Shard & Shield

King's bastard Shianan Becknam buries himself in his military career to avoid becoming a political liability. When the artifact intended to end an inter-dimensional war is damaged, one of his few friends, the mage Ariana, is trapped on the other side of the rift with her servant-and Shianan knows her cheery young servant boy is really one of the monstrous enemy, disguised as a human. Shianan is desperate to rescue Ariana, but to do so requires sacrificing everything he is and the people he's sworn to protect.State mage Ariana struggles to survive as a prisoner of war in a world of deadly magic and unfamiliar customs. Her only ally is her former servant, but the once-friendly human boy is now a renowned warrior caught up in political machinations-and to survive, he'll have to once again take up the fight against Ariana's world.Now bastard, mage, and monster must set aside prejudices and rivalries to find an end to centuries of conflict, or they all die traitors' deaths as their people's wasted armies face off once more.Book 1 in a series.