Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Last Best Quest Ever

The Last Best Quest Ever

by F.T. Lukens

What they say: Seventeen-year-old Ellinore has the best questing record of anyone in the kingdom’s history. She also has a secret: her fame is built entirely on lies. Tired of the charade, she shocks the kingdom by retiring at a royal feast. But her plans for a quiet life are disrupted when her twin brother Zig bets his life that Ellinore can retrieve the horn of the mythical Elder Beast. To save Zig, she reluctantly sets out on one last, perilous quest.

Accompanying her are Zig, determined to help despite his recklessness; Aven, her envious rival eager to prove their superiority; an ambitious bar maiden turned adventurer; and a young, magic-wielding bard. Together, they face an arduous journey fraught with mythical challenges and shifting alliances. As they search for the Elder Beast, Ellinore grapples with her growing feelings for Aven, her fear of losing Zig, and her identity as a reluctant hero.

With time running out, Ellinore must confront not only the legendary creature but also her own truths. Can she save her brother, embrace her potential, and finally decide her path?

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Waiting on Wednesday - Every Spiral of Fate

Every Spiral of Fate - This Woven Kingdom #4 

by Tahereh Mafi

What they say: At long last, the wedding day has arrived.

The Jinn queen and the enigmatic ruler of Tulan are to be married in a magical, enchanted ceremony—but Cyrus, tethered by a blood oath to his bride-to-be, can find nothing to celebrate in this union. He’s falling ever more deeply in love with the one person oathbound to kill him.

Sworn to an ancient, unbreakable magic, Alizeh can only fulfill the prophecy to free her people by ensuring Cyrus dies by her own hand. And Cyrus is forced to await his end all while Prince Kamran inches closer, ready to take his place by Alizeh’s side. 

The countdown to murder coils tensions ever tighter, but the historic wedding has already drawn deadly attention. To prepare for war and protect her people, Alizeh must finally discover her magic—and outrun the enemies trying to stop her.

Alizeh and Cyrus, along with Kamran and their friends from Ardunia, must flee on dragon-back to begin the perilous journey into the legendary mountains of Arya, where a firestorm of revelations, magical discoveries, and fresh allies awaits them. Every allegiance will be tested, every darkness uncovered, and when the shattering secrets of the Tulanian king are finally revealed . . .

Nothing, and no one, will be the same.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Oathbound

 Oathbound - Legendborn #3

by Tracy Deonn

What they say: Severed from the Legendborn. Oathbound to a monster.

Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them...or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.

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Coming Soon - A Soul of Ash and Blood

A Soul of Ash and Blood - Blood and Ash #5

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What they say: A great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury - A Court of Thorns and Roses #2

by Sarah J. Maas

What they say: Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Book of Night

Book of Night

by Holly Black

What they say: In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences—but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.

Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.

With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isn’t playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.

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Spotlight - The Atlas Six

The Atlas Six

by Olivie Blake

What they say: The Alexandrian Society is a secret society of magical academicians, the best in the world. Their members are caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity. And those who earn a place among their number will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Each decade, the world’s six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation – and here are the chosen few...

- Libby Rhodes and Nicolás Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds.

- Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself.

- Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched.

- Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe.

- Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they must spend one year together to qualify for initiation. During this time, they will be permitted access to the Society’s archives and judged on their contributions to arcane areas of knowledge. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. If they can prove themselves to be the best, they will survive. Most of them.

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Coming Soon - House of Sky and Breath

House of Sky and Breath - Crescent City #2

by Sarah J. Maas 

What they say: Sarah J. Maas's groundbreaking CRESCENT CITY series continues with the second installment.

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

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New Release - These Hollow Vows

These Hollow Vows

by Lexi Ryan

What they say: From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Fire Falling

Fire Falling - Air Awakens #2 

by Elise Kova

What they say: Soldier… Sorcerer… Savior… Who is Vhalla Yarl?

Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire’s monster?

Fire Falling is the second book in the Air Awakens Series.

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New release - Hall of Smoke

Hall of Smoke

by H.M. Long

What they say: An epic fantasy featuring warrior priestesses and fickle gods at war

Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside.

While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller, atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls. As clans from the north and legionaries from the south tear through her homeland, slaughtering everyone in their path, Hessa strives to win back her goddess' favour. 

Beset by zealot soldiers, deceitful gods, and newly-awakened demons at every turn, Hessa burns her path towards redemption and revenge. But her journey reveals a harrowing truth: the gods are dying and the High Halls of the afterlife are fading. Soon Hessa's trust in her goddess weakens with every unheeded prayer.

Thrust into a battle between the gods of the Old World and the New, Hessa realizes there is far more on the line than securing a life beyond her own death. Bigger, older powers slumber beneath the surface of her world. And they're about to wake up.

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Am Reading - Norse Mythology

Norse Mythology

by Neil Gaiman

What they say: Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. 

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again. 

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Blood Feud - Spotlight

Blood Feud - The Legends of Ansu #9

by J.W. Webb

Epic Fantasy

 

What they say: Jaran Saerk is an exile from the North, driven out of his homeland by a sorceress who killed his family. Now serving as a warrior in the armies of the Imperial Shen, he’s never forgotten his vow to avenge his family and take back what is rightfully his.  

Recently captured, Savarna hides a dark secret and doesn’t plan on staying a slave for long. Once she’s escaped, she’ll slip inside the Golden Palace and kill the Empress of Shen. When she meets the exiled warrior from the North, she finally may have her chance.

Finvar the Droll is a retired thief who insists he can help Jaran in his revenge against the witch. But whose side is he really on?

With enemies surrounding them on all sides, the trio must unite to stay alive in a realm trapped between war and sorcery, and to take down the witch Sheega before she destroys them all.

 

Excerpt:

A huge figure knelt by a roaring blaze. A shaggy haired man he appeared, with corded muscle and barrel-chest. He wore a kilt, but no cloak to cover his naked torso. Like Jaran, the stranger bore many scars on that flesh. And on closer inspection, he saw the man had only one arm. A distant memory flickered through him. And a name.

Tyho.

The one-armed warrior. A god of the north. Jaran knew the god was testing him. Despite his fear he stepped out, approached the crouched figure, who looked up casually as he walked close.

“Your friends worry that you’ve left them, Jaran Saerk.” The voice was a gravel-scrape and thunder boom, those eyes glints of blazing sliver fire, the moonlight trapped inside.

“I needed time alone.” Jaran shoulder-tossed the elk in front of the god as a gift. He heard it boded ill, meeting Tyho the War God alone in the wild. “Time to think.”

“A gift for a gift.” Tyho rose to his feet, standing massive before Jaran. He reached behind his back and produced a huge long-hafted axe. “Your enemies are closing. You will need Griner to kill them.”

Jaran felt uneasy. Why would Tyho want to help him? And what would he ask for in return? Despite his misgivings, he gripped the weapon and thanked the god. Tyho pinned him with that terrible gaze. “Use it well. Griner belonged to Borian once, before that deity perished in the timeless wars. It serves you now—in the new struggle.”

“You mean against the witch, Sheega?” Jaran hefted the axe. It was heavy, the intricate rune markings glinted on its beard. He sensed power in the weapon. Felt strength flowing into his arms. Strength and something else. A slow burning rage. “I will avenge my father,” he told the god.

“You had best go back,” Tyho said, his silver eyes blazing. “Your little camp is under attack.”

 

Author Spotlight: 

J. W. Webb is an English writer living in Georgia. Mostly he writes fantasy, though sometimes diverts in even stranger directions. His epic saga, The Legends of Ansu, blends the mystic grandeur of J.R.R. Tolkien with the gritty realism of George R.R. Martin. Webb's characters are three dimensional and flawed, their world a tapestry of vivid color and constant motion. All the books feature beautiful sketches by the late Tolkien illustrator, Roger Garland. When he’s not writing, he spends his time in the garden or attending to the demands of his cat-overlords and dog companions.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Goodreads

  

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Am Reading - Looking Glass

Looking Glass - The Chronicles of Alice

by Christina Henry

What they say: In four new novellas, Christina Henry returns to the universe she created for Alice and Red Queen, where magic runs more freely than anyone suspects, but so do secrets and blood.

Lovely Creature

In the New City lives a girl called Elizabeth, a girl who has a secret: she can do magic. But someone knows Elizabeth's secret--someone who has a secret of his own. That secret is a butterfly that lives in a jar, a butterfly made by a girl called Alice.

Girl in Amber

Alice and Hatcher are just looking for a place to rest. Alice has been dreaming of a cottage by a lake and a field of wildflowers, but while walking blind in a snowstorm they stumble into a castle that seems empty and abandoned...at least until nightfall.

When I First Came to Town

Hatcher wasn't always Hatcher. Once, he was a boy called Nicholas, and Nicholas fancied himself the best fighter in the Old City. No matter who fought him he always won. Then his boss tells him he's going to battle the fearsome Grinder, a man who never leaves his opponents alive.

The Mercy Seat

Alice has a secret--a secret that not even Hatcher knows yet, but pretty soon she won't be able to keep it from him.

More info over at GR...

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

by Roshani Chokshi

What they say: War between the devas and the demons is imminent, and the Otherworld is on high alert. When intelligence from the human world reveals that the Sleeper is holding a powerful clairvoyant and her sister captive, 14-year-old Aru and her friends launch a search-and-rescue mission. The captives, a pair of twins, turn out to be the newest Pandava sisters, though, according to a prophecy, one sister is not true.

During the celebration of Holi, the heavenly attendants stage a massage PR rebranding campaign to convince everyone that the Pandavas are to be trusted. As much as Aru relishes the attention, she fears that she is destined to bring destruction to her sisters, as the Sleeper has predicted. Aru believes that the only way to prove her reputation is to find the Kalpavriksha, the wish-granting tree that came out of the Ocean of Milk when it was churned. If she can reach it before the Sleeper, perhaps she can turn everything around with one wish.

Careful what you wish for, Aru.

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Recent Release - A Girl from Nowhere

A Girl from Nowhere - The Firewall Trilogy #1

by James Maxwell

What they say: Surrounded by fire, a girl with mysterious powers and a young warrior search for safety.

Life in the wasteland is a constant struggle. No one knows it better than Taimin. Crippled, and with only his indomitable aunt to protect him, Taimin must learn to survive in a world scorched by two suns and frequented by raiders.

But when Taimin discovers his homestead ransacked and his aunt killed, he sets off with one mission: to seek revenge against those who stole everything. With nowhere to call home, his hunt soon takes a turn when he meets a mystic, Selena, who convinces him to join her search for the fabled white city. Taimin and Selena both need refuge, and the white city is a place where Taimin may find someone to heal his childhood injury.

As they avoid relentless danger, Taimin and Selena attempt to reach the one place that promises salvation. And they can only hope that the city is the haven they need it to be…

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Review - From Blood and Ash

I love the change in direction from JLA with this high fantasy!

From Blood and Ash #1

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What they say: Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is an addictive and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa. 

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

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What I say: A JLA high fantasy, what's not to love?! Imagine all the usual JLA wit, inspiring and hilarious heroine, infuriating but awesome hero with bundles of swagger, combined with some pretty outstanding world building and you haven't even started to delve into From Blood and Ash! 

Reading the blurb I wasn't sure I'd like Poppy because lets be honest a trapped Maiden has the potential to be annoying and whiny, but luckily JLA has us covered and Poppy is brilliantly witty and kinda bad ass from the start. She's extremely loyal and I loved her rebellious side.

Hawke has everything a JLA hero should have, in that he's snarky, fierce, confident, and oh so swoon worthy. He's also kind and protective and is hiding vulnerability and a broken past. I certainly wouldn't mess with him.

It's a high fantasy so we get lots of detail about the location and battles. I could picture a certain dagger and almost hear the battle cries across the Rise. Eye roll to the Duke!

I loved the world building. I've read several stories including a variety of versions of the Atlantian myth but this is something different. We have the Ascended, the Craven, the Descenters, the Gods and Poppy! 

Twists, turns and betrayals keep Poppy and the reader guessing and oh the ENDING!!!

5 Stars in my Sky!

Am Reading - From Blood and Ash

New series alert!! It's Good Friday and I'm reading something JLA!

From Blood and Ash #1

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What they say: Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is an addictive and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa. 

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

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#Team JLA

Guardian of the Sunshine Bride - Book Blitz

Guardian of the Sunshine Bride

by Austin Rehl

Purchase here:

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Sīhalt Series - Book One

Fantasy/Epic Fantasy

A man with a dark past meets a girl with a bright future. Their choices will change the world.

Princess Kathleen is betrothed to the powerful Prince of Tyath. The arrangement was made when she was just a child. She is duty bound to save her people from starvation and sees the marriage as her only option. That is until she meets the Sīhalt Guardian sent to protect her during her dangerous journey to the altar. The vigorous guardian steals her first kiss, but will he be able to keep her safe and steal her heart?

Jared spent his childhood in the cold north training to be a Sīhalt Guardian – the fiercest of protectors. While seeking revenge for his sister’s death, he sets off a chain of events that endangers the next person he decides to protect. Will one act of vengeance cost him the forbidden love of the Princess he longs for?

Heathron has managed to become the heir to an empire, but he needs to be married to assume the throne. Despite all the manipulative efforts of the beautiful, back-stabbing young ladies of the Golden City, he dreams of the illustrious young girl the met as a child. Will he still love the Princess as secrets unravel and he discovers the truth about her journey to him with the warrior?

Cedric will stop at nothing to reclaim the ancestral lands of his people and drink from the skull of the man who killed his father. As he unites his army of ruthless barbarians, Cedric knows that capturing the Princess is his best chance at securing all his evil desires. Will the Princess survive being a pawn in his dangerous scheme filled with deceit and destruction?

Other Books in the Sīhalt Series:

Guardian of the Golden City

Sīhalt Series, Book Two

Princess Kathleen Dal Sundi survived her wedding procession. Now she must face the dangers of the Golden City — a place of grandeur and prestige. Her betrothed, the powerful Prince of Tyath, has demanded a chance to win her love before offering their wedding vows.

Kathleen is torn between duty and desire, but agrees to the compromise. The Sīhalt Guardian, who captured her heart, leaves to find his brother, while forces beyond her control rise up to threaten the foundations of the Empire.

Joined by a group of colorful friends, Kathleen soon learns that strength can be found in many forms, and resisting evil requires her to cling to life and love.

Buy it on Amazon or Read Free with Kindle Unlimited

Author Spotlight:

Austin Rehl lives in beautiful Marietta Ohio. He enjoys sculpting, dancing, reading and working on the farm. He is currently going through his "Mid-Life Renaissance" complete with a sports car, new endeavors, and a better work-out routine. He admits that becoming an author was part of that new birth. He shares his life with his wife Wendy, and their six children. Austin Rehl is a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Website * Facebook * Promo Link

Cover Reveal - The Cursed Crown

May Sage & Alexi Blake will be revealing art from The Cursed Crown every month leading up to the December 1^st release! 

Today’s art comes from Salome Totladze! 

Check it and an exciting new excerpt out now!

Title: The Cursed Crown

Author: May Sage & Alexi Blake

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Illustrator: Gabriela Dea Julia

Typography by Sylvia Frost from The Book Brander Boutique

Release Date: 1st of December

My lips hitch up an inch as the hulking, slender man bends down to whisper in my ear. “A divided kingdom without a leader is weak. You will fall. You will fail. You will all die without my kindness, little girl.”

He expects me to falter, shiver, and drop my gaze to the ground like the flock of gentry buzzing around him.

My eyes widen in feigned dismay. “Kindness? Why did no one think to tell me you had any?”

I have to allow him that one concession: Rydekar is fun to tease.

He doesn’t even smile. I don’t think anyone has taunted him. “I have none. You will beg nonetheless.”

I just may, in his dreams. And in my nightmares.

No one was ever born less suited to ruling than Rissa, the thorn of the seelie realm—a half-fae so wild she’s spent the better part of a hundred years in the woods.

For all her flaws, she’s the last of the high court bloodline, and the southern king seems to think that’s reason enough to slap a crown on her feathered head. He needs her to unify the seelie forces. She needs him to forget about that nonsense.

In an effort to aid her people without condemning herself to a lifetime of misery, she sets off on a journey to find the one person with a stronger claim to the throne than hers: the cursed prince.

Sealed in the mountains of the Wilderness, under many spells, the heir of the first seelie queen is the only royal strong enough to protect the fae lands from their immortal invaders.

Surviving the untamed tribes and awakening a thousand-year-old prince seem a lot easier than ruling an entire kingdom where everyone hates her very nature.

And her choices won’t come without consequences.

Pre-Order for a Limited Time Sale Price!

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Exclusive Excerpt:

Long have I heard tales of the cursed prince. I’ve seen dozens of paintings and statues of his effigy.

None prepared me for him.

Tharsen is said to be beautiful, when he is exquisite. They tell us of his luminous aura, when it’s brighter than that of a burning star. He is beyond gods and monsters, beyond fae and man.

I’ve never felt so strong a draw to anyone—anyone at all. It’s blinding and painful, claiming a piece of me. Capturing my mind.

We’re kin, he and I. I am the daughter of his brother’s great-great-great-great-grandchild, I think. Yet I feel like I am an insignificant sparrow and he, the fiercest of the beasts soaring the sky. Barely the same species. He’s everything I’m not. The dream to my nightmare.

One only needs to look at him to fall under his spell.

Yes, he’ll do. He’ll rule all of Denarhelm, and all will be only too pleased to bow at his feet. They’ll crawl to him and beg to be permitted to serve.

I can’t deny that the thought terrifies me. This creature could bring an end to the free will of the folk, with no more than a glance.

I dare to caress the icy wall encasing him.

Then I step back, startled. It feels…

Alive.

His pulse beating so hard I can sense it through the ice. That shouldn’t be possible, but I left the realm of possibility the moment I entered his eternal prison.

He’s a myth come alive. A painfully striking prince under a curse.

I suppose that makes me the hero of the story. The brave princess who rescues him, so that he may rule and I may return to the shadows, where I belong.

My story ends where his begins.

I will return to the solitary woods I’ve claimed as my own, and let the kings of the world play games of war.

Just as I wanted. Everything is within my grasp.

So why am I hesitating?

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Author Spotlight:

May Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres, although the readers who follow every series know they’re all related.

When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd, her two Savannahs, and her black rescue cat, in England. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.

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