Crooked Crown

They've come for her crown. She'll leave with their heads.

Set in a world of faeries, dragons, and deadly ancient creatures, Rafia Dragna is the crown princess of Illeias, granted with the gift of curses. Nightbringer, they call her, the one who cloaked Vaelyr in eternal night a century ago. A killer, born and bred. As tradition goes, the heir will compete in the Trial of Throne against the scions of the nine noble Houses for the crown. Her competitors are warriors each blessed with a powerful gift-- but so is she. If she eliminates all her opponents in the arena she'll reign as queen. But there are those who wish to dethrone the king, and Rafia finds herself caught in a plot to end the Dragna Dynasty.

Calder Reeves thought he knew who the Nightbringer was, a woman molded by the savage hands and cunning mind of King Orrin, but he did not anticipate the allure he finds in her, and the heart she claims she doesn't have. House Reeves's schemes revolve around him becoming king, but he wonders if Rafia might be the queen that Vaelyr desperately needs.

Rielle was raised in the Valle de Soleil, a village hidden in the mountains in the far north of Vaelyr. Her human ancestors had allied with Fae who hold dominion over light. They live quietly, unconcerned with the warring kingdoms surrounding them. But Rielle feels something stirring within her, and the Fae she meets in the High Woods claims he knows why. Rielle is loath to trust Ryland, but when things go awry in the Valle, she has no other choice. Desperate to escape, she flees with Ryland, striking a bargain to discover the destructive magic inside of her. After seeking all her life the world beyond, Ryland offers a fantasy she's willing to step into the dark to possess. But that may be all it is, a fantasy.

With rebels within the Court, and rebels poised in wait across Vaelyr, the struggle for the wicked crown may be the beginning of a brutal war.

Only one can wear the crown. So it begins.