Curse of Shadows and Thorns

Feeling confined by her rigid life as King Zyben’s niece in the Northern kingdom of New Timoran, Elise Lysander often sneaks out to gambling dens, disguised as a boy, for respite. Tensions are high in her kingdom and those that surround it, where people of different races, clans, and communities have fought against one another for years.

A hundred years prior, the Timorans—Elise’s people—dethroned and enslaved the Ettans, people with darker skin who often married with fae and who were more in touch with the powers of the land. Night Folk, people with fae blood who can wield magic called “fury,” also live on the outskirts of the kingdom, where the Timorans have expelled them. There is often trouble among those who believe the Timorans should never have come to power.

At a gambling hall in the town outside of her manor, Elise wins a game of cards, but a fight breaks out, so she has to leave. On her way out, she runs into Legion Grey, a mysterious, prominent, and handsome vow broker (matchmaker), who recognizes her as a woman but promises to keep her secret. She is just barely able to sneak into her family’s palace, but once she enters, someone puts a knife to her throat before recognizing who she is.