The Song of the Marked


S.M. Gaither - 2020
    The old gods are growing restless. Can she stop the coming storm? A Devastating Sickness For decades, the Kethran Empire has been plagued by a strange illness that leaches the very life and soul from its victims. The Girl Who Survived Casia is one of the Fade-Marked—one of the few people who caught this sickness and lived. Why she lived is a mystery even to her and the outcast crew of mercenaries she calls her family. It also makes her an intriguing target for the young, enigmatic king-emperor, who claims he wants to work alongside her to find a cure. Unfortunately, working alongside him also means working with the handsome but infuriating captain of one of the most prestigious branches of the Kethran Army. A Soldier With No Past This infuriating Captain Elander also has secrets: A past that Cas can’t seem to uncover, a powerful but strange brand of magic, and a deep distrust of the very monarch that he’s sworn to serve. She feels oddly drawn to him in spite of these things...But can she really trust him? The Fate of an Empire As the bodies pile up and strange monsters begin to wreak havoc throughout the realms, Cas and Elander will have to work together to protect their world whether they trust one another or not. Because one thing is clear: Something ancient and evil is stirring in the shadows of Kethra.And the empire will not survive its full unleashing. But how can they save a world where nothing and no one is what they seem to be— including Cas herself? —Return to the unique universe of myth and magic first introduced in the bestselling Serpents and Kings trilogy with this first book in a brand new series—or visit that world for the first time! You do not need to have read any of the Serpents and Kings books to read this one. All you need to enjoy this new series is a love of fierce heroines, epic world building, enemies-to-lovers romance, and breathtaking adventure.

Marvels and Misfits


Scarlett Dawn - 2019
     I’m screwed. Royally screwed. Of all the ways to mess up, I picked a real gem this time—of the dastardly shifter sort. Especially because I’m the crowned elven princess.A forbidden soul mating with the cruel King Athon was not why I attended the royal summit of magical races. Our kinds do not mix, as is written in death-blood. And I’ll be damned before I let some arrogant alpha tell me what to do, and for once I’m not talking about my father.But now, I’m on the quest of a lifetime.My crew of accomplices—sworn enemies.Including King Athon and my father.Our mission—retrieve ancient artifacts lost forever.Good luck there. And if we fail? No worries. The giants will crush the realm.Between all the secrets and lies, my name is Trixie Towers; and that’s the only truth that won’t get me dead.

Untainted


Lilian T. James - 2021
    Wielding a blade and pretending to be human were two of them. Following the rules and controlling her anger, were not. Raised in the heart of the Matherin Empire, Vera spent most of her life forced to hide what she was and what she could do. Until one day, she foolishly confronts a strange male she spies tailing the Crown Prince. Not only does the altercation not go as planned, but the male claims she possesses a power his people vitally need. He's desperate to return home and refuses to leave without her. Staying would give her a life she never thought she'd have but leaving could provide her with the only chance to learn more about her past. The more answers she uncovers about herself, the more questions arise, and nothing is adding up. Vera must decide what to do, not only with her life, but with the ancient power inside her.

The Princess Must Die


Everly Frost - 2018
    DESTINED TO BE TORN APART.In an Elven city beneath the streets of Chicago, the perfect storm rages, kept under control only by Marbella Mercy, the Storm Princess. Now she is of age, champions from each of the elven houses will play a game of wit and strength to fight for her hand – and for the chance to control the forces of nature.Baelen Rath, a warrior and leader of the feared House of Rath, is the only male Marbella has ever trusted. He'll risk everything to be her champion. But what he and the others don't know? The princess is fighting too.Because she's discovered that the winner is cursed to kill her, not marry her, and the only way to save herself is to win.But Marbella is fighting a power greater than herself, because someone believes that the perfect storm should be unleashed and for that to happen – the princess must die.

The Iron King


Julie Kagawa - 2010
    She has never quite fit in at school or at home.When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Pawn


Karen Lynch - 2020
    Jesse’s only concern is how to pay for college, but that changes the night her parents disappear.Equipped with her parents’ weapons and her own smarts, Jesse enters the dangerous world of bounty hunting in search of her mother and father. In her quest, she encounters all manner of Fae, but the scariest is Lukas, the mysterious, imposing faerie who offers to help her find her parents.But there are powerful forces at work, and Jesse is about to become a player in a dangerous game that could decide the fate of everyone she loves. In this world of magic and deception, it’s hard to tell her allies from her enemies in the race to find her parents before their time runs out.

Heir of Ruin


Leigh Kelsey - 2021
    There’s no place for mercy in the palace of cruel fae... Maia Delakore is her aunt’s secret weapon. With her snaresong magic, Maia twists the minds of the fae court, and smothers any resistance to the queen of the Vassal Empire’s reign. But when her aunt commands her to kill a fae prince, Maia refuses. And flees into the arms of the crown’s worst enemy—the Sapphire Knight. The crown will pay for what they did Azrail’s parents... Azrail and his sister are all that’s left of a family framed for treason. As the Sapphire Knight, he and a small band of rebels wreak havoc on the queen’s plans, sparing those sentenced to death, and sneaking the hunted beastkind—shapeshifters with an animal form—out of the City of Skies. But when they save a young girl with a rare, powerful magic, Azrail and his friends are drawn into a plot laid by the saints themselves. A plot that will draw Azrail and Maia together, sparking a love that will become legend. Fantasy romance readers will devour this fated mates, enemies to lovers series inspired by Hades and Persephone, with a kickass princess, a snarky fae lord, a seductive prince, and a sweet jaguar shifter. Blood and Ash and Throne of Glass readers will fall in love with the Fae of The Saintlands. This series is slow burn, but hot in later books, and has multiple love interests added throughout the series. 50,000 words.