On 2/25/25, return to the world of  A Drop of Venom in the highly-anticipated follow-up: Rick Riordan Presents: A Touch of Blood from award-winning  author Sajni Patel. You’ve already read Manisha’s story, but little can prepare you for the dark, thrilling, and heart-wrenching tale of her sister, Eshani.

Until then, swoon over the gorgeous cover art from Khadijah Khatib and read the first plot synopsis below!

Read the Persephone myth like never before in A Touch of Blood, the companion to A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel, a YA fantasy where Greek mythology meets Indian lore.

Gods are made, not born.

Before Manisha, the youngest of three sisters, was sent to hide on the floating mountain, her eldest sister, Eshani, made a deal with the shades. In order to save her people in the midst of a tragic war, she exchanged her life for theirs. Now, years later, the shades claim their due, dragging Eshani into the Nightmare Realm where she must find the Gatekeeper to fulfill her end of the bargain.

Nothing is as it seems in a land filled with ravenous monsters, ghoulish residents, and a river full of the dead. But most terrifying of all is the Shadow King, who intends to use Eshani to obtain immortality. As it turns out, Eshani—nicknamed “little goddess of spring”—is the key to fulfilling the Nightmare Realm’s prophecy. There’s only one person who can help Eshani escape, and he has his own problems.

Hiran has spent most of his life hiding, but destiny beckons, and he can no longer resist the call of the realm. But how can a stowaway, long thought to be dead, save an entire world?

Nothing will stop the Nightmare Realm from getting what it wants. Except maybe a king in the making and a goddess rising.

Pre-order your copy today and stay tuned for more information on A Touch of Blood in the coming months.