Apprentice to the Villain (Special Hardcover Edition) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Genre: Fantasy / Romance / Romantasy
Synopsis: NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. -Mgmt
Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome, evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat . . . out-of-evil-office.
But Rennedawn is in trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies . . . including their nemesis, the king.
Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, his nefarious works, and maybe the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.
It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so . . . so . . . delightfully fun.
But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Bookshop.org
Defy the Dusk by Danielle L. Jensen
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis: When darkness means certain death and survival depends on reaching the dawn, the woman whose magic broke the world will carve another path: defy the dusk. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom comes the first book in a gritty post-apocalyptic fantasy duology.
In the Sundered world, there are two options: Ride the dawn, or face what rises in the night.
Twenty years ago, Lirien’s magic fractured the world and unleashed nocturnal creatures that brought civilization to its knees. Amidst the carnage came salvation: The most powerful survivors were invited to board Dawnrider, a high-speed rig that would deliver those aboard into a new era.
The rest of humanity was left to die.
Instead, a king rose from the darkness to lead them.
In the years since, Lirien has dedicated her magic to Dawnrider while secretly plotting to overthrow the tyrant who rules the rig with an iron fist. But just as Lirien is ready to strike against him, she is violently abducted by Vox—the king of the feralists.
The mercurial Vox gives her two choices: Fight the creatures that hunt the night or be fed to them. Lirien agrees to join his ranks, but embarks on a strategy of seduction that will return her to Dawnrider.
Yet as Vox pushes the limits of her magic, Lirien begins to question whether defying the dusk is the true path to salvation. Intoxicated by both Vox and his war against the night, Lirien must decide where her loyalties truly lie—and how far she’s willing to go for redemption.
LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Drown the Bones by Alexandra Kennington
Genres:Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis: The spare heir must work with an enemy prince to discover who murdered her twin in this gripping slow-burn romantasy.
As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the “spare” to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she’d rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.
When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von’s death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother’s ghost.
The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she’s bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother’s killer.
But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix’s secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.
LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Fallen Beauty by Astrid Scholte
Genres:Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Thorelea Winyard has been a prisoner her entire life, forced to paint dead animals pushed into her cell. She dreams of the world outside her tower and everything she’s been denied. When one of her subjects comes back to life, Thorelea is thrust into a royal court where she can have anything she desires—aside from her freedom.
Here, she learns that the king and queen have ruled for centuries; their immortality is gifted through the power of their court painter, who dutifully updates their magical portraits. It is also here that she meets the sole other mortal of the court: Prince Kelter. Desperate to become immortal so he can join the ranks of the battalion waging war against a neighboring kingdom, he offers her a deal. Thorelea will paint the portrait Prince Kelter has been denied by his parents, and he will help her escape from the ruthless royal court.
They meet each night in secret. As they grow closer, they must face the monstrous realities of Thorelea’s powers. Will she be forced to choose between her heart and her freedom?
LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Love All the Way by Rachel Woodley
Genres: Romance / Contemporary Romance / Holiday Romance
Synopsis: The holidays have arrived and while most couples are cozying up by the fire, real estate agent Kennedy is scrambling to find her confidence after a messy breakup. Lesson never get involved with your coworker. Hoping for a fun night out, Kennedy takes her best friend’s advice and attends her office’s exclusive Christmas party. But when she spots her ex at the party with his girlfriend—who is now sporting a shiny new engagement ring—her resolve to “stay above it all” crashes down.
Desperate to feel anything but misery, one impulsive kiss with the first handsome man she sees feels like the perfect distraction. There’s just one the man is Milo—her infuriating office rival, biggest competition for a coveted promotion, and the absolute last person she should be kissing. Their chemistry is instant, undeniable, and impossible to ignore. But falling for Milo could cost Kennedy everything she’s worked for. She’s already learned the hard way that mixing business with romance is a recipe for heartbreak, and she’s determined not to make the same mistake twice.
Kennedy always puts work first, and after her last relationship, she’s vowed to never fall for another colleague. But as she and Milo compete for a big promotion, the sparks between them are impossible to ignore, and staying away from him proves to be Kennedy’s most difficult challenge yet.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Of Blades and Wings by Eliza Raine
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis: If I am to survive Valkyrie training, I must earn my wings. If I am to survive Kain, I must make a choice that could burn our world to ash.
I’m broken. My fae magic doesn’t work and nobody knows I exist.
My sister, on the other hand, is bound for glory. She has been selected to train to be a Valkyrie at the mythical Featherblade Hall. I am destined to die alone, in my tower.
Only, when the Valkyrie come to collect my sister, they take me instead.
I’m not the only one who thinks they’ve made a terrible mistake. Every other fae here is waiting for me to die.
Except one.
Kain, the disgraced fire-fae combat trainer. The gods took his wings away, he can’t leave Featherblade, and he makes no secret of his blazing desire for revenge.
And somehow, he knows I’m the only one who can help him. He doesn’t know my secret, thank the fates, but his burning gaze never leaves me.
I know I should avoid him. I can’t think straight when he’s near me, and he’s as lethal as Featherblade is.
But, the only thing harder than earning my wings and becoming a Valkyrie?
Conquering my searing obsession with the unhinged fire-fae, before it gets everyone killed.
Fae Vikings meet romantasy in this enemies to lovers series in an academy/war college setting. If you love villain gets the girl stories and obsessive burn-the-world-down-for-her MMCs then this is for you.
The spice is deliciously slow-burn and builds with each book.
LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org
The Queen of the Spirit Woods by Sharon Choe
Genres: Young Adult; Fantasy; Romance; Romantasy
Synopsis: A kingdom on the brink of colonization Ten thousand nature spirits and deities seeking a vessel A genial nobleman and a grumpy prince uncovering the secrets at Court . . . and the girl at the center of it all.
Mirae dreams of seeing the world. When her friend falls sick, she fakes the girl’s identity to work as a royal kitchen maid. Perhaps then she can earn enough coin to provide for her family. Life in the kitchens isn’t easy, though. The palace is in an uproar after a recent assassination attempt on the king involving a mysterious godtouched sword.
And Mirae nearly gets fired when she gets in the crosshairs of the prickly crown prince, Jae, while he’s in the midst of investigating the secrets at Court. Her position gets even more precarious when she’s sent on an errand, and a chance encounter with a witch in the dangerous Spirit Woods makes her the vessel of 10,000 spirits and deities.
When her new abilities spill out in the palace kitchens, she draws the attention of Wonshik, a kind nobleman, and soon finds herself caught up in a power struggle between the Queen and Wonshik’s best friend, Prince Jae. Neither trusts the other despite both being opposed to the encroaching threat from the east: The First Sun Empire. With the help of a fellow kitchen maid, Oona, and a friend (or foe?) in the form of a meddlesome ghost named Doobu, Mirae must untangle the web of lies to find the traitor within the palace, all while navigating her love for Wonshik and her confusing but growing feelings for Prince Jae. But the Palace is a stage powered by lies, shadowy allegiances, and betrayal, and the assassins aren’t the only ones wearing masks. In a race against time, who can she really trust?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Sharpest Court by Kiera Azar
Genres: Fantasy / Romance / Romantasy
Synopsis: Alissa Paine has fled her home, the Kingdom of Daradon – forced to say goodbye to her old old life in order to escape the clutches of both the cruel, tyrannical King Erik to whom she was once betrothed, and the Hunters who persecute Wielders like Alissa.
But she has not left Daradon empty-handed, and Alissa has in her possession an object that Erik greatly desires – a mysterious and ancient spellmade compass which has the potential to reshape the world, if Alissa – or Erik – can unlock its secrets.
Seeking refuge in the Ansoran Empire, Alissa is able to demonstrate her Wielding powers openly for the first time in her life. But Ansora is not a safe haven, and Alissa is quickly forced to navigate the rules and customs of another dangerous ruler. And even with her former ally, Kiel Arcus, by her side, Alissa soon learns that, while she may have been raised in the kingdom of thorns, she is yet to enter the sharpest court….
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Bookshop.org
The Silver Kingdom by Radiya Hafiza
Genres: Fantasy / Romance /Romantasy
Synopsis: Asian–inspired young adult romantasy about the forbidden love between royals of rival kingdoms that endangers their tenuous peace just as a prophecy comes to pass and long-lost magic returns.
The savior will rise and lead an army to the gates of darkness. Only when the fire has fallen can light prevail.
Prince Zayd, heir to Dakaria, the Silver Kingdom, spends his days defending the land from pirate raids. Princess Layla, heir to Sawan, dreams of running away and escaping her cruel, power-hungry mother.
When the two meet, sparks fly. But the royals are destined to marry other people and tensions between their kingdoms are high—one wrong move could threaten the fragile peace between them.
As dark forces begin to threaten Dakaria, a centuries-old prophecy is set into motion, and Layla discovers she has a latent power, one that she doesn’t understand and begins to fear. Magic has been forbidden for a hundred years. Could Layla be the key to uniting their kingdoms, or will the young royals’ forbidden love plunge them all into a devastating war?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Bookshop.org
Souls in Ruin by Jacqueline White
Genres: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis: A marriage forged in blood. A kingdom bathed in silence. And a princess who refuses to break.
When Princess Mireille is wed to a foreign king with cold eyes and colder intentions, she expects distance, perhaps cruelty, not chains. Kept imprisoned within her own kingdom’s walls, she learns her father’s past sins are not easily buried.
But neither is she.
As her world twists into something unrecognisable, Mireille finds herself caught between two powerful immortal beings – one who wants her obedience and one who wants what little soul she has left.
But Mireille was not born to kneel.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Bookshop.org
To Vex and to Hex by Nena Noon
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Paranormal
Synopsis: Lucy Ansari’s life revolves around Crawley Books. As a witch, Lucy finds that Charles, the magical old man who owns it, feels more like family than her actual family. And like Lucy, her magic seems to adore books–but she definitely doesn’t adore Charles’ useless grandson, Grayson, who suddenly arrived from Ireland to “help” when Charles breaks his hip.
Grayson has never shown any interest in his lonely grandfather or the store Charles (and Lucy!) have dedicated their lives to. Suspicious of Grayson’s motives, there’s no way Lucy will let him disappoint Charles yet again–she’ll just have to hex him into leaving. But the arrogant, prickly Grayson seems determined to stay, and to finally mend his relationship with Charles before it’s too late. Except, much to his chagrin (and Lucy’s delight), Lucy refuses to part with his grandfather or the store. So, nonmagical Grayson decides to use his own version of vexing Lucy until she gives up her self-anointed role as Charles’ one and only protector.
As shenanigans ensue and sparks fly, Lucy and Grayson realize they share more than just responsibilities at the bookstore–like budding feelings for one another they’re desperate to suppress. But if they can only stop vexing and hexing, it might just be time to take a chance on each other.
LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org
