The Chosen Series by Cortney Pearson

Doing the right thing means turning his back on everything he knows. Talon Haraway was born to be a leader. Strong, confident, and skilled, at seventeen he commands the Arcaian army without thought, expecting results and getting them. When a new set of recruits arrives in Valadir, the last thing Talon expects is to have one of them redefine what he always thought he wanted... moreDoing the right thing means turning his back on everything he knows. Talon Haraway was born to be a leader. Strong, confident, and skilled, at seventeen he commands the Arcaian army without thought, expecting results and getting them. When a new set of recruits arrives in Valadir, the last thing Talon expects is to have one of them redefine what he always thought he wanted. Now with pressure from his Arcaian leader and surrogate father, Tyrus Blinnsdale, Talon must decide who he wants to be and where his loyalty lies before it's too late. Don't miss this vivid, imaginative novella set in the world of the Stolen Tears series. less

She is their protector.In an emotionless world, tears are a precious commodity, valued for their magic and sold on the black market. When Ambry stumbles across a vial of these enchanted tears, she finds herself the target of not only the tyrannical Arcaian army, who is stealing her people’s magic left and right, but of handsome, battle-scarred Talon Haraway, who seeks the tears for his own personal vengeance... moreShe is their protector.In an emotionless world, tears are a precious commodity, valued for their magic and sold on the black market. When Ambry stumbles across a vial of these enchanted tears, she finds herself the target of not only the tyrannical Arcaian army, who is stealing her people’s magic left and right, but of handsome, battle-scarred Talon Haraway, who seeks the tears for his own personal vengeance.Ambry soon realizes the reason for their interference: these tears are the most powerful ever shed. They are the key to saving her people and rescuing her brother and others who've been taken by the Arcaians.With the Arcaian army threatening her every move, and Talon attempting to take the tears from her, Ambry must keep the tears safe at all costs. Her people need them. Her brother needs them. She needs them.And they need her.With bold twists, a riveting world of magic-powered technology, and a slow-sizzle romance, find out why readers are calling Such a Secret Place “totally original!” less

What is done can't always be undone...Now that Talon Haraway has been taken captive by the Arcaians, Ambry knows it’s only a matter of time before he is executed. But to make matters worse, she must go against her best-friend-turned-worst enemy to free him. Whether Ambry likes it or not, drinking those tears changed Gwynn... moreWhat is done can't always be undone...Now that Talon Haraway has been taken captive by the Arcaians, Ambry knows it’s only a matter of time before he is executed. But to make matters worse, she must go against her best-friend-turned-worst enemy to free him. Whether Ambry likes it or not, drinking those tears changed Gwynn. Not only is she subjecting her kinsmen's magic, but with Tyrus preoccupied with his upcoming war, Gwynn is acting more and more in Tyrus’s stead, giving commands and leading skirmishes.Along the way, Ambry is met with the very instigator who shed her tears, the maiden wizard, Jomeini Straylark. Ambry hopes Jomeini holds the answers she seeks about her magic, her emotions, her quest to free the Itharian people from Tyrus’s tyrannical rule. Unfortunately, Jomeini’s mind seems to be unraveling the longer she is held captive. But Jomeini knows this much. Gwynn has been working on something, a contraption with disastrous consequences. While Ambry juggles with forbidden feelings for Talon, her desire to free her people’s magic, and the ever-growing need to protect the tears from being drunk, the solution to stopping Gwynn and Tyrus all boils down to one seemingly easy option—get through to her best friend. Too bad what seems easy, and what is, are two completely different things. less