The Queen's Red Guard Series by Isabelle Olmo

How does one conquer a kingdom without spilling blood? You offer your hand in marriage to the king who killed your husband. Almira was raised by a calculating father who forged her in political cunning. She’s prepared for this moment since childhood. Like pieces on a board, she lays out the players one by one. One. King Alton, the brother-killer. The spare heir who killed his brother for lust of throne. Two. The perfect seamstress. The people must admire a queen and welcome her with open arms... moreHow does one conquer a kingdom without spilling blood? You offer your hand in marriage to the king who killed your husband. Almira was raised by a calculating father who forged her in political cunning. She’s prepared for this moment since childhood. Like pieces on a board, she lays out the players one by one. One. King Alton, the brother-killer. The spare heir who killed his brother for lust of throne. Two. The perfect seamstress. The people must admire a queen and welcome her with open arms. Even with a deadly armada behind her. Three. The Queen’s Red Guard. The group of warrior women who have one purpose; to protect the queen at all costs. Even from her husband. Even from herself. Queen & Conqueror is the first book in an epic feminist fantasy series told from the perspective of the women who rule and shape the future. “Men will never be ready for women like us and it is not our job to ready them.” less

How does one conquer a kingdom without spilling blood? You offer your hand in marriage to the king who killed your husband. Almira was raised by a calculating father who forged her in political cunning. She’s prepared for this moment since childhood. Like pieces on a board, she lays out the players one by one. One. King Alton, the brother-killer. The spare heir who killed his brother for lust of throne. Two. The perfect seamstress. The people must admire a queen and welcome her with open arms... moreHow does one conquer a kingdom without spilling blood? You offer your hand in marriage to the king who killed your husband. Almira was raised by a calculating father who forged her in political cunning. She’s prepared for this moment since childhood. Like pieces on a board, she lays out the players one by one. One. King Alton, the brother-killer. The spare heir who killed his brother for lust of throne. Two. The perfect seamstress. The people must admire a queen and welcome her with open arms. Even with a deadly armada behind her. Three. The Queen’s Red Guard. The group of warrior women who have one purpose; to protect the queen at all costs. Even from her husband. Even from herself. Queen & Conqueror is the first book in an epic feminist fantasy series told from the perspective of the women who rule and shape the future. “Men will never be ready for women like us and it is not our job to ready them.” less

“The lies we tell to protect ourselves are the most important lies we ever tell."A heavily pregnant Almira forces Hira to return to Istok and lead her people. When Hira boards the Sea Wife, she doesn’t expect Commander Justan to be combative and surly. He questions her every decision and challenges her authority. He’s also clearly keeping his own secrets. It’s a journey fraught with complications and pain which will either kill her or make her rise as the Great Dragon... more“The lies we tell to protect ourselves are the most important lies we ever tell."A heavily pregnant Almira forces Hira to return to Istok and lead her people. When Hira boards the Sea Wife, she doesn’t expect Commander Justan to be combative and surly. He questions her every decision and challenges her authority. He’s also clearly keeping his own secrets. It’s a journey fraught with complications and pain which will either kill her or make her rise as the Great Dragon. With the High Seat contested and a war Almira might not be able to win, the second volume in The Queen’s Red Guard turns the tables and unravels the world."She would harden her heart like a rock and carry it like armor. They could mangle her body, but never her heart." Follow the next chapter in the ADULT FEMINIST FANTASY series focusing on the women who rule the kingdom and fight the wars. less

“We are our own villains.”Turmoil threatens the hard-won peace of Queen Almira's realm. As the jaded Captain Sanaa embarks on a rickety mission into the Free Isle, she must secure the fire weapon and find herself with a witch to stand against Furia’s The New Alliance... more“We are our own villains.”Turmoil threatens the hard-won peace of Queen Almira's realm. As the jaded Captain Sanaa embarks on a rickety mission into the Free Isle, she must secure the fire weapon and find herself with a witch to stand against Furia’s The New Alliance.Thrown together with an unlikely band of companions, including the mysterious Kaia, the tender Quent, and the loyal Barnabus, Sanaa's journey becomes a race against time as they navigate carnivorous forests and evade the sadistic Kuimo. But amidst their quest, Sanaa finds herself drawn into the heart of a rebellion brewing in the Free Isle, where atrocities have ignited the flames of change. And her eyes wander to the prickly Kaia, who slowly softens towards the captain.Meanwhile, Almira grapples with personal despair, pushing away loved ones as she seeks answers from shadowy sources. And Hira faces the daunting task of uniting her people against the divisive schemes of Furia.With so much in the balance, it seems the three tasks appointed will never succeed. Captain of the Rebels is the third volume in The Queen’s Red Guard series, a story of the women of New Verden and their desperate struggle against all those who wish to disrupt the peace.“Men should fear all women, yet they seldom did, much to their demise." less