Fantasy book about a woman without magic who is summoned to royal court when her sister dies

Question

As ironic as this is, I work at a bookstore and can't remember the name of this book or its author.

I'm looking for a fantasy book set in a world where people have magic. The protagonist is a woman who is without magic, and happy about it, and then her magical sister dies, which upsets her power hungry father. The protagonist is then summoned to royal court, which I think started with an 'M'.

Other details I remember:

• The author is a woman, and it is part of a larger universe type series with different protagonists/narrators.
• The cover on the one that came into the store (which, I guess was bought rather quickly) had one of those modern covers, the type with an actual real life model and edited to have fantasy elements.
• It came into the store about three weeks ago, but we are a used bookstore.
• It was paperback.
• Fantasy world, not our Earth, with a European style society.
• Not a particularly long book, not like the Outlander series.
• Not a 2023/24 release because those go to a single shelf in the store.
• The main character is happy to not have magic because it frees her from her father's power grabs.
• I do not know of the publisher, but I do know that it wasn't from one of the larger publishing houses and I'm fairly certain it was an indie publishing house.

There is another in the series that has a guy on the cover (definitely doing Zoolander face) with shoulder length black hair, wearing leather armor and a black cape. I believe it had 'soul' in the title. Not the 'All Souls' Trilogy. I do believe it was under 400 pages.

Answer 1

It's not an exact match, but perhaps it's A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire LeGrand?

Lady Gemma Ashbourne seemingly has it all. She's young, gorgeous, and rich. Her family was Anointed by the gods, blessed with incredible abilities. But underneath her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to guard against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin—embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family—often forget Gemma exists.

Worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne to possess no magic. Instead, her body fights it like poison. Constantly ill, aching with loneliness, Gemma craves love and yearns to belong.

Then she meets the devastatingly handsome Talan d'Astier. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She'll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks. According to popular legend, a demon called The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown is behind the families' blood feud—slay the demon, end the feud.

But attacks on the Middlemist are increasing. The plot against the Basks quickly spirals out of control. And something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan and an all-consuming passion that could destroy her—or show her the true strength of her power at last.

It's got the young woman with a power-hungry father and sisters, one of which was sent to a place starting with an M, who alone among her family cannot use magic. Not matching, it seems her sister is still alive, as she is apparently the featured character in book 3. Also, this seems to be the only cover, and does not involve models photoshopped into fantasy. It is from 2023, so pretty recent.

Search terms of site:goodreads.com fantasy sister "no magic" court