Wattpad Original
When Shadows Rise (Book 1)
  • Reads 205,791
  • Votes 13,933
  • Parts 42
  • Time 7h 40m
  • Wattys winner
  • Reads 205,791
  • Votes 13,933
  • Parts 42
  • Time 7h 40m
  • Wattys winner
Complete, First published Nov 24, 2019
A magic-addicted spy trapped in the queen's service must track a princess-turned-assassin in order to earn her freedom, but things get complicated when she falls for the princess she's supposed to capture. 

*****

Weak. Cursed. That's how seventeen-year-old Kayden Branimir, the realm's deadliest assassin, views herself. Some believe she could save the world with her rare healing magic, but she gave up on her powers long ago after failing to save her best friend. Her life changes when she receives a letter from her supposedly dead twin brother, Alaric, begging to be rescued from rival territory Leodia. For the first time since her friend's accident, Kayden is determined to be the hero, but she must learn to embrace her magic--and herself--along the way. 

Strange. Unnatural. Those are the words whispered about eighteen-year-old Zara Tait, a Leodian spy addicted to soul-stealing magic. Forced into the queen's service, Zara wants to escape and return home, but she has nothing to offer the queen in exchange for her freedom. When Kayden arrives in Leodia, Zara sees the quiet girl with unique magic as the bargaining chip she needs. But the more she learns of Kayden, the more her feelings grow. Now, Zara must choose between her freedom and the dangerous assassin she hadn't meant to fall for.


[2020 Watty Award Winner]

Content warning:  This story contains mature themes of violence, addiction, abuse, self-harm, and mental illness.

Cover by Faera Lane
All Rights Reserved
Sign up to add When Shadows Rise (Book 1) to your library and receive updates
or
#149nonbinary
Content Guidelines
You may also like
The Fall of Vequera  by storiesbyandy_
19 parts Complete Mature
18 chapters available • the rest are available on Patreon Book one in "The Reign of The Flame" series "If she became queen, she would be the end of us all." A disinherited princess and a kingdom on the verge of ruin. The birth of twins were once a joyous occasion in Vequera but in the year 602 C.E, it was anything but. A first-born daughter with a golden eye and a second-born son. The realm feared what the daughter would be capable of. None knew of her power or what she would do in the future if she became queen, so the throne was given to the second son in hopes he would save their house from possible ruin. Over the course of her life, she was neglected by her mother for being different like the "demons of the west." She began to harden as the years passed her by and the abuse she endured intensified until one day, she snapped, killing someone. The queen sends her away in order to keep the nobles at bay but little did she know that her decision to do so would cause the fall of everything she held dear. The fall of Vequera. Cover made by @glvendae MILESTONES 100 READS - 01/22/23 500 READS - 03/01/23 1k READS - 03/02/23 5K READS - 04/16/23 10K READS - 07/29/23 15K READS - 04/21/24 #14 in weneeddiversity - 02/01/23 #23 in dark fantasy - 04/17/23 #10 in sibling rivalry - 05/11/23 #1 in sibling rivalry - 05/16/23 #1 in dragons - 05/18/23 #2 in dark fantasy - 05/19/23 #58 in war - 06/27/23 © All Rights reserved by storiesbyandy
SILVER EYES (GXG) by Ava_night_Writer
80 parts Complete Mature
[2024 WATTYS WINNER] Grace had no idea what she would find on the other side of the wall when the gates opened. Even less so that they wouldn't let her brother cross. Why? A blue-eyed and fierce commander, named Heather, holds the answer. She closed the gates to him. Now, as Grace is drawn to Heather in ways she never expected, she must uncover the truth behind the separation, before her heart leads her astray and the chance to reunite with her brother slips away forever. · · · In a world divided by a wall, once a year, the gates open for a chance to switch sides. Technological side or nature side? That's the question. Grace and her brother, Michael, tired of the nature side, are determined to make the crossing. But at the last moment, a fierce commander named Heather tears them apart. Why? Grace will stop at nothing to get answers. What she didn't expect, though, was to feel drawn to Heather in ways that would turn her life upside down. Now, not only does she have to find her brother and find a way to sneak him over, but she must also navigate her complicated feelings for the woman responsible for their separation. 𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕕: ⚡Romance reading list - @project_Athena ⚡ ★彡[ᴀᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ:]彡★ ⚡2024 GemStone Book Awards - First Place - Sci-fi Category ⚡ ⚡Zelicaon Awards - Second Place - LGBTQ+ Category ⚡ ⚡Adorn Award Book - Second Place - Romance Category⚡ ⚡The Crown Awards - Third Place - Adventure Category⚡ ⚡Qualified Queerverse activity #FreeTheWriting⚡
You may also like
Slide 1 of 9
Zara || A Nigerian Lesbian cover
The Cradle (Book 1) cover
Winter's Dance (#1 Ruthen Quartet) cover
A Grace of Crowns | ☑ Queenkiller, Kingmaker #1 cover
The Fall of Vequera  cover
The Tenabrist Chronicles cover
Guarding His Queen cover
of Sword and Flame cover
SILVER EYES (GXG) cover

Zara || A Nigerian Lesbian

42 parts Complete Mature

☆ Featured ☆ NA ✔︎ AmbassadorsNG ✔︎ Wattpad ✔︎ It's challenging to be yourself in a society where being a lesbian is an offense with a fourteen-year prison sentence. Zara has a secret, and she knows if it comes out - all hell will break loose. To keep her parents from bothering her about getting married, she comes out to them as a lesbian, and all does not go well. Yasmin lost her girlfriend to the vicious hands of Nigerians who hate gays, and she has made it her mission to fight for LGBTQ rights. The attraction between these two burned like fire, but a lot was against them. Yasmin had her demons to fight and senators to blackmail into passing the LGBTQ bill. Zara had some figuring out to do about her self-confidence. Falling in love once was a mistake, but would it be fate a second time? . ||𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙽𝚃 52,652|| ✥﹤┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈﹥✥ Cover - @TheMinimalisticGirl ✥﹤┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈﹥✥ If you are reading this story on any other platform other than Wattpad, you are likely to be at risk of a malware attack. If you wish to read this story in its original, safe form, please go to https://my.w.tt/fDp1c6AQ37