition)

A high-stakes, slow-burn fantasy set in a world where vicious, godlike performers are worshipped as they are feared. A Stage Set for Villains follows a cursed woman who strikes a deadly bargain to save her own life.

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players, the lethal performers of the Playhouse whose enchanting shows bend hearts, minds, and even reality itself. 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 deal.

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.

Features for this OwlCrate Edition:

• Signed by Shannon J. Spann
• Exclusive redesigned dust jacket by @vera.drmanovski
• Reversible dust jacket designed by @lumie.draws⁠
• Printed hardcover case designed by @heyatlascreative⁠
• End pages designed by @drigomez⁠
• Stenciled edges designed by @vera.drmanovski⁠
• Author signature page designed by @stubbornpagemage⁠
• Author letter bound into the book⁠
• Bonus content bound into the book⁠
• Book size: 6” x 9”⁠

A Stage Set for Villains is a 1 (Extra Mild) on our Spice Meter.

Featured in the February 2026 'Let the Games Begin' OwlCrate YA  box.

Photos by: @thebookscript (on Instagram)