Heir of Lies
(Black Dawn #1)
By Mallory McCartney
Young Adult, New Adult Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 456 Pages
April 21, 2020
“Hope was a dangerous thing. It could consume every dream and make them take flight, becoming wild daydreams in one’s heart and mind. Or hope could incinerate everything you thought you knew, burning you down to your core, leaving you raw and exposed for the world.”
Emory Fae has only known one thing–life at The Academy, a school for those who have special abilities. Following in her parents’ footsteps, the pressure to uphold their dream falls on her and one of her best friends–Adair Stratton. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. With whispers of dark magic spreading across Kiero, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.
An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher, sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath, for the first time in years, they demand the Faes listen to their proposition for a new treaty. Caught in the middle of politics, Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis, search for the one thing that matters the most–the truth.
Their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made, and war ravages Kiero. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic, and love, Adair is faced with a life changing decision. Will he fight or bow to the darkness within?
But, Adair’s decision will change the course of Kiero forever, setting in motion irreversible destinies for everyone at The Academy as Emory Fae rises as heir.
Heir of Lies is the first book in the bestselling Black Dawn series.
Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop | B&N | Book Depository | Target
Queen to Ashes|
(Black Dawn #2)
By Mallory McCartney
Young Adult, New Adult Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 350 Pages
April 21, 2020
“You lived your entire life feeling like half of you was missing. Fight for the missing part. Fight for this.”
Emory Fae has abandoned everything she thought she knew about her previous life on Earth. Stepping up to her role as Queen of Kiero she makes a startling sacrifice- feigning her allegiances to Adair Stratton, the man who murdered her parents and casted Kiero into ruin. Emory’s memories slowly piece together, and she soon realizes the Mad King may not be all he seems– and the man who was once best friend, may be fighting beneath the surface.
With the King’s attention on her, can she buy Black Dawn Rebellion enough time to recuperate their forces? And when the times comes, will she be able to kill Adair, ending his tyranny and rising herself as the rightful Queen? Fighting to hide her secret, Emory navigates the brutal trials of the Mad King, trying not to lose herself in the process.
Sequel to Heir of Lies, now a bestselling series, the sparks are ignited, as Emory learns the cost of freedom, and her heritage. Will the rebels unite in time? A sinister force has spread across the land, stripping everyone bare- their betrayals, their secrets, their intentions. But above all, what will their decisions cost? By refusing to give in to the darkness, will Emory rise as Queen?
Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop | B&N | Book Depository | Target
Excerpt from Queen of Ashes:
Rolling her neck, Lasair’s bones cracked as she walked toward the other Oilean. The wind now hinted at the change of seasons, and she knew they were running out of time, that their king was running out of time.
She stopped, about to snap at the other Oilean that they needed to decide on how they would end Brokk Foster when she felt it. They all froze as they felt the chord snap; the dark magic that had made up Brokk Foster’s living doppelganger was gone. They had carved him, shaped him, broke him… Lasair had banked on the fact that they had never failed before.
Tilting their heads in unison, they felt the dark magic bleed out from Brokk’s doppelganger like a dying star: Strange. For the first time, someone had defeated one of their servants. The sisters shivered against that fading light, growling as the emptiness replaced it. Their beautiful, dangerous creation had been destroyed.
“The girl is stronger than we thought,” the sister to the far left hissed, looking behind them to where the false king’s city lay. “But not strong enough to face us. She wouldn’t stand a chance.”
They paced, ashes softly floating around them as the ground became scorched. But one sister stalled, looking to the horizon as if seeing past the trees, past the flickering shadows in the forest, to where the demons that resided within their land grew and flourished.
“We must do this ourselves, sisssters.” They stopped, looking to her as she rolled her neck, bones popping and cracking, her pale skin drawn. “Emory Fae must be stopped. They all must be stopped. Our King left us with the task of preparing this world for him. We have wasted time— no more spells. No more hiding. Not while they can still find out the truth.”
Whispers cut through the wind, and Lasiar tilted her head, breathing it in. This world would be theirs. This world, its power, would be harnessed.
The three sisters started to giggle—first a hiccup of a laugh here and there—until soon the forest was filled with their madness; and in cracking bones and ripping of sinew, their limbs elongated and grew. The Oilean all looked toward the Draken Mountains and the sinister force that had seeded there: They shot off, loping through the fading light, sparks chasing at their heels. Lasiar led the way. In the fading daylight, she hissed in pleasure as night started to sweep in. The woods blurred around her, and she started to count down the seconds, the minutes, the hours until she sank her teeth into their necks. Until she would kill Emory Fae and Brokk Foster.
Also in the series:
About the author:
Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.
Goodreads | BookBub | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
: a Rafflecopter giveaway
I love the book cover, and the excerpt sounds great.
Sounds really great