A political scion and her magically bound fire warlock must face their greatest fears to save the Empire from a ruthless enemy in the explosive conclusion of a spellbinding fantasy trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso. While winter snows keep the Witch Lord Ruven's invading armies at bay, Lady Amalia Cornaro and the fire warlock Zaira attempt to change the fate of mages in the Raverran Empire forever, earning the enmity of those in power who will do anything to keep all magic under tight imperial control. But in the season of the Serene City's great masquerade, Ruven executes a devastating surprise strike at the heart of the Empire -- and at everything Amalia holds most dear. To stand a chance of defeating Ruven, Amalia and Zaira must face their worst nightmares, expose their deepest secrets, and unleash Zaira's most devastating fire. Praise for Swords and Fire: "Charming, intelligent, fast-moving, beautifully atmospheric, with a heroine and other characters whom I really liked as people. I couldn't put it down."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library "Breathtaking... Worth every moment and every page, and should make anyone paying attention excited about what Caruso will write next."―BookPage "A riveting read, with delicious intrigue, captivating characters, and a brilliant magic system. I loved it from start to finish!"―Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood Swords and Fire The Tethered Mage The Defiant Heir The Unbound Empire For more from Melissa Caruso, check out: Rooks and Ruin The Obsidian Tower

A political scion and her magically bound fire warlock undertake diplomacy and espionage to prevent a war in the second book of a spellbinding fantasy trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso. Across the border, the Witch Lords of Vaskandar are preparing for war. But before an invasion can begin, the seventeen Witch Lords must convene at a rare gathering to decide a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows this Conclave might be her only chance to smother the growing flames of war, and she is prepared to make any sacrifice if it means saving Raverra from destruction. Amalia and her bound fire warlock, Zaira, must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have, to sway Vaskandar from war. If they fail, it will all come down to swords and fire. Praise for Swords and Fire: "Charming, intelligent, fast-moving, beautifully atmospheric, with a heroine and other characters whom I really liked as people. I couldn't put it down."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library "Breathtaking... Worth every moment and every page, and should make anyone paying attention excited about what Caruso will write next."―BookPage "A riveting read, with delicious intrigue, captivating characters, and a brilliant magic system. I loved it from start to finish!"―Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood Swords and Fire The Tethered Mage The Defiant Heir The Unbound Empire For more from Melissa Caruso, check out: Rooks and Ruin The Obsidian Tower

A mage with coveted magic and the scion of a powerful family are magically bound together in service to the Empire in the first book of a spellbinding fantasy trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso. Magic is scarce in the Raverran Empire, and those born with such powers are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon army, to be used as weapons in times of war. Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire Empire. Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre. Praise for Swords and Fire: "Charming, intelligent, fast-moving, beautifully atmospheric, with a heroine and other characters whom I really liked as people. I couldn't put it down."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library "Breathtaking... Worth every moment and every page, and should make anyone paying attention excited about what Caruso will write next."―BookPage "A riveting read, with delicious intrigue, captivating characters, and a brilliant magic system. I loved it from start to finish!"―Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood Swords and Fire The Tethered Mage The Defiant Heir The Unbound Empire For more from Melissa Caruso, check out: Rooks and Ruin The Obsidian Tower

Across the border, the Witch Lords of Vaskandar are preparing for war. But before an invasion can begin, the seventeen Witch Lords must convene at a rare gathering to decide a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this Conclave might be her only chance to smother the growing flames of war, and she is prepared to make any sacrifice if it means saving Raverra from destruction. Amalia and her bound fire warlock, Zaira, must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have, to sway Vaskandar from war. If they fail, it will all come down to swords and fire. "Charming, intelligent, fast-moving, beautifully atmospheric. I couldn't put it down." - Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library "The best kind of fantasy." - Rosalyn Eves, author of Blood Rose Rebellion The Defiant Heir is the second novel in a spellbinding new fantasy series. Swords and FireThe Tethered MageThe Defiant Heir

Step into the world of The Four Arts. A romantic historical fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. She ran to save her life. Now what . . . Lady Sophia Mackenzie has left almost everything behind. Her country. Her family. Her trust in the queen she suspects tried to kill her. All she has left is her own fledgling magic and her new husband, Cameron. But having fled Anglion to stay alive, she now has to learn how to face the dangers and temptations of Illvya, a land where the magic they practice is everything she’s been raised to fear. To those who rule Illvya—the mages with their demon familiars and the parliament—having an unbound royal witch like Sophie in their midst is to some an unparalleled opportunity and to others an unbearable threat. As factions form around them, Sophia and Cameron struggle to navigate the intrigues and repercussions of their flight from Anglion. Illvya seeks to control them and Anglion may well still be trying to kill them. As their choices close in around them and Sophia begins to discover the potential of her powers, their bond—both magical and emotional—is pushed to the limit. In the end, in order to survive, Sophia will have to decide between loyalty and destiny and hope the price of her choice is one she can bear to pay . . . The Unbound Queen is the final book in the Four Arts trilogy, a complete romantic gaslamp fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. Perfect if you love fantasies with royal turmoil, witches, gaslamp vibes, marriages of convenience, protective heroes, sexy times and political intrigues. Enjoy! Author's note: For tropes and CW, please check the author's website.

In this USA Today bestselling novel, a woman with power over fire and illusion and the enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy. Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital--her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. Gilene's sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses. But this year is different. Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion--and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. Unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan. To protect her family and village, she will abandon everything to return to the Empire--and burn once more.

European empires were commonly depicted in bright color-coded maps printed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that conveyed the expanse of European power across the globe. Despite this familiar image of a world divided up into neat imperial enclaves, the reality of empire-building often told a different story. Empire Unbound argues that European empires were never the bounded, stable entities that imperialists imagined. In examining Mediterranean empire-building in a comparative context, Gavin Murray-Miller demonstrates that the era of 'new imperialism' which arose in the late nineteenth century fostered connections and synergies between regional powers that influenced the trajectories of imperial states in fundamental ways. Breaking with conventional national approaches, Murray-Miller traces the development of France's North African empire, noting how empire-building relied upon transnational networks and cooperation with Muslims elites across borders just as much as military conquest. By looking at the inter-connected relationships linking the French, British, Italian, and Ottoman empires from the 1880s through the First World War, Empire Unbound proposes a novel spatial framework for imperial studies, showing how migrations, extraterritorial legal regimes, and cross-border interactions both abetted and frustrated imperial designs at the turn of the century.