In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.
When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena.
Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.
New Adult Dark Fantasy: Intended for readers 17 years of age and older.
I don’t
know if I’ve been asleep for hours or minutes, but the adrenaline rushing
system to act makes it impossible to sleep. Nudging Caben’s slumbering body, I
say, “Wake up.”
He’s still
lying on his side, his legs curled up where they had been entangled with mine
while we slept. His arms reach out, searching for something as his eyes crack
open. “It’s not morning,” he deadpans.
“I don’t
know if it is or not, but we’ve slept enough.” I prod him once more, rousing
him fully awake. “Get—”
“Don’t
make me bark another order,” he snaps. “Climb back into bed.”
He rolls
over.
Annoyed,
and having had just about enough of his chauvinistic arrogance, I lift my bare
foot to kick his backside. Before my heel meets his rump, his arm reaches
behind and he grabs my ankle. I swallow my yelp as he pulls me onto the cot.
Landing on my back, I bite my lip, holding in my cry as the bar beneath the
mattress gouges into my spine. But all thoughts of aches and revenge flee my
mind as Caben pulls my ankle and slides my body underneath his. Hovering above
me—half his weight on the cot, half on top of me—he presses me into the
bedding.
His hand
lowers my foot to the bed, then slowly slides up the side of my leg until it
reaches my stomach. Lifting the bottom of my tunic, he rests his palm on my
waist, on the small curve above my hip. His eyes never waver, his heated gaze
holding mine.
“Before we
begin nefariously plotting,” he says, low and husky, his breath skimming my
cheek. “I want to know—I’ll only ask this once.”
Unsure of
what he’s demanding, I squint, and my breath halts as his eyes drop to my
chest. I swallow. My eyes close.
“Kaliope.”
He says my name with the hint of accent I now know I only hear when he’s taken
off-guard. When he drops his barriers, either in anger, urgency, or fear. I
wonder what emotion is causing him to lose control now. And will his lilt
deepen out of alarm or revulsion when he sees my chest?
I open my
eyes.
The steady
thump of his heart beats against my arm. It speeds as the tension thickens the
slight span of air between us.
No matter
what happens later, whether we live or die, I at least have control over this
moment. Even if we survive, and he goes off to rule his kingdom and I to lead
the Nactue, I can keep this one moment.
One stolen
moment out of a lifetime of duty.
Taking a
breath and releasing it in tiny clips that make my breastbone ache, I cover his
hand with mine. The metal cuffs on our wrists clank together. I force his hand
slowly upward—onto my belly ... my rib cage ... around the swell of my
breast—to the hard glass covering.
I fight
the urge to shut my eyes and close myself off from the many, sudden emotions
that cross his face. His eyes enlarge, and a crease forms between his brows as
his features shift to confusion. And when I think my body will die from tremors,
he finally breathes, his full lips pressing together in discernment.
Attempting
to remove his hand and rise, I shift sideways, but he holds his place, firmly
pressed against me. The rough pad of his fingertip traces the scar tissue
around the casing. His deep, stormy eyes follow the hollow of my neck until
they land on my collarbone. And with a movement so subtle, he turns his hand
over and pulls my tunic down, exposing the clamp.
My insides
threaten to combust. Every nerve in my body is ready to set the mercury
aflame—my dread is complete. I have to force some word from his mouth, some
action from him, to end this torment.
Only when
he begins to lower his mouth toward mine, I freeze, wondering if he’s merely
accepting me because again, we could die, and I’m the last chance he’ll have to
be with a woman before then.
But his
lips pass mine, brush over my chin and jawline, and instead find the sensitive,
scarred skin of my chest. He plants a soft kiss, and then another. My throat
thickens. My nostrils flare as a burning sensation blazes behind my sinuses. It
quickly subsides when the unshed tears I’m holding back release. I blink, and
they quietly trail down the sides of my temples.
These prices may only be effective in the US.
Title: Of Darkness and Crowns
The moon goddess has taken up residency within Prince Caben, darkening his mind and soul. Now he hunts the very women he sacrificed his life to save, his conflicting desires for love and power raging a battle within him. Kaliope possesses the key to setting Bale free, and Caben will stop at nothing to see his goddess restored. Even if that means destroying the kingdom he’s sworn to protect, and the infuriating woman who torments his thoughts.
Kaliope, now the leader to the newly formed Nactue Guard, has vowed to save Caben. But with a traitor lurking among her people, and powers she’s unable to fully control, Kaliope’s mission becomes shrouded with doubt. Her new role as watcher over Caben’s kingdom brings a burden she’s unable to bear alone, and appointing the right person in charge of the prince’s affairs has turned a kingdom against the Nactue leader. Saving her stubborn, willful prince from the darkness overtaking him will be the battle of her life, and she needs people she can trust by her side. But bad blood between members of the Nactue obscure Kaliope’s journey, while her feelings for Caben cloud her judgment.
When the time comes to do what she must to destroy the goddess of chaos, will she be able to if it means losing Caben forever?
Book two of the Goddess Wars is told in dual point of view from Kaliope and Caben. New Adult Dark Fantasy, intended for readers 17 years of age and older.
Buy Now - Amazon l Barnes & Noble
Author Links
1 Caben Flask Necklace (US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Other reviews featuring Trisha Wolfe
Goddess Wars
Fireblood
Review ~ Unveiled #1.5
Living Heartwood
I WANT TO READ THIS SERIES!!!! Thanks for sharing, Naomi. I one-clicked Of Silver and Beasts. I'm so excited!!!
ReplyDeleteOh dang. Naomi that sounds fantastic! Oh yay and book one is free! Woot! I just grabbed a copy :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI want Of Darkness of Crown so badly! Loved Of Silver & Beast so much...
ReplyDeleteI hope you read it soon Brandee! I love, love , love this series! Trisha is awesome!
ReplyDeleteAnytime girl! hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteMe too.... ODaC was soooo good! Dark but good!
ReplyDeleteHehe! Hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeletewoohoo I finally got the first book, very excited
ReplyDelete