Showing results by narrator "Shiromi Arserio" in All Categories

Anula Ramanayake of Anuradhapura calculated her ascent the moment she was orphaned—when her village burned in an endless war and the gods forsook her prayers. First, she would marry the raja. Then, she would poison him and take the throne for herself and her people. But when an unexpected coup thwarts her careful plans, Anula is left with one desperate option. She offers her soul to the cursed gods she renounced in exchange for the crown.

After nearly dying within the all-encompassing Void Fog, Solvei—the fire elemental—returns to a war-devastated New Vetus to find the invading army slaughtered. She quickly leaves the country, soaring through the skies in her hawk form, searching for the friends she was separated from, and discovering a new reason to kindle her flames.

The bustling city-state of Marchen borders the seats of the Three Queens, represented by the spindle, the slipper and the apple. But it’s been a hundred years since the rule of the Three Queens. The time of the godmothers has passed. If you want access to magic you either have to be one of the few who are born with it and live in hiding. Or extremely wealthy. Samara Dawa is a former assassin, stolen from her family and sold to the assassin’s guild when she was a child. When the opportunity to destroy the man who sold her comes up, she doesn’t hesitate.

Jennie Jensen is touring Europe, already living her dream, when Prince Hugh of Wales—the future King of England—appears at a gig and requests his favorite song. He’s already smitten, and soon so is she. After a secretive, whirlwind romance, Hugh proposes, and when Jennie accepts, her world changes overnight. She’s still learning to navigate the minefield of constant scrutiny, barbed social interactions, and royal protocol (there are rules about pantyhose), as she learns that not everyone in England is excited about the prospect of an American princess.

The Book of Pet Love and Loss is a collection of quotations—poignant thoughts and memories discovered in letters, journals, diaries, memoirs, and other original sources—from beloved cultural figures who understood this singular experience so deeply, they felt compelled to write about it. This book dignifies the profound connection we share with our animal companions, but it also provides solace as mourners document their heartache over the loss of their cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and other animals—even, in the case of Pablo Neruda, a mongoose.

King Ciaran, ruler of the doomed throne of Lumeria, has spent his entire life searching for a way to escape the eternal night cursing his land—a place where the light doesn't shine and the hope of spring is but a distant dream. No matter his desperation, he would rather live forever in darkness than taint his soul with the solution foretold: claiming the daughter of the Enchantress who first doomed the land as his stolen bride.

Verene and Darius should be celebrating their greatest triumph, but instead they’re left with heavy responsibilities and too many questions. As they dig deeper for the truth, they discover a threat beyond any they could have imagined. With enemies both within and without, even the Academy isn’t a safe haven from the looming threat. Verene is ready to use her new powers to defend everything she loves, but she can’t stand alone.

Adya wants nothing more than to be left alone. Content to be loyal to no one but herself in the isolated jungles of South India, she dreams only of finding her lost sister, Priya, and making enough money to take care of their family. It’s too bad that her rare ability to wake electric machines—using the magic that wiped them out five centuries ago—also makes her a coveted political pawn. Everyone seems to believe that her technomancy can help them win the endless war for control over the magic’s supernatural source.

May Byam grew up following her father to his work at the ropemaking factory and listening to her uncle’s tales of life aboard a Royal Navy ship. After tragedy and scandal shatter her family, May is desperate to escape the shame that follows her. Despite her mother’s pleadings against it, May signs on as a lady’s maid to the young wife of a naval captain. If she’s going to run, she may as well do it in honor of her late uncle and cousin and where there is food, shelter, and perhaps even adventure. But the frosty reception she receives from the ship’s clergyman makes her feel far from welcome.