Lords and Ladies (novel)

Lords and Ladies is the first book of the Saola Series by T.R.S. Dunn. It was first written in 2018. It was followed by The Gentleman later that same year.

Background
This was not the first book written for the Saola Series. The first book written was The Grand Masquerade of Night in 2015, followed by Through the Unforgiving Wilds (2015) and Provost of the Ranelle Plains (2016).

Upon great changes to the background lore of Saola and, more specficially, Revès, these novels were scrapped. Aspects from each novel were taken, later lended to Lords and Ladies, including the celebrations of the Grande Masquerade, several characterizing details of the central protagonist and supporting characters, and the obscure supernatural presences.

Plot Summary
Baptiste De Villepin is the Duke of Brionac and the cousin to the King of Revès. When he is invited to serve as an usher in the king's wedding, he travels to the Capitale, just in time for the Grande Masquerade de Nuit; the week-long masked festival honoring the Dark Goddess. He reunites with old friends whom he hasn't seen in some thirty odd years, only to find they are much different than he remembers, and that the Capitale holds many insidious secrets.