Book picks similar to
A Bargain with the Fae King by Megan Van Dyke
fantasy
romance
fae
paranormal
Twisted Fate
Jessi Elliott - 2018
I can’t stand him, but I also can’t deny the tension that ignites whenever he’s close.After surviving my run-in with the fae, I planned to go back to my perfectly mapped future and forget they existed. Silly me, I should have known that silver-tongued Tristan wouldn’t leave me alone.And maybe I don’t want him to.But when my brother falls ill to a sickness not even fae magic can cure, none of my plans matter anymore. And before I have a moment to catch my breath, both my life and my heart are put in danger when Tristan’s fae nemesis emerges and forces me to make a terrible choice.One I don’t know I’ll survive.
Darkest Moon
Linsey Hall - 2021
Screw that.Since I was born, I was destined to be one thing—the Alpha’s Mate. It should be every girl’s dream. Not mine, though. He’s too dark and damaged, and I’ve got a secret he can never know: I’m not a true wolf.Instead of waiting for him to figure out I’m an abomination, I left on my fifteenth birthday. But I didn’t go far. No way in hell would I let fate drive me from the town I love.Ten years later, I’m still hiding in plain sight. When I occasionally see him on the street—deadly, sexy, powerful--I just walk by. Keep my head down.Until that night. Wrong place, wrong time, and suddenly I’m accused of murdering someone from my old pack. And he’s there. Blaming me. I’ve got one chance to prove my innocence and find the real killer, or I'm dead by shifter law.Fortunately, the Alpha doesn't recognize me because I'm no longer the same ugly duckling. He senses I'm special though, and he won’t stop until he figures out the truth. But when he does, I’ll be in danger from more than just the murderer.
Julian
Piper Shelly - 2012
Thank God, in six weeks, I’ll be eighteen and free!Except, a certain stupid sweater in my backpack—okay, okay! I didn’t actually pay for it—lands me at court. And, look at that…my mother is back, too.I want to keel over dead when the judge sentences me to time in France with her. Actually, I take that back, I want her to keel over dead! And then somebody says she has cancer. Wow, I’ve never had a wish fulfilled this fast. But until that happens—or I turn eighteen, whichever comes first—I’m required to work in some unknown family’s vineyards. Yeah, right…France, however, holds another surprise for me. Julian.He doesn’t miss a chance to provoke me, and for some reason he seems to foresee each step of my brilliant escape plan. What the hell—?But then he makes a tiny mistake. And suddenly, I’m confronted with a secret that makes my blood run cold.
Taken
Katerina Martinez - 2021
I’m not rich or pretty enough to wear them, but I love what I do, working out of my family’s shop on Carnaby Street in London—until the fae show up.It’s a straight-up kidnapping, and before I know it, I’m brought to this wintry place of cold hearts and beautiful nightmares, but that’s not the worst part.The worst part is, they think I’m fae, and I’m supposed to participate in some competition against a host of other women who have been training their whole lives for this. The prize? The winner is to marry the Prince.On the surface that sounds almost like a fairytale, only this competition is brutal and bloody, and the Prince is the jerk that kidnapped me. I can’t get too close to him or he’ll know I’m not fae, and then I’m dead. But I want to get close to him. His body burns with the fire of a cold star, and I’m drawn to him.I need to fight the pull and survive long enough to find a way out of here, but these winter fae won’t make that easy.
The Savage and the Swan
Ella Fields - 2021
Fleeing, I unknowingly raced into a fate we’d all desperately hoped to avoid.By the time I saw him coming, it was far too late. For my family. For my kingdom.For my heart.Before I could staunch the bleeding, the king had me under his giant paw, and one wrong move after another caused those razor-sharp claws to sink deeper and deeper beneath my bruised skin.I might have been trapped, naïve, and furious, but I still had a kingdom to save—and a plan. Yet when we collided, the bloodshed, the fear, his atrocities... all of it dissolved like stardust upon the night sea.The stars had mapped out our destiny, but it didn’t matter what they or my heart wanted. I refused to see the enigmatic male, the heartless lost boy with a soul beneath the flesh of a monster. The savage king who’d destroyed everything I loved would fall—even if my heart fell with him.—Inspired by Hades and Persephone, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Swan Princess, The Savage and the Swan is not connected to any other Ella Fields novel. It’s a full-length standalone romantic fantasy containing mature content.
The Cursed Crown
May Sage - 2021
“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.
Beauty In Darkness
Elizabeth Briggs - 2019
Though she always knew she’d be married off in a political alliance, she never expected it to be to that monster. Or that the only time she would see her elusive husband is when he’s teaching her magic, treating her more like his student than his wife.King Raith may have taken a bride to end a war and protect his people, but after his former wife’s murder he has no interest in falling in love again, especially when Rose defies him at every moment and refuses to stay out of trouble. But Rose’s beauty and boldness tempt him to open his heart a second time, and every day it gets harder to resist her. Just as Rose begins to see another side to Raith, she discovers her new home holds deep, dark secrets that threaten the entire land, secrets no one dares speak of—and he’s at the center of them. As their desire for each other grows, Rose will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth about his past and the shadows spreading across the land. But when darkness threatens to tear them apart, they’ll have to find a way to stop it together—or doom their kingdom forever.
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom
Sarah A. Parker - 2021
Fragile.An enigma.Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds.Stay within. Never leave.Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe ... though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily.Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable.My savior. My protector.My almost executioner.I can't help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground.When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I've kept from myself.No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds.To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst. A unique new fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, guaranteed to grip you from the very first page.
Sworn to Raise
Terah Edun - 2013
But beneath her empire’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations.Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron. But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with remarkable characters and unforgettable magic. Sworn To Raise is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Michelle Sagara, and Maria Snyder.
The Bridge Kingdom
Danielle L. Jensen - 2018
The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy.Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Fables & Other Lies
Claire Contreras - 2020
Not until I met River Caliban himself, heir to a fortune of curses. My fated sworn enemy. I knew I should have stayed away from him. I should have run the other way when he called out my name, when he flashed that sinful smile of his, but instead, I walked toward him, leaving the light behind. Instead, I go against all reason, against all warning, and attended the gala of the year at his dark, allegedly haunted home at the top of the hill. The moment I step foot inside I know I’m in trouble, but there’s something about River that magnetizes me, reels me in, and when he asks for the impossible, I find it impossible to turn him away.
A Ruin of Roses
K.F. Breene - 2021
We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction.The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter.He’s our hope.He’s my nightmare.When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn’t punish me with death, as he’s entitled.He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me.Apparently, I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king’s power.But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him.It would mean my ruin._ _ _ _ _ _This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling, featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast. It is a full-length novel at 80k words and suitable for 18+. This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. Buckle up. The author was let off her leash.
Flame and Starlight
Dana Isaly - 2021
Her mother warned her about them, moving them from city to city, always trying to stay one step ahead. But Alys always thought they were merely the ramblings of an eccentric woman and let her guard down once her mother was gone. Left on her own, she’s found, marked, and taken.Asher is tall, dark, and handsome…and Fae. He claims he took Alys from the human world for her own safety but she doesn’t trust him or the dangerous feeling he stirs inside of her. As he pushes, she pulls, refusing to be used as a pawn in whatever game he’s playing.Forced to live under the same roof as her captor, Alys soon learns there’s more to the story, discovering the disturbing truth about her connection to Asher. When the opportunity to leave presents itself, it won’t be easy for her to walk away. Faced with an impossible decision, she’ll have to choose what life she wants to lead, and who she wants to lead it with.
Slumber
Samantha Young - 2011
Now Haydyn, her best friend and the one person she does trust, is dying and only Rogan can save her.Setting off on a journey to retrieve the plant that will cure Haydyn and subsequently the ills that will befall them all if she dies, Rogan is stuck in close quarters with a protector she distrusts above all others.Wolfe Stovia.The son of the man who destroyed Rogan’s family.At a constant battle of wills with the handsome Captain of the Guard, Rogan just knows this adventure together will be fraught with tension. She never imagined, however, that the quest would be so dangerous… not least of all when she finds herself falling for a man she could have sworn was her no.1 enemy…
Master of Salt & Bones
Keri Lake - 2020
He'd ride up on his white steed and break the curse I've been fated to carry since the day I was born.Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined.In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was.Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals, the fishers of men, who believe him to be the devil in the flesh.Perhaps he is, with the way his amber eyes draw me in, ignite me like an infernal blaze. And the sins he whispers in my ear are as wickedly intoxicating as the man himself.Yet, his touch is heaven and his will is my weakness.He calls us forbidden, an unsalvageable tragedy, with no happy end. Maybe we are. But in this story, he’s the one who needs saving.