F.M. Aden

A darkly enchanting gothic fantasy book about a girl who strikes a dangerous bargain with a cursed ghost and unravels a twisted destiny—perfect for fans of One Dark Window and The Phantom of the Opera. Élisabeth Bellacourt has grown up hidden under the glory of her beautiful half-sister Louise her entire life. Louise is always cast as the lead in their ballet performances and even the man Élisabeth’s heart longs for only has eyes for her sister. As the daughters of the esteemed Hugo Bellacourt owner of the National Opera House, the infamous, slightly decrepit building with whispers of the devil living in the catacombs, they live a life of prestige and respect. When Élisabeth learns that her father is in danger, she strikes a bargain with the Phantom who haunts the catacombs. Thrust into the Graylands, a bleak, mist-filled world packed with ghosts and treacherous beasts, she finds herself on a quest to unravel an ancient prophecy. Because the Graylands is in danger of coming undone, and if she ever hopes to return home, Élisabeth must find a way to save it and work alongside Séverin, the mysterious boy who rules this underground realm. Together they must find The Book of Echoes—which is said to hold the secrets of the realm of the Dead. As they hunt for the truth and the attraction between her and Séverin heightens, Élisabeth begins to learn about her deadly magic and finds herself caught between loyalty and betrayal.

In the vein of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale— this unforgettable adult debut follows the journey of a young woman who seeks to defeat Death himself and save her village from his torment. As a young child, Zerryn grew up on tales of the Lord of Death, Erlik Khan, and his penchant for stealing wild girls. In her small village, she keeps to herself and tends to the temple gardens, spending her days with her best friend Çelik. But when Çelik begins to act strangely and removes himself to live on a crumbling estate atop Mount Ida, the rumors of him becoming possessed by a demon begin to swiftly arise. Each month that passes the demon within him grows stronger, his demands of the villagers growing oddly disjointed and nonsensical. Her chances of saving him become all but impossible once Zerryn learns that it is no lesser demon that has a hold of him but Erlik Khan—a demon of untold power who lords over the dead. It isn’t long before word spreads that he is in search of a bride, and creatures of untold power come before him to rule by his side. Zerryn knows that she cannot take down Erlik without power and she cannot gain power without becoming his bride. But becoming Erlik’s wife is nothing as simple as an offer for his hand. To become the queen of the Underworld, she must complete three impossible tasks or risk losing everything she holds dear.

A stunningly dark fantasy novel set during the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Castlevania and From Blood and Ash. From a young age, Yara and her sister Aylin grew up on tales of the vampir whispered to them in the dark by their superstitious nursemaid. It isn’t until the fateful day Yara is kidnapped and brought to the fortress of the Undying King, that she realizes that she is far from the safety of the Ottoman court. Tucked into the high mountains of Wallachia, the court of the undead is home to the trueborn vampir, their sired vampir flock, and their miserable hoard of blood slaves. While Aylin joins a group of trained hunters to bring her sister back home. Yara finds herself trapped between a set of beautiful and manipulative twin brothers who intend to use her for their own amusement and deceptions. Caught between the free-spirited and obsessive Volkan and the power-hungry and villainous Eldar, Yara must betray them both if she ever hopes to make it back home alive. As tension builds at the vampir court and the hunters start their march, Yara must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

After the events that led to the fall of the Undying King, Yara finds herself on the run with her closest ally Prince Mircea, the heir to the throne, while Aylin partners with Domenico to find her sister, leaving behind the only boy she has ever loved. Angry and afraid, Yara knows one thing—she will not stop until the monstrous Eldar Demirci dies. As she plots with Mircea and his allies to build an army to reclaim his throne and grows closer to Volkan, it feels as though she might have a chance of turning the tide of this coming war in her favor. But even with her friends and family by her side, Yara is hiding a terrible secret that only Eldar knows. In the end, she must choose either her allies, her sister, and the boy she loves or make a bid for power that could see her lose everything she holds dear.

The first book in a gothic fantasy series about a girl who joins a competitive war college for mages who practice the sacred art of necromancy and who finds herself caught in a darkly, enchanting enemies-to-lovers romance. 

Book 3 in the Trueborn Series.