Stacia Stark

For years, when I fell asleep, I dreamed of a man with blazing green eyes and a cruel smile. The day I meet him, the ruthless mercenary leaves me for dead. Just hours after humans are born, the gods take what little power we have. In return, they protect our borders from the vicious, merciless fae. The humans who manage to keep their power are known as the corrupt. And they are burned. When my forbidden power is discovered, I’m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore. To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest. Our deal is simple: I’ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he’ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I’ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival. But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom—and perhaps even this world—apart. Please note: A Court This Cruel and Lovely is an NA/adult romantasy book with steam. While this series is slow burn, the chili pepper rating will increase for each book.

The price of love is loss. We all pay it eventually… In every life… Some moments are too painful to be endured. Some moments will break you if you let them. And yet I can’t afford to let anything break me. Because we have one chance to win this war. One chance to create a better life for everyone across the four kingdoms. Even as our enemies ally with each other, and our own allies are forced to betray their kingdoms, their people…and themselves. And even as Regner plans something so cruel, so wholly evil, he’s poised to douse the last remaining spark of hope in this world. Unless we kill him first.

Risk everything for your kingdom… Or be destroyed by it. In a world darkened by deceit, the truth is a light that won’t be dimmed. Even when it illuminates Lorian’s betrayals more starkly than I could ever want to see. They call him the Bloodthirsty Prince. His reign of terror has left a trail of blood across this continent. A trail that intertwines with my own past–not even my parents were spared from his merciless slaughter. To save my brother’s life, I agreed to another bargain with the fae prince. Now, I’m forced to work with him. Forced to travel to the fae lands. Forced to spend my every waking moment with the man who betrayed me. All because King Sabium has woven a deadly tapestry of manipulation, using those we least suspect for his wicked schemes. There are no lines I won’t cross to protect the people I love. So I’ll work with former enemies. I’ll manipulate, blackmail, and deceive potential allies. I’ll swallow my pride, bury my shattered heart, and cooperate with the fae to prepare for the coming war. Because there are creatures far more monstrous than the fae. And some of them masquerade as men.

I hunt demons. I don’t work for them. And I promised my mom one thing before she was murdered: Under no circumstances, would I ever go near the high demons. But I’ll break that promise over and over again if it helps me avenge her death. When my only lead winds up dead in the middle of demon territory, I’m suddenly in deep shit. Violence in Samael’s club is a death sentence… unless he can use you. And it turns out that the scariest demon in the Triangle has a use for little ol’ me. Demons are being slaughtered. His demons. And as a bounty hunter, it’s up to me to find out who would dare hurt his people.   I’ve got two weeks to find the killer, and if I fail, I’m bonded to Samael. Forever. Samael’s certain that I’ll be his, but I’m not the kinda girl who risks her freedom for a demon. I’m the kinda girl who won’t let anyone get in the way of her vengeance— not even the Machiavellian control freak who thinks he can run my life. The problem? I’ve pissed the wrong people off. Now I’m the one being hunted, and someone’s coming for me with everything they have. But I’m never more dangerous than when my back is up against the wall. And I’m ready to come out swinging.

The unimaginable has happened, And none of our lives will ever be the same. Surrounded by enemies, I've never been further from my crown... Or closer to death. Amidst a betrayal we couldn't have anticipated, I'll do whatever it takes to find my way back to Lorian – before his fury lays waste to this continent. Alliances are being forged and broken, our enemies are unifying, and Regner’s spiders are closer than ever before. We have only one chance to prevent him from attaining god-like powers and enslaving every human, fae, and hybrid across the four kingdoms. Meanwhile, the human king believes I’m trapped here, yearning for my death, and waiting for Lorian to save me. But Regner hasn’t yet realized that I'll stop at nothing to free my people. And he's the one who should be afraid of me.