Loving the Lines: Dark and Otherworldly by Kristen Brand

Hey there! Today, I have another Loving the Lines for you! Basically, Loving the Lines is dedicated to books with stand-out quotes that need to be shared. I’m often moved by passages and lines from the books I read, and I thought this would be a great way to show the love!! Many thanks to all the wonderful writers who inspire, empower, entertain, and make people think. Today, that author is: 

Kristen Brand!

Kristen Brand’s Dark and Otherworldly series is one of my favorites of 2020. It’s such an epic story, and I loved the characters and the romance. *sigh* That romance…. absolutely swoon-tastic!!

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About the Books:

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Synopsis: Leigh Morgan has known that magic existed ever since an unearthly monster abducted her sister. It’s why she’s in Otherworld now, posing as a servant in its dark, decadent palace. She’s gathering intelligence and working with a small band of allies to bring down the Others and free their human captives. Her mission depends on blending in, so the last thing she wants is to attract the attention of a cunning prince.

Dredarion Rath wants one thing: to disgrace his older brother and prove himself the worthier heir to the throne. And out of all the servants in the palace, he chooses Leigh to help him. Just her luck.

Now Leigh has to keep her work a secret from a bewitching man who sees right through her–and who’s not nearly as cold and inhuman as he seems. She can’t screw this up, or the humans forced into servitude will never go home. But juggling two conspiracies at once, it’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down, and the man she’s falling for has her executed for her betrayal… 

LINK:     My Review | Goodreads   | Amazon

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Synopsis: The fight is over, and Leigh Morgan won. After spending months spying in Otherworld as a servant, she’s rescued the humans who were abducted by the Others and sent them safely home. She had to stay behind to destroy the gateway between worlds and keep them safe, but tough luck. She’s prepared to pay the price.

But she didn’t expect the curse the queen of Otherworld lays on her: a thorny vine growing under Leigh’s skin that will kill her when it reaches her heart. The queen will lift the curse…if Leigh uses her connections in the human realm to locate a magical weapon lost hundreds of years ago.

To ensure she succeeds, the queen sends her son, Dredarion Rath, the cunning prince Leigh had to betray to save her people. With anger and hurt still fresh, they can barely stand to be in the same room together, much less cooperate on such a dangerous mission. But as Leigh’s friends risk everything to help her, she’ll have to find a way to reconcile with Dredarion before their quest gets her and everyone she cares about killed.

LINKS:   My Review |  Goodreads    |      Amazon  

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Synopsis: Leigh Morgan defeated the magical, monstrous denizens of Otherworld. She survived the curse their queen put on her in revenge and wielded their most legendary weapon in battle. But the demonic forces invading Otherworld now are worse than anything she’s ever fought: powerful, cruel, and cannibalistic.

Leigh would return to the human world and leave the arrogant Others to rot except for one reason: Prince Dredarion Rath, the sly, sorcerous man who stole her heart. She’ll fight at his side to save his people even if it means joining forces with her former enemies. But when the worst happens and Leigh ends up cut off from Dredarion, injured and imprisoned, she’ll have to find a way to save the kingdom and the prince alone…or die trying.

LINK:   My Review |   Goodreads    | Amazon

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Favorite Lines

From Poison and Honey:

It was as if nothing was between them: her grudging esteem, his gratification and desire-all were open for the others to freely see. And he saw the same lust in her eyes that burned in him.

His aura of menace withdrew like a gun being returned to its holster: no longer pointed at her face but still very much present.

His thoughts were like drops of blood in a pond of water, dispersing into nothingness before he could analyze them.

Rab had less patience than a starving wolf in front of a carcass.

His lips were like Poison and Honey; she knew he’d destroy her, but she couldn’t resist the sweet taste.

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From Sting of Thorns:

Sometimes the lies people chose to tell were more revealing than the truth.

He felt her hand hesitantly touch his. He stilled, all other sensations fading into trivial nothingness before the soft pressure atop his glove. Then, as carefully as he would turn the pages in a thousand-year-old spell book, he moved his hand to clasp hers.

You take care of Leigh, or I’ll shove a bomb down your throat and blow you to pieces from the inside out.

Feelings were the worst. She needed to go back to repressing hers.

I helped save you because the prospect of losing you was too frightening and painful to bear…because you’re the only person I look forward to spending time with, who makes me feel glad instead of excruciatingly irritated…I can’t stop caring about you. It’s incredibly irritating.

Dredarion’s gaze felt like a fire heating every inch of her body, and holy hell, she might have to talk about her feelings more often if it made him look at her like that.

He could recite odes to her for hours and still feel lacking.

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From The Cruelest Curse:

He would give her everything that was in her power to offer: magic, riches, protection, devotion. But he couldn’t triumph over this struggle for her any more than she could make him a worthier prince or a better enchanter. They could only support one another because they were each capable of standing on their own.

Fear can make fools of even the wisest of us.

Duty to the living had to take precedence over the one to the dead.

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About Kristen Brand:

Kristen Brand is a huge nerd. She writes speculative fiction with lots of action, romance, and witty banter. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading novels or comic books, and she can’t get through the day without at least one cup of tea. You can find out more about her work and read free fiction about everything from lovestruck supervillains to malevolent fairies at her website, KristenBrand.com.

Want to learn more about Kristen Brand and the Dark & Otherworldly series? Check out my interview with Kristen in Author Spotlight!

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Have you read this amazing series? I love all of the quotes from Sting of Thorns! Which lines are your favorite! Comment below!