Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin Series by Alaya Wells

An arranged marriage with a doomed fae king. A court of shadows and secrets, where falling in love can be lethal. After the tragic death of the man I adored, I vowed never to love again. To broker peace between two fae kingdoms, I agree to marry the king of Evergorne Court, a union built on duty, not desire.Onboard the king’s ship, I meet his bodyguard, Lore, a brooding shadow of a man who’s maddeningly arrogant and too handsome for his own good... moreAn arranged marriage with a doomed fae king. A court of shadows and secrets, where falling in love can be lethal. After the tragic death of the man I adored, I vowed never to love again. To broker peace between two fae kingdoms, I agree to marry the king of Evergorne Court, a union built on duty, not desire.Onboard the king’s ship, I meet his bodyguard, Lore, a brooding shadow of a man who’s maddeningly arrogant and too handsome for his own good. He ignites something wild and dangerous inside me, something I must resist at all costs.My new husband, King Merrick, is equally stunning. He makes me laugh, and to my surprise, he makes me hope. He offers me kindness, a chance to heal my wounded soul, and he ignites feelings I thought had died with my lost love.Yet, beneath the intoxicating beauty of Evergorne Court, darkness festers. Secrets weave a web of intrigue, leaving me tangled in a treacherous game where trust is scarce, and desire is lethal.Love could be my fiercest weapon, or the very thing that tears me apart.Bride of Ashes, Book 1 in the M/F Kingdom of Shadow & Ruin Series, is full of steamy romance, gothic suspense, and secrets that will challenge everything Reyla thought she knew about the fae world—and herself. Expect arranged marriage, touch her and die, bodyguard, alpha hero, masked ball, fish out of water, forbidden love, enemies to lovers, royalty, and secrets tropes.Trigger blood, injuries, taking of a life, violence, class systems, poverty, hunger, grief, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to childhood trauma. less

Bound by a love that defies reason and a curse that defies salvation, I must navigate a kingdom of secrets before the man I can’t live without is lost forever.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... moreBound by a love that defies reason and a curse that defies salvation, I must navigate a kingdom of secrets before the man I can’t live without is lost forever.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. less

Lost in a maze where tricks and lies twist the mind, Lore and I must hold onto our love before we forget it ever existed.I thought our love was enough. That together, Lore and I could defy fate, outmaneuver curses, and carve a new future. I was wrong.Halendor Court was waiting for us. King Tallin, with his cruel smirk and power-soaked arrogance, had already set a trap. When we stepped across his borders, he threw us into his labyrinth. Reach the end, and we’ll receive the second talisman... moreLost in a maze where tricks and lies twist the mind, Lore and I must hold onto our love before we forget it ever existed.I thought our love was enough. That together, Lore and I could defy fate, outmaneuver curses, and carve a new future. I was wrong.Halendor Court was waiting for us. King Tallin, with his cruel smirk and power-soaked arrogance, had already set a trap. When we stepped across his borders, he threw us into his labyrinth. Reach the end, and we’ll receive the second talisman.But the labyrinth isn’t just a maze. It’s a living, twisting thing, and I suspect it’s alive. It’s watching us. Hunting us. Contorting reality until we can’t tell what’s real and what’s meant to break us. It steals memory, time, and reality, replacing what we know with whispers and lies that feel more real than truth. If we don’t reach the end soon, it will consume us.The labyrinth has stolen kings before. It will not claim mine.Warrior of Embers, Book 3 in the Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin Series, is a romantic fantasy/romantasy with dark secrets. Expect a gothic world full of tricks and danger, he*at, a touch-her-and-face-his-fury hero, banter, all the yearning, he will adore her forever, and a sweet pet, because all heroines should have a fluffy friend.Trigger Warnings: blood, gore, injuries, violence, grief, death, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to childhood trauma, killing attacking creatures. This is set in a labyrinth, after all.Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin:Bride of AshesLady of CinderWarrior of EmbersQueen of Flames less

In a kingdom of shadows and ruin, I dared to love a cursed king.We’ve come to Irridain Court in disguise, clinging to a final thread of hope: a talisman that can break the curse before it kills Lore. Without it, he dies. No more stolen nights. No more whispered vows. No more us.The talisman dangles from the princess’s throat like a challenge. To claim it, we must outwit ruthless fae in games where beauty is a blade, truth is twisted, and losing means more than defeat. It means death... moreIn a kingdom of shadows and ruin, I dared to love a cursed king.We’ve come to Irridain Court in disguise, clinging to a final thread of hope: a talisman that can break the curse before it kills Lore. Without it, he dies. No more stolen nights. No more whispered vows. No more us.The talisman dangles from the princess’s throat like a challenge. To claim it, we must outwit ruthless fae in games where beauty is a blade, truth is twisted, and losing means more than defeat. It means death.As rivals circle and secrets unravel, Lore burns brighter and darker by the hour. I see it in his eyes. The fear he won’t speak of. The hunger he barely hides. The curse is tightening, and we have only six days left before it kills him.I didn’t defy the fates, survive a labyrinth, plus battle a mad wizard to lose him now.He’s my only ever after. I’ll burn the world to ashes to save him.Queen of Flames, Book 4 and the last book in the Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin series, is a romantic fantasy/romantasy with dark secrets. Expect a gothic world full of tricks and danger, a touch-her-and-face-his-fury hero and heroine, banter, all the yearning, he will adore her forever, and a sweet pet, because everyone loves a fluffy friend.Trigger Warnings: pri*mal play, bi*ting/marking, blood, gore, injuries, violence, grief, death, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to trauma, killing attacking creatures and people. HEA guaranteed. less