A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched as Ithicana is conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.
And it is bait she fully intends to take.
Risking her life on the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king but to liberate the Bridge Kingdom from her father’s clutches, using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared. Yet not only is the palace inescapable, there are more players in the game than Lara ever realized: enemies and allies switching sides in the fight for crowns, kingdoms, and bridges. But her greatest adversary of all might be the man she’s trying to free—the husband she betrayed.
With everything she loves in jeopardy, Lara must decide who—and what—she is fighting for: her kingdom, her husband, or herself.
A commander who bled to defend her people, Ahnna is haunted by two beliefs: The first is that she failed to protect Ithicana from invasion. And the second is that saving her homeland means leaving it behind forever.
The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims Ahnna as a bride for its crown prince, she is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen—and to control the gold that comes with the throne.
Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell’s court is a dark underbelly of schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.
As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride . . . or as a blade.
A soldier raised as heir to an empire, Zarrah is motivated by two truths: The first is that the Veliant family murdered her mother. The second is that her pursuit of vengeance will put every last one of them in their graves.
The Endless War between Maridrina and Valcotta has raged for generations, leaving thousands of Zarrah’s people dead and still more orphaned. So when she’s given command of the contested city of Nerastis, Zarrah is prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Maridrinian forces who oppose her—and to kill the Veliant prince who leads them.
Yet a chance encounter with an anonymous and handsome Maridrinian causes Zarrah to question whether the violence she’s perpetrated is justice or a crime. And as she continues to meet the nameless man each night, she finds common ground—and fiery passion—in his arms.
But when identities are revealed, Zarrah must decide whether to embrace a chance at peace or march to the drums of war.