The Ruby Realm Series by Abigail Manning

A girl and her grandma... separated by an entire pack of beasts.A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.Roisen Karro and her grandmother run the most beloved bakery in the province of Omaira. Ever since her father disappeared seven years ago, Ro has decided there is no place for a man in her heart, especially an obnoxiously flirty woodcutter. Unfortunately, her granny has no issue encouraging the young man’s advances toward her... moreA girl and her grandma... separated by an entire pack of beasts.A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.Roisen Karro and her grandmother run the most beloved bakery in the province of Omaira. Ever since her father disappeared seven years ago, Ro has decided there is no place for a man in her heart, especially an obnoxiously flirty woodcutter. Unfortunately, her granny has no issue encouraging the young man’s advances toward her.At the far end of Omaira, a strange foreigner washes up on the shores and finds himself amongst the ranks of a nefarious group of beasts. With no knowledge of the Ruby Realm or even a grasp on their language, the foreigner agrees to do their dirty work until he gets back on his feet. All they asked him to do was kidnap some girl from a bakery, anyway...As Ro discovers there is more behind her father’s disappearance than she knew, she finds herself entangled in the schemes of a sly new foe. With only the clothes on her back and a pack of wolves on her heels, Ro must find her way back to her granny before it’s too late for them both. Will Ro be able to survive the hunt? Or will the beasts swallow her family whole...?The Ruby Realm is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, inspired by classic fairy tales. less

A duchess, a beast, and a castle full of hungry hostages...A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast.Duchess Mirabel Brantley has spent nearly all her life being sheltered due to her fragile health. With no hope of ever living the life of adventure she dreamed of, Mira agrees to an arranged marriage with the neighboring duke of Dhurin. Their betrothal celebration might have been pleasant if they didn’t already despise each other, but it also might have helped if the entire party wasn’t taken hostage. moreA duchess, a beast, and a castle full of hungry hostages...A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast.Duchess Mirabel Brantley has spent nearly all her life being sheltered due to her fragile health. With no hope of ever living the life of adventure she dreamed of, Mira agrees to an arranged marriage with the neighboring duke of Dhurin. Their betrothal celebration might have been pleasant if they didn’t already despise each other, but it also might have helped if the entire party wasn’t taken hostage...The ex-prince Conan has been left beaten and scarred after his partnership with the criminal group, the beasts. With a hunger for vengeance against the Ruby Realm and a never-ending craving for power, Conan seizes the entire Dhurin castle with the help of an enchanted gift. His terms are simple; hand over Dhurin, and the hostages live. Refuse and... well, the guests will learn why he was favored by the beasts.Mira is a prisoner at her own party, but they might not be in as much trouble as they thought when a lone caster offers up her powers as protection. With the ability to cast her magic into living plants, the caster selects a simple rose to contain her gift. With only the dwindling lifespan of a rose keeping the hostages from being torn apart, it’s only a matter of time before matters get grim. Can Mira convince their captor to set them free before their time runs out? Or will they simply wilt with their rose?The Ruby Realm is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series.For more information on The Ruby Realm sign up for my free monthly newsletter Abigailmanningauthor.com less

An invincible princess and a dance with death...A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses Princess Ruby is the only biological daughter of the emperor out of her eleven sisters. Despite being classified as her father’s favorite, she’s barely even permitted to step outside the palace due to the emperor’s overprotectiveness... moreAn invincible princess and a dance with death...A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses Princess Ruby is the only biological daughter of the emperor out of her eleven sisters. Despite being classified as her father’s favorite, she’s barely even permitted to step outside the palace due to the emperor’s overprotectiveness. Some citizens believe she’s kept confined because she’s too treasured, others believe it’s because she’s secretly ugly, but only her father and sisters know the true reason she’s locked away...Ruby is gifted with an astonishing immunity that prevents her from feeling pain, getting sick, or even sustaining injuries for more than a few hours. One would think a princess that strong would be allowed outside her palace, but her father fears that if her gift became known, someone would take advantage of it.Aiden is a common builder whose mother is slowly slipping away due to illness. He’d do anything to save her, even join the criminal group the basilisks in exchange for a magical extension of her life. The emperor is hosting a competition in search of a male heir for his empire, so Aiden must infiltrate the event and feed the basilisks whatever information they request if he wants his mother to survive. Should be easy enough. Or at least it would have, until things take a turn for the worst when his fellow competitors begin to drop dead.Aiden’s job description never included murder, yet he still feels the basilisks are responsible, or worse... his intel helped them do it. Ruby may be invincible, but she’s powerless to protect others. If she wants to stop the killer, she’ll need inside help from a competitor she feels she can trust... She did like that Aiden fellow. Will Aiden help her save the other competitors? Or will she be dancing with danger on her own? less

A girl with insomnia, cursed with a dragon’s heart every time she sleeps... A Retelling of Sleeping BeautyKaliope never had the best relationship with sleep. Since her infancy, her three aunts have struggled with her insomnia, and even more whenever she finally closed her eyes. Dark circles and yawning weren’t too terrible to handle as Kaliope grew, until one day, she begins to do more than simply sleepwalk... moreA girl with insomnia, cursed with a dragon’s heart every time she sleeps... A Retelling of Sleeping BeautyKaliope never had the best relationship with sleep. Since her infancy, her three aunts have struggled with her insomnia, and even more whenever she finally closed her eyes. Dark circles and yawning weren’t too terrible to handle as Kaliope grew, until one day, she begins to do more than simply sleepwalk. When word of nightly attacks spread throughout their village, Kaliope realizes she’s the culprit when waking up near the carnage.The Isleen soldier, Daniel, has gained a great deal of respect from the grand duke after his involvement with the deathly events in Shainee, granting him an interesting new mission. The grand duke has received reports of mysterious attacks, all coming from a quiet village. The residents fear the infamous terrorists, the dragons, are to blame, and the grand duke believes they might be right. After his daughter was cursed, he hid her away to protect her from further harm from the dragons, but had they finally found her? The grand duke gives Daniel two protect his daughter, and destroy whatever is causing the attacks.Kaliope and her aunts must keep her curse a secret and their location hidden. Otherwise, the golden king who placed the curse may come to finish whatever he had planned for her… With a soldier both hunting her down and trying to protect her, it’s only a matter of time before her nightmares become a reality.The Ruby Realm is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series.For more information on The Ruby Realm sign up for my free monthly newsletter Abigailmanningauthor.com less

A blacksmith, a sailor, and an impossible sword that could destroy everything... A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.Emberly Miller may very well be the most talented swordsmith in the realm, but no one would ever know with her father getting all the credit. Ever since the loss of her mother, the once great swordsmith, Roy Miller, let his skills and business waste away until Emberly took matters into her own hands... moreA blacksmith, a sailor, and an impossible sword that could destroy everything... A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.Emberly Miller may very well be the most talented swordsmith in the realm, but no one would ever know with her father getting all the credit. Ever since the loss of her mother, the once great swordsmith, Roy Miller, let his skills and business waste away until Emberly took matters into her own hands. With no one willing to buy a sword from a young woman, Emberly tricks her father into believing the work is his own, using his famous name to sell her blades.Meanwhile, the charming sailor, Corso, has found himself on the golden king’s ship of leviathans. After trading his service to save his crews’ lives, he has no interest in following the golden king’s rules, but while he’s trapped on board, he might as well learn what he can. Whispers say the king is after a new weapon, one that he wants a very specific swordsmith for...When the leviathans approach Roy’s forge, determined to drag him aboard their ship, Roy panics and claims he was never the true master, sending Emberly into their clutches... Dragged aboard the leviathan’s ship, Emberly is given an impossible task by the golden king craft a sword of pure gold that can withstand battle.With only a floating forge and a smarmy sailor keeping watch over her, can such a task even be completed? Or will she manage to forge the last tool required for the destruction of the realm?The Ruby Realm is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, inspired by classic fairy tales.For more information on The Ruby Realm sign up for my free monthly newsletter Abigailmanningauthor.com less