The Poisoned Garden by Phill Featherstone

The ancient city of Chamaris is governed by powerful families. Chief among them is the House of the Leopard, headed by Lord Karkis, the Master of the City. Karkis is ageing and going blind, and he must look to his succession.
He has two sons. The elder, Ragul, is the child of his first wife, Vancia. The younger is Peglar, who is two years Ragul’s junior and whose mother is Karkis’s number two wife, Chalia. Karkis and Vancia also have a daughter, Malina, but in Chamaris women are the property of their menfolk and have no rights of their own, so the estate will go to the boys. However, the division may not be equal and will depend on their father’s view of their relative merits.
In order to inherit, Ragul and Peglar must qualify as adult citizens, a tricky process which involves successfully meeting three gruelling challenges of strength and courage. Ragul completed his some time ago, and now it’s Peglar’s turn. But whereas Ragul is sturdy and athletic, Peglar is bookish and not good at physical pursuits. He is reconciled to failure, until he receives help from an unexpected quarter.
Peglar meets and befriends Yalka, a poor girl from the slums. He's wary of her and doesn't understand her, but at the same time he's fascinated because she is like no one he has come across before. They continue to meet in secret, and she turns his world upside down by showing him a side of the city he has never considered, and he begins to question his upbringing and the life of luxury he has always enjoyed.
In a desperate attempt to get ahead, Ragul uses his beautiful but cruel sister, Malina, in a sordid plot to disgrace Peglar. After luring Peglar into a private meeting, Malina accuses him of assaulting her. Ragul seizes on this as an opportunity to challenge Peglar to combat, and despite being innocent he must accept. There is no doubt that Ragul will win, but will that be the end of it?

"The Poisoned Garden" is book 1 of the Leopard's Bane series, an action-packed epic that will be loved by fans of fantasy fiction.

"A skilfully plotted novel set in a vividly described, unjust world. Highly recommended!" The Wishing Shelf

"A fantasy with a brutal and raw storyline and well-developed characters." Fiction Vixen

A Wishing Shelf Book Award Finalist

Indie BRAG Gold Medallion.