C.C. Peñaranda

"The brightest star needs the darkest night." In a world abandoned by the celestial guardians and left to suffer a tyrant king’s reign, all Astraea knows is safety in seclusion. With fragmented memories of only five years of her life, she’s determined to discover more about her past, even if that means fleeing the cruel arms that hold her safe from the wicked vampires rumored to roam the land. But when Astraea stumbles upon the mysterious Nyte, she soon realizes determination alone isn’t enough to guard her heart. He lingers like the darkness that expands between the stars, and soon she discovers her captor’s wicked means of control weren’t based on a lie to keep her under locks after all. In her desperation, Astraea accepts Nyte’s help before she can decide if she might have sold her allegiance to one of the bloodthirsty beings the people of her world fear. Once their bargain is struck, Astraea’s chance to escape comes in the form of accompanying her best friend Cassia to the King’s Central. There on royal territory it’s the centenary of the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark. So when tragedy strikes, Astraea must decide if taking the place of a murdered participant for the safety of her kingdom is a ruse is worth dying for, or if protection—and the answers to her past—really are her strongest desires.

A SWORD… In the impoverished outer town of a kingdom where fae outrank humans, Faythe, an orphan with a talent for swordplay, knows the importance of keeping her head down around the fae patrol. She and best friend Jakon long for a better life, and her desire to swing her sword in combat may bring the purpose and coin she’s yearned for. A DREAM… When she draws the attention of royal guard Nik, she soon learns that her mortal nature isn’t the only reason to remain out of sight. Nik is a Nightwalker, a silent assassin of the mind with the power to enter others’ dreams, and whether she trusts him or not, he’s about to awaken abilities in Faythe that shouldn’t exist in a human. Nightmarish abilities. Deadly abilities. Abilities that will teach Faythe blood really does run thicker than water…and if she doesn’t trust in higher powers soon, blood will run indeed. AN HEIR… For this is no battle Faythe can fight with steel. Within the city walls, suspicions are arising, and here in the outer town she has deeper bonds to protect. It seems everyone will die with a dark secret to tell, but what if one unlikely human girl was born harboring the darkest secret of all…? In a clash of steel, a mortal body may fall. But in a clash of dreams, a powerful heir may rise. Fans of THRONE OF GLASS and RED QUEEN will enjoy this first instalment in a gripping new fantasy series that portrays the unbreakable strength of friendship, the struggle for honor, and the ache of sacrifice.

The action-packed, captivating fifth instalment in the bestselling series AN HEIR COMES TO RISE from Chloe C. Peñaranda. When a true heir awakens, a returning past can break. And when war follows, a lifelong vow may shatter. A RISE… Awakening from a dark defeat, Faythe discovers a greater threat to the life she took back. Staggering truths will challenge her and reveal that some bonds were forged to defy. With the battle lost, the war has just begun, and as an enemy is captured, it soon becomes clear a storm can be tamed but never bottled. A THRONE… Her return to Rhyenelle stirs Faythe’s rival to the throne. In this new twist of fate, against the pressures of the court, it’s a test of strength and will to keep her cunning cousin at bay. Two hands reaching for a crown is a challenge bound to end in blood, but which one will bleed for their right to reign? A PHOENIX… Still, no conflict in the realm can match that which began long ago. The time is now for Faythe to face her title of heir before kingdom. But not without the help of those tied in destiny may the Phoenix Queen rise should all burn and fall.

A DUTY… Bound in service to the king within the city, Faythe grapples with morality to keep herself and her friends safe. Nik’s loyalty is tested as he struggles against his father’s cruel ways. When blood and duty divide the heart, can love conquer all? AN ALLIANCE… While the kingdoms prepare to unite, Faythe is forced to remain hidden in plain sight. But suspicions quickly arise with the mysterious fae general from an ally court. Getting close to Reylan could unravel truths she longed for, but trust is hard to gain and even harder to hold. When lurking evil threatens the alliance that keeps them all safe, Faythe may find herself on the side where danger meets desire in a force that could break past the guard on her heart. A CHOICE… For the threat of battle isn’t the only conflict to fear. Faythe can’t forget the deal she struck in the woods to save her friend’s life–and it’s time to fulfil. Finding the temple ruin leads them to harrowing discoveries within the castle…and something far more sinister than the war that lingers. It seems everyone will receive more than they bargained for. A history that haunts, truths that destroy, and a tangled destiny they didn’t expect. When courts collide, blood may be spilled. But when destinies collide, blood may hold power.

In the bestselling An Heir Comes to Rise series comes the gripping fourth instalment from C.C. Peñaranda. A trial of the heart, a test of reign, follow Nik and Tauria as their story continues where it left off in A Throne from the Ashes. In a war of hearts, fates will be sealed. But in a battle of thrones, no bond may be truly unbreakable. A COURT… To reclaim her throne, Tauria leaves behind her safety to travel across courts. A marriage alliance with the prickly Prince of Olmstone could grant her the power to fight for her kingdom . . . or inspire a monarch’s deadly vengeance that threatens all she holds dear. A BOND… No amount of distance can make Nik forget his desires, but caught in a torturous conflict of heart against duty, he’s at risk of losing both. Now is the time to choose. Claim the bond and accept the prophesy that kept him from her all this time . . . or set his aching heart—and hers—free once and for all. A DARKNESS… But peace is never promised when the shadow of war looms, and Tauria’s harrowing discoveries foretell a damning fate of evil to all those who bear a crown. To love may be to condemn, but to deny would be a far deadlier curse at the hands of the sinister forces intent on taking them down.

As darkness descends, two destinies will merge. But as embers fly, one may rise from the ashes. A KINGDOM… Far from the land she knows, Faythe is beckoned toward the secrets of her heritage. Through trials of her name and a challenge to her claim, does she have what it takes to rule? Faythe bears a future that haunts; Reylan harbors a past that lingers. At his side, what ignited in her heart is kindling, but letting her guard fall could break them…or make them stronger. A QUEST… Now faced with a far deadlier evil than the king, a higher calling seems determined to turn the hourglass on Faythe’s quest to save Ungardia. But she soon learns time isn’t the only thing working against her. Darkness is rising, history is stirring, and the hunters are about to become the hunted. A DESTINY… For fate cannot be outrun. Faythe’s powers are manifesting beyond her control, and if she can’t save herself, no one can. Defying destiny is not without consequence, yet Faythe may be willing to pay the highest price of all to forge a path to true freedom–for her kingdom, and for the ones she loves.