Part of The Legends of Thezmarr
First published 2023
Althea Zoltaire knows she will die in three years. A prophecy has sealed her fate, but she refuses to waste the time she has left. Women cannot legally carry weapons in her world, yet Althea has spent her life training with blades in secret. She wants to become a warrior legend, and death will not stop her from trying. She enters the brutal selection process for an elite guild that protects the five kingdoms. The other trainees treat the trials like war games. They spar without mercy and haze newcomers until some break completely. Althea survives each test, but a new danger emerges. Wilder Hawthorne serves as her reluctant chaperone, and she finds herself drawn to him despite the risks. Dark forces gather around them while Althea fights for her place in the guild. Enemies plot against the kingdoms, and time runs short. She must pass the final initiation to become a champion of Thezmarr, but the approaching evil threatens to destroy everything before she can claim her destiny.
Genres: romance, adventure, fantasy, young-adult
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love, reluctant-romance, trials-and-tribulations
Setting: Thezmarr, Five Kingdoms
548 pages · Paperback · Alchemy
Content warnings: death, violence