Cirrus@Austlit

She was trained to please. He was trained to kill.

'Isabel Maddock is living a lie. She is betrothed to a man she loathes, living in a place she does not belong. But the home she craves no longer exists, and the people from her youth are gone. Or are they? The wastelands are calling, but they are not for the faint of heart. Luckily a certain defender is close by to keep her safe. Very close. Too close. Into the wastelands they go, equally unprepared for what they will discover…

'Ryder Blackmane is a defender for life. His comrades are his family, and keeping them safe is all he has to offer the world. So when they are sent over the wall to investigate happenings in the east, he goes willingly, immune to everything outside of his orders. That is until he meets Lady Isabel. She is a caged bird whose scars call to his. Best to ignore the calls and follow orders. Follow orders. Follow orders. Loyalty is everything, but the lines are blurring…

'Kingdom of Chains is a standalone medieval dystopian romance. If you like a dark setting, heart-pounding action, and witty dialogue, then this epic love story is for you.'(Publication summary)

'Fighter. Misfit. Heart thief.

'How long can Chadora’s throne sit empty? That is the question on everyone’s mind as they wait for the rightful heir to return for his crown. Patience is not Eda’s strong suit, and she has an idea to speed things along that just might work. The youngest Suttone has found her voice, and now she is determined to be heard. If they will not listen to her words, then she will speak with her sword. It is time to step outside the walls. But first she must get past the only man brave enough to stand in her way.

'Roul Thornton has a five-year plan and too many secrets. As he guards those within Chadora’s walls, he is acutely aware that the people who need his protection most exist outside of them. At least, that was true right up until he met the youngest Suttone sister. She needs protecting from herself. Eda is fire and heart and wit and trouble—and the biggest threat to his plan. He is about to follow her down a dangerous path. With his loyalties already divided, Roul must ensure his heart remains wholly intact.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Half merchant. Half noble. Wholly aggrieved.

'Lyndal Suttone is done watching the merchants suffer. So when an opportunity to help them presents itself, she grabs hold of it with both hands. Now she must leave her family behind and step into a world she has no idea how to navigate. With her eyes fixed firmly on the prize, she is going to need someone to watch her back.

'Astin Fletcher has resigned himself to a life he was never supposed to live. His only purpose is to keep the king alive, a job that is becoming increasingly hard. The merchants are rising, and so is Astin’s pulse whenever Lyndal walks in the room. The middle Suttone sister has entered his territory, turning his purpose on its head. She has no idea what she is stepping into, and now it falls on him to safeguard her.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Keep her inside. Keep her alive.

'Blake Suttone has a stomach full of grief and no food. A decade of famine has taken its toll on the splintered kingdom, but it is the merchants who suffer most. A wall stands between the hungry and the food, and the kingdom’s defenders stand guard atop it. Desperate times lead to desperate acts, and Blake will do whatever is necessary to ensure her family survives. But a growing attachment to a certain commander was never part of the plan. Now the man protecting the walls seems determined to guard her too.

'Commander Harlan Wright was raised on a diet of training and discipline. His mind is calloused and his heart closed. These are not faults in a defender but assets. Harlan’s path is clear, until he meets a merchant girl who pulls him in a dangerous new direction. Blake might be a fighter, but she is fighting a losing battle. As the walls continue to go up, Harlan must choose between head and heart, duty and love.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A rising king. A falling queen. An unimaginable love.

'Queen Cora is married to a monster. Three years she has played wife, and all she has to show for it is a marked face, an empty womb, and a bitter taste in her mouth best washed away with wine. It is a good thing she is made of something solid, because marriage is a life sentence. Or is it? The rebel prince is coming for the crown. Powers will shift, and loyalties will be tested. As Cora’s future unravels, she must fight to keep hold of her position, her sanity—and most definitely her heart.

'Brom is leader of the Nydoen people, a mountain rebel—and next in line to rule. His brother is self-destructing, and the time has come to replace him. He has the love of a kingdom and a clear path to the throne, but not everyone wants him to succeed. War is coming. He is going to need allies if he stands any chance against his enemy. The one they call Ice Queen might be the key. Experienced, intelligent, well-connected. Intoxicating. If he can just find a way to thaw her solid heart, she may prove to be his greatest ally yet.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A hopeless love. An ancient secret. A bond that will change them forever.

'Failed ballerina Ella Lewis has just landed a job in an industry she knows nothing about. The goal is simple: build a normal life and keep her father happy. So when construction worker Dax Coburn enters the scene, six-foot-three of pure complication, she knows she should steer clear. The mystery shadowing him sets alarm bells ringing, yet she’s drawn to him in a way that makes no sense. As Ella gets to know the cryptic man, she discovers a secret that threatens to unravel her tidy life.

'Dax knows getting involved with a human is a bad idea. So why can’t he leave her alone? Gifted, funny, and alluring as hell, Ella Lewis is beautifully packaged trouble. As if he doesn’t have enough reasons to stay away, she’s just landed a job at the very company he’s vowed to destroy. Now his secret’s out, his pod exposed, and he must figure out if Ella is the mate he’s been waiting for or his path of ruin.

'If you love a paranormal bad boy, soul mates, and sharp dialogue, then this high-emotion romance is for you.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Never let your enemy become your weakness.

'Brei is going up against the largest army in the world. As thousands march north to annihilate her people, she is ready to take revenge on those who have taken so much from her already. If you want to kill a snake, cut off its head. If you want to destroy a legion, kill its leader. But what if the legate she hunts is not the monster she imagined? When a surprise attack lands the young warrior in enemy hands, Brei soon realises that the only person she can trust is the man she has sworn to kill.

'General Nerva Papias is fighting a war he no longer believes in. He leads his men north of the wall with orders to destroy all in their path. This is not a war against soldiers, however, but against the mountains they wade through and the ghosts that inhabit them. Then comes a warrior with eyes like two pools of fire and the face of a goddess. He should kill her like the rest of them, but his mind is tired and his heart deceitful. Now the woman he holds captive threatens to set his future ablaze…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Young love can be beautiful, reckless… dangerous.

'There is only one thing missing in Dulcia’s life—a husband. At least, that is what others would have her believe. But she feels the absence of something else—her father. Half slave and half noble, Dulcia has existed alongside him her entire life, just out of reach. Everything changes the day she arrives home to news of her betrothal. The problem is her heart already belongs to someone else.

'Nero is trying to make something of himself. Raised on the streets of Rome, he understands that family is a privilege, not a given. That is why he is trying to build a life worthy of the woman he has loved quietly for years, the one he worships like the sun. But time is running out. Dulcia is to marry a man rich enough to give her every comfort she deserves—every comfort he cannot afford. Nero should step aside, but letting go is never that simple…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Love is for the weak of mind.

'Astra is queen of the Companion world. She has been at the king’s side for ten years, but his interest is waning. If she can just hold on a little longer, she will take her rightful place as mentor and never share a man’s bed again. But a single game of cards threatens to bring her future to ruins. The king’s wager is a brutal reminder that she is replaceable, disposable—a prize to be won. Now she must find a way to survive outside the castle until she can find a way back inside its walls.

'Dion is captain of the Galen army, a soldier, a humanitarian—and possibly a traitor. He does not believe in people as property, so the concept of a Companion is confronting. Mistress or slave? He cannot decide. The king’s Companion seems content enough with her eternal smile and ability to command a room with just a tilt of her head and flash of blue eyes, but he sees past the painted face and rehearsed laughter. She is broken. She is fire. And a game of cards later, she is entirely his problem.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'She will fight for her freedom. He will fight for her life.

'Mila might be slaveborn, but she has no intention of remaining a slave. Impatient for her freedom, the nineteen-year-old takes matters into her own hands. Armed with the combat skills her half-brother taught her, Mila ignores the pleas of her family and takes to the arena. She is prepared to do whatever is necessary, prepared for anything—except Remus Latinius.

'Raised inside the greatest gladiator school in Rome, Remus fought hard for his freedom. He earned it the only way he knew how—in the arena. Now he is content training others to do the fighting—or so he thought. Something changes the night he meets a slave girl desperate to prove herself. He should walk away, but the gods have other plans.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Behind every Companion is a mentor who must prepare her for the role.

'For nine years, Petra has existed within the castle walls. For nine years, the king has taken whatever he pleases—even her son. When tragedy strikes, Petra realises she can either accept her fate or run from it. But the man who owns her will stop at nothing to keep her. To survive, she must put her trust in enemy hands. To heal, she must learn to open her heart.

'Sir Leksi is the prince’s right hand man and Syrasan’s fiercest knight. He is also the kingdom’s most notorious womaniser. When he stumbles across a runaway in the woods, he is surprised to learn her identity, but even more surprised when he is ordered to protect her. Intrigued by the hunted mentor, he decides to see what lies beneath the unsmiling face and vacant gaze. What he discovers might change him forever…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Companions are the kingdom’s most beautiful and educated women—possessions of Syrasan’s royal men. Aldara has left the Companion life behind her. Having returned south to her family, she thought all ties to her prince severed. She was wrong. Now she has a secret—one she must keep in order to protect the people she loves. But when her past shows up at her home, lives begin to unravel.

'Still grieving the departure of his Companion and the death of his father, Prince Tyron is adjusting to life under his brother’s rule. Shifts in power see him sent to Corneo to take control of the West. Amid the throes of war, he learns that the woman who still holds his heart has been keeping a secret. An impulsive decision delivers him into enemy hands with no way out. Unless she does the unthinkable…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Love has never been more dangerous.

'Companions are the kingdom’s most beautiful and educated women—possessions of Syrasan’s royal men. But the longstanding tradition is about to change. A new trade agreement between two kings will see women sold across the border.

'Prince Tyron never wanted a Companion, but now he cannot fathom a life without her. But when a rebellious act brings brutal consequences, Tyron realises his feelings put his Companion at risk. As her future grows more uncertain, he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

'Aldara never wanted to be a Companion, but at age sixteen the choice was made for her. She never imagined she would grow to love the man who owns her more than her own freedom. But when her life at Archdale begins to crumble, Tyron sends her back to the safety of her family, where she must find a way to exist without him. As Zoelin continues to tighten its grip on Syrasan, the pair soon discovers there are no safe havens.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Bound by tradition. Now they must follow the rules.

'Syrasan is a kingdom with a complicated political history and longstanding traditions. Companions are the kingdom’s most beautiful and educated women–possessions of Syrasan’s royal men. Aldara is sixteen years old when she is sold by her farming family to the obnoxious Prince Pandarus as a gift for his younger brother, Prince Tyron. While initial encounters between the troubled war hero and his reluctant companion are awkward, their connection is immediate. But they are soon reminded by those closest to them that there is no place for love between a prince and his Companion.

'Set amid grief and war, The Royal Companion is a heart-warming love story about what it means to give yourself over to another.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.