Pale Queen Series by A.R. Kahler

As the royal assassin, Claire is used to moving between the mortal world and the Winter Kingdom. When the queen commands her to kill, Claire does the job and doesn’t ask questions. Her deadly skills and loyalty are soon tested when Claire is sent to the Immortal Circus, one of the many places where “Dream” is harvested from the imaginings of mortals... moreAs the royal assassin, Claire is used to moving between the mortal world and the Winter Kingdom. When the queen commands her to kill, Claire does the job and doesn’t ask questions. Her deadly skills and loyalty are soon tested when Claire is sent to the Immortal Circus, one of the many places where “Dream” is harvested from the imaginings of mortals. There she must find the culprit who is causing Dream to mysteriously disappear before the Winter Kingdom’s supply is depleted enough to threaten its very survival. But when she meets Roxie, a beautiful mortal singer with a strange link to the Dream thieves, Claire quickly recognizes an odd and unexplained connection that may cloud her judgment. As each new clue unveils another secret, Claire finds herself confronting the riddle of her own buried past—and a dangerous illusion that, as part of the Immortal Circus, is just another act in the show. less

Though trained as a ruthless and efficient killer, Claire barely survived her last assignment. Still reeling from the summoning of the deadly Pale Queen and Roxie’s betrayal, she’s unprepared for Queen Mab’s next demand: to help uncover a new threat to the kingdom, Claire must hunt down the mortal mother she’s never known.But Claire’s divided loyalties may be the least of her worries: her mother, the former star of the Immortal Circus, has other enemies—including the Summer King... moreThough trained as a ruthless and efficient killer, Claire barely survived her last assignment. Still reeling from the summoning of the deadly Pale Queen and Roxie’s betrayal, she’s unprepared for Queen Mab’s next demand: to help uncover a new threat to the kingdom, Claire must hunt down the mortal mother she’s never known.But Claire’s divided loyalties may be the least of her worries: her mother, the former star of the Immortal Circus, has other enemies—including the Summer King. To save the Winter Kingdom from the Pale Queen’s dark designs, Claire must attempt to awaken her mother’s hidden magic. But even if she succeeds, is there magic potent enough to protect her from the dangers lurking in the treacherous forests of the Wildness—or from the shadows in her own heart? less

The Summer Kingdom has fallen to the Pale Queen, and it’s Claire’s fault. The Winter Kingdom faces destruction, and it’s her fault. Her mother is dead. Everything is her fault.Once the designated assassin for Queen Mab, Claire is now nothing more than a humiliated mortal, haunted by her own failures. Abandoned by her former allies and stripped of her magic, Claire is banished to the Immortal Circus.In place of this once-vibrant show now stands an empty husk... moreThe Summer Kingdom has fallen to the Pale Queen, and it’s Claire’s fault. The Winter Kingdom faces destruction, and it’s her fault. Her mother is dead. Everything is her fault.Once the designated assassin for Queen Mab, Claire is now nothing more than a humiliated mortal, haunted by her own failures. Abandoned by her former allies and stripped of her magic, Claire is banished to the Immortal Circus.In place of this once-vibrant show now stands an empty husk. Performers who should be tethered to it for eternity are leaving, negating Winter’s last hold on the Dream. Someone is targeting Winter’s power by weakening its contracts—even Claire’s own. And it’s not hard to guess who’s behind it.Power or no power, contract or no contract, Claire has an obligation to uphold. And with the fate of the worlds hanging in the balance, she takes on the hit she knows will be her last: the Pale Queen. less