From the instant New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic and the current sensation Wings of Starlight. Every 100 years, a small group of chess players are invited to enter the glittering world of Faerie to compete for the honour of playing the King of the Otherworld himself. Whoever defeats him is granted one wish. Nineteen-year-old Shea Fury intends to be the first to win - it's the only way to win back her sister, who was taken by the king years before. But standing in her way is her longtime rival and faerie princess, Ciara. As the tournament progresses and players start to drop dead at their boards, the two are forced together in an unlikely alliance, if they are to outwit the forces of fae magic and survive until the very last move...

With her country's future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Anne of Brittany was a child when her realm was invaded, her home besieged, and her royal father driven to his death. Now her treasury is empty, her land occupied by her enemies, and she is ordered, under threat of renewed war, to become queen of her conquerors and marry the King of France. This marriage means her country’s annexation. But Anne promised her father that Brittany would never be conquered. Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union. Anne takes her court deep into a legendary forest, where the court diviners’ skill cannot reach. The world thinks they are only a hunting party, coursing after unicorns. But that is a lie, a trick, a feint. No one in living memory has seen a unicorn. All Anne wants is this secret wedding, which is her only hope of salvation. But when against all hope a unicorn appears and a stranger out of legend stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change her own and her country’s destiny—or be lost in the shadows forever.

In the heart-thumping, epic conclusion to the duology that began with A Dance of Lies, Vasalie must journey to the realms of the dead to restore the memories of her beloved prince and stop a mounting war. Once a spy for the ruthless King Illian, Vasalie sacrificed herself to kill him and prevent a prophesied war. But Illian's brother, Anton – the king she allied with and had only just begun to love – struck a deal with the goddess of the underworld, to bring Vasalie back. The his compassion, his memories of her, and all the events of the past six weeks. Now stripped of the truth, Anton believes his friends betrayed him and accepts an offer from the goddess to rule the kingdom of the dead. But with the realm he leaves behind on the brink of civil war, and her cruel father threatening to invade, Vasalie realizes only Anton can reunite a fractured realm. To save her world and the man she was coming to love, Vasalie journeys to the underworld and reclaim him… though the Anton she finds is arrogant, debauched, hopeless. To restore him, she'll have to restore his memories – even if it means sacrificing her own heart.

Tame her wild. Fan his flame. A Burgeoning Peace Two realms sit on the edge—not only of the physical chasms that divide them, but of the fragile truce forged between Arcanians and humans in the wake of the Arcane Crucible. A Shadow Unleashed Elyria Lightbreaker may have survived the Celestial Sanctum, but she remains haunted by all that occurred, all that she did, within. Determined to reclaim the Crown of Concord and unmask the dark sorcerer behind its theft, she must master her own inner darkness if she’s to survive the journey ahead—and untangle the dangerous feelings pulling her toward Cedric. A Victor Unmoored Cedric Thorne sacrificed everything to conquer the trials. Now, burdened by a power he cannot control and truths he refuses to face, he finds himself in a kingdom splintering beneath the surface—and bound to Elyria by something he cannot, will not, sever. But some secrets are meant to stay buried, and uncovering them could be the key to lasting peace . . . or the spark that ends it. A Bond Reforged As twin victors of the Crucible, Elyria and Cedric soon learn there are many roles they must play in the pursuit of a new Arcanis. With enemies lurking in plain sight, they will have to fight with a whole new array of weapons, all the while trying to understand the bond that thrums between them: reforged, rekindled, renewed. Now the real game begins. SPLINTERED KINGDOM is the sequel to Smoke and Scar and the second book in the Shattered Crown trilogy, an epic romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of high stakes, character-driven plots, rich world-building, a diverse cast of characters, elemental magic, and tension-filled romance—and authors like Carissa Broadbent, Helen B. Scheuerer, Raven Kennedy, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas. Content note: This book contains strong language, adult themes, and open door spice, and is thus recommended for readers above the age of 18.

Tame her wild. Fan his flame. A Burgeoning Peace Two realms sit on the edge—not only of the physical chasms that divide them, but of the fragile truce forged between Arcanians and humans in the wake of the Arcane Crucible. A Shadow Unleashed Elyria Lightbreaker may have survived the Celestial Sanctum, but she remains haunted by all that occurred, all that she did, within. Determined to reclaim the Crown of Concord and unmask the dark sorcerer behind its theft, she must master her own inner darkness if she’s to survive the journey ahead—and untangle the dangerous feelings pulling her toward Cedric. A Victor Unmoored Cedric Thorne sacrificed everything to conquer the trials. Now, burdened by a power he cannot control and truths he refuses to face, he finds himself in a kingdom splintering beneath the surface—and bound to Elyria by something he cannot, will not, sever. But some secrets are meant to stay buried, and uncovering them could be the key to lasting peace . . . or the spark that ends it. A Bond Reforged As twin victors of the Crucible, Elyria and Cedric soon learn there are many roles they must play in the pursuit of a new Arcanis. With enemies lurking in plain sight, they will have to fight with a whole new array of weapons, all the while trying to understand the bond that thrums between them: reforged, rekindled, renewed. Now the real game begins. SPLINTERED KINGDOM is the sequel to Smoke and Scar and the second book in the Shattered Crown trilogy, an epic romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of high stakes, character-driven plots, rich world-building, a diverse cast of characters, elemental magic, and tension-filled romance—and authors like Carissa Broadbent, Helen B. Scheuerer, Raven Kennedy, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas. Content note: This book contains strong language, adult themes, and open door spice, and is thus recommended for readers above the age of 18.

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire. A Splintered Kingdom An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace. A Haunted Warrior Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate. A Vengeful Knight Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths. An Unwinnable Challenge With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.   This is the Arcane Crucible.

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire. A Splintered Kingdom An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace. A Haunted Warrior Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate. A Vengeful Knight Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths. An Unwinnable Challenge With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.   This is the Arcane Crucible.