Val Saintcrowe

Pitch-black savage romantic fantasy for Reylos, Darklina shippers, and other readers thrilled by dangerous men. Two sisters. Two dark fae male captors. This is war, and they are the spoils. Prantia Onivia's wedding feast is invaded by death fae rebels, who destroy everything in in their path and cut a bloody swath through the night. Onivia's new husband is killed, as are her father and brothers. Her only surviving family member is her sister Magdalia. Magdalia is Favored, which means she is in possession of a rare and powerful magic. The Croith, the death fae's Night King, wants to make use of her talents. Onivia vows to save her sister. However, she is being held captive in a fae war encampment as the Centurion Larent's prize. She is powerless to stop him from doing what he wishes with her, and she is marked for the centurion's bed. Magdalia is taken to the north, to the capital city, where the Night King has invaded the emperor's palace, and where he waits for her presence eagerly. But when she is thrown down at the hem of his black robes, she can't help but be horrified. She knows him. Painful, passionate dark fae fantasy. Lovers and enemies all at once. Morally gray characters. Vengeance. Love that is more agonizing than hate. Magic. War. Slave revolts. Warnings for explicit content, mature language, and non-consensual sex. Not for the faint of heart.

Battles of Salt and Sighs

Fourth Wing but edgier. Banyan Thriceborn has always been different, but it's never been a good thing. Until now. When she competes in a tournament for admission to the South Ridge Dragon Academy, she gets noticed by Odion Naxim. Odion is the most promising student at the Academy, brilliant and daring, the best hope the Three Kingdoms has to banish the menace of the Frost. Odion sees Banyan's potential as a soldier. And he wants her. Before Banyan knows it, she's enrolled as a student at the Academy. The curriculum mostly consists of wargames-battles in an arena, students soaring on gliders, pelting each other midflight with blunt arrows. Banyan wins all the games, but being the best doesn't endear her to the other students. Neither does being the purported object of Odion's desire. His heated gaze follows her through the halls of the school, even as he does nothing to pursue her. There are whispers Banyan is meant to bond the dragon mated to Odion's, that they will be a bonded pair who will lead the fight against the Frost. But for now, he is her rival, the only student she struggles to defeat in the arena. All the while, the Frost is lurking out on the reaches of Ice Mountains, in the frozen peaks, waiting to strike. This dragon rider academy fantasy contains mf and mmf action (yes, y'all, there's a second male love interest), dubcon by dragon heat, ice zombies, fancy scaled peen, and plenty of surprises. Trigger warnings for one scene depicting attempted noncon-not involving the hero.

A Dragon Rider Academy Fantasy Romance

Games of Flame and Dust

Cyria Magdalia's magical bond to the Night King grows more intense with each passing day. She tries to summon hatred for the dark fae who keeps her captive and forces her to serve his cause. But he's good to her. And she likes kissing him. Meanwhile, her sister Onivia will stop at nothing to save her sister from the Night King's clutches. But Onivia's attempts at seducing her former fiancé Naxus Albus and securing his help have not been successful. Albus is obsessed with killing Larent, the fae who divested Onivia of her virtue, the fae who Onivia has complicated, churning feelings for. Onivia needs Albus's legions to fight the Night King, but he only focuses his forces on his personal vendetta for Larent. All the time, Magdalia's and Duranth's magic grows stronger. Their armies of dead men swell, crushing the human legions wherever they meet. And the death fae continue to rise.

Thrusts and Crests of Fury

Jove Chambers

Do not read this. I assure you, I am not the sort of woman that anyone likes, and you will not like me. The fact that he likes me, it should be a sign to you, in fact. He is Mr. Marlow, and there is something wrong with him. I couldn't say what it is exactly. He doesn't outwardly present as deformed, not truly, but he seems that way somehow. The edges of him squirm and expand. He is shadows and barbs and coils and teeth. He is a monster. He likes me. And the man that contains Mr. Marlow, the proper and buttoned up Dr. Fastian? Well, he sees me for what I am-a scarred strumpet who enjoys playing too close to the fire, who doesn't mind getting singed now and again. He doesn't like me, not truly. I am not the sort of woman that anyone likes. Well, not anyone decent, that is. You won't like me either. I am warning you. Do not read this. This Jekyll-and-Hyde inspired monster romance is a gaslamp romp into the dark, seedy back alleys of a Victorian-esque city. Part psychological thriller, part musings on gender roles and social structure, and all detailed monstery spice. If a reader is looking for a simple pleasurable escape, she should look elsewhere. This one will hurt.

A Monster Romance

Fractured

This dark, slow burn romantic epic fantasy continues with a journey to the Court of Nightmares, perfect for readers who were on the edge of their seats in Sarah J. Maas's court Under the Mountain... Nicce Ward is determined to kill the goddess of nightmares, Ciaska. It might seem impossible, but Nicce is up for the task, and she needs Sir Eithan Draig to get into the Nightmare Court. Eithan Draig isn't keen on the idea of putting Nicce in danger. He just wants her magic sunlight blood and then he'll be on his way and let her go on hers. Well, anyway, that's what he should want. What he actually wants is to seize any excuse to be near her, even if it means risking her life. So he brings Nicce to the Nightmare court, where he must protect her from the whims of the capricious goddess of nightmares, who happens to be jealous of his obsession with Nicce. He can make it work. He's been playing Ciaska for over a hundred years. He's a master of subterfuge and manipulation, but his plan hinges on Nicce displaying nothing but disgust for Eithan. She is disgusted by him, isn't she? All he's ever done is hurt her. She couldn't possibly want him too. If Nicce did want him, he might lose control. And that could cost them everything.

The Dead and the Dusk

for fans of the world of Six of Crows or Ace of Shades Welcome to the Barrens, the glittering underbelly of the city of Rzymn, where street lords rule. They call Chevolere Vox the Beast of the Barrens because of his beastly appetites. He enjoys getting his fists bloody, so it's not wise to cross him. It's said his ruthless propensities with women have gotten him barred from every whorehouse in town. So, when the Beast of the Barrens wins Ziafiata Abrusse in a card game from her street lord father, everyone is both horrified and concerned for the girl, even as they are too terrified to intervene. Ziafiata is delivered to the rooms above his tavern, shut up and imprisoned to wait for his monstrous attentions. No one is expecting her emerge, weeks later, on Vox's arm. He appears besotted, enamored, even tamed. Everyone would be surprised to know he's barely touched her, that they haven't so much as kissed. However, they might think this is perhaps because Ziafiata's sweet innocence has awoken some gentlemanly tenderness within him. They'd be wrong. Ziafiata has not swayed him with her meekness. Quite the opposite. No, this savage beauty has proved to be neither innocent nor sweet. And her ferocity has driven this beast to distraction. This epic fantasy romance is for you if you like pitch-black love interests, anti-heroes, skirting the dark edge of passion, steamy scenes, and a little redemption-but not so much that it declaws a beast.

A Villain Romance Drawn from Beauty and the Beast

The Beast of the Barrens

The heist fantasy duology concludes Trapped in the criminal underworld by the possibility of her husband's seed having taken root in her womb, Sefoni Rience contemplates her options. She has never felt more alive than she does here with Haid and his crew, and the job is Rzymn is not complete, of course. She can think of worse things than this marriage being real, much worse things than being tied to Haid Vortinen, thief and disgraced nobleman, forever. When she isn't pregnant, she finds herself disappointed. So, she hides it. After all, this man deceived her, didn't he? It's not because of honor that she's now by his side and in his bed. If she also tricks him, they are even. Meanwhile, the team works to put the pieces into play to complete the job in Rzymn. Cadon and Pairce struggle to trust each other, even as they can only see each other in the dark. Tristanne and Mairli continue in lustful hatred. Every day brings them closer to the perfect heist. And every day, Sefoni's belly doesn't swell. Every day is a day closer to the day when she must reveal her secret.

A Heist Fantasy Drawn from Hades and Persephone

Scars and Swindlers

The capital erupts. Their forces swollen with the raised dead, the fae armies overwhelm the empire's legions and crush them in one bloody day. In the wake of the battle... Magdalia tries to make her husband Duranth, the Croith, see that their magic has no concern for their people. It only wants blood. Can she hold it back, or will she and her king be swallowed whole in the ecstatic madness of dark power? Naxus Albus, dux bellorum, deserts the legions for the love of a woman he calls Galvia. What he doesn't know is that she's a fae spy, and that she was sent by his half brother Larent to destroy him. Olirius Cassus knows the fae woman Isha in his cage is useless to him in the wake of the capital's demise. He should kill her. But it does seem a waste to destroy something so pretty. Prantia Onivia is safe on the other side of the mountains in Emmessia, where she will do anything to protect her unborn child, even court the attention of the Emmessian emperor. Legatus Larent isn't dead for some reason, even though that's what he deserves. If he can't die, he'll protect his people, even if that means protecting them from their own Night King, who is increasingly erratic and violent. Above all, most importantly, he'll stay away from Onivia. Forever.

The Swell and Crash of Surrender

Six of Crows meets Lore Olympus Sefoni Rience needs a thief. Her cousin the queen has been tricked into giving up a bracelet, and if that bauble is found in the wrong hands, the queen's reputation will be left in tatters. To get the bracelet back, she wants to hire Haid Vortinen, criminal mastermind, disgraced nobleman, sometimes known as the Lord of the Dead. Haid agrees to steal back the bracelet, but only if Sefoni agrees to marry him. Haid explains that she is the final piece to his master work-the perfect heist. He needs her at his side to complete it. Once it is done, he'll retire and never steal again. Sefoni's not inclined to help the Lord of the Dead and his four other team members-a strumpet, a strongman, a lock picker, and their getaway driver-commit robbery. But then, Haid's not inclined to give her a choice. When he publicly casts aspersions on her reputation, she's ruined. Her only option is to become Haid's wife and to be pulled into the criminal underworld. In six months time, the heist will be complete, and their sham marriage will end. She will be free. Until that time, Sefoni must harden her traitorous heart. The one thing she cannot afford to do is to fall in love with her roguish, handsome husband. Things to know about this book: First book of an epic romantic fantasy duology Two bonus couples (one of which is of the Sapphic persuasion) Bonus Greek myths, including situations drawn from Cupid and Psyche and Lynceus and Hypermnestra Full-on steam (which does not overshadow the intricate heist plot)

Val Saintcrowe

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