Verity Golden

Bryten stands on the brink of war. Traveling through Arlesland disguised as a member of the wandering Sinti, Princess Morgana of Vallenland sees the results of King Uriah's cruelty firsthand. Working with the captivating Captain Anderson to build alliances with sympathetic rebels, she is horrified to learn the king is conscripting young boys into his army.

Uriah, meanwhile, seeks support from a powerful queen whose price for allegiance is a legendary sword. Queen Rusulka herself is the pawn of her bodyguard, who is determined to learn why evil beings called Dark Ones also seek the sword.

In northern Bryten, newlyweds Charla and Greene attempt to protect another magical object from falling into the hands of the Dark Ones, but attack comes from an unexpected direction.

Myriad secrets underlie the lives of those deciding the fate of Bryten, but one person must decide whether a terrible secret from Uriah's past is worth keeping... if the price is war.

A villainous plot runs through the series, so the books are best read in order