Lady of Cinders (Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin #2)
Alaya Wells
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
4.13
· 8 ratings · 556 pages · Published: 01 Jun 2025
I'd never aspired to be a queen. Or to fall for a king shrouded in mystery. Merrick's the golden ruler of daylight, and Lorant, his bodyguard, is the dangerous, scarred shadow of night. Two men bound by a curse that has tormented Evergorne Court for generations.
Some say I'm their salvation. But I've been lied to, manipulated, and my trust has been shattered. I should run from this cursed kingdom and never return. Instead, I find myself standing beside Merrick during the day, clawing for answers to a riddle no one is able to speak aloud. And my nights honing my magical abilities with Lorant.
With Merrick’s thirtieth birthday only weeks away, the curse tightens its hold, threatening his life and forcing me deeper into a world of betrayal, power, and fractured love. To break the curse, I must navigate fragile alliances in a court divided by secrets, uncover a treacherous past, and face an enemy determined to kill me.
Choosing between Merrick and Lorant is not only impossible, it’s forbidden. But what if I don’t have to choose at all?
Lady of Cinders, Book 2 in the M/F Kingdom of Shadow & Ruin Series, is a steamy, suspenseful romantic fantasy/romantasy with dark secrets. Expect a gothic castle full of riddles and danger, spicy heat, a touch-her-and-face-his-fury hero, all the yearning, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, he falls first and hard, and a cute pet, because all heroines should have a fluffy friend by her side.
Trigger Warnings: blood, gore, injuries, justified taking of a life, violence, class systems, poverty, hunger, grief, death, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to childhood trauma, killing attacking creatures.
Tagged as:
- romance 3
- folktales & legends 3
- fated mates 3
- high fantasy 3
- forced proximity 3
- fantasy 3
- steamy 3
- found family 2
- political intrigue 2
- horror 2
- fae/elves 2
- prophecy 2
- the chosen one 2
- quest/mission 2
- dark 1
- female mc 1
- paranormal 1
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- format - reader age
- adult fiction 1
- book 1
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The 'Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin' series
4.14 · 22 ratings
fantasy · fiction · female-mc · adult · book · romance · action-adventure · paranormal · fated-mates · fae · myths
Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin reading order and complete book list ❯