Bøker av Dax Murray

"Don't trust anyone, Lady Caitlin. Not even me. Especially not me. You can have allies here, but this court does not allow you the luxury of friends."The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest.But Caitlin does not care-she hasn't cared about anything since that day-the day her world shattered and she lost everything. Then she befriends a rebellion leader and catches the eye of the spoiled prince. These chance encounters could make her the most powerful woman in the realm-the power to rule it as queen, or the power to tear it all down from the inside as a revolutionary spy. Either way, she has to keep the prince's interest and ignore the fluttering of her heart whenever she sees a certain court lady.But there is much more going on at court than the rebels know about. Darker forces lurk behind the throne, and if Caitlin is to survive with her head still on her shoulders, she will need to learn the ever-changing rules of power.Caught in a web of deception and conspiracies-militant revolutionaries, cryptic priestesses, and a secretive lady-in-waiting with a ruthless family-Caitlin must unravel the truth of a long-hidden magical prophecy, or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy far more dangerous than a tyrannical king. An enemy that has been plotting in the shadows for centuries.And it has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon.Stars and Soil is the first novel in the Scions and Shadows series and is perfect for lovers of fantasy full of court gossip, political intrigue, shifting alliances, deep worldbuilding, and sapphic and disability representation. Fans of David Hair's Moontide Quartet and Tessa Gratton's Queens of Innis Lear will feel right at home in the magical, queer-normative world Ahnlisen and all of its betrayal and backstabbing.

"I haven't been trying to build a weapon! I have been trying to prevent a war. Ellie, please don't make me do this."A short story about a brilliant mage and an insecure empress; of love and ethics, partnership and conflict. After generations of relentless expansion, Empress Eleanor is ready to put her family's habit of conquest behind her, content to cease her army's forward march and solidify her position as the ruler of the territories already in her possession. But these countries her fathers' conquered are eager to leave the Empire and willing to resort to revolution. Amalthea grew up poor, her homeland destitute after being invaded and occupied. But her new status as a citizen of the sparkling empire gives her access to the Academy of Mages and all of their teachings. However, once there, she defies their rules and pursues her own experiments with dangerous and forbidden magics. Despite this, she catches the Empress's eye and is soon the first official Imperial Scientist and the unofficial consort. Together, the two have the power to sow cohesion, spur innovation, and improve the lives of everyone in the Empire; or they could obliterate any resistance at a perilous cost.

How many half-truths could loyalty shoulder before it broke from the weight of deception on its back?A sweeping LGBTQ and polyamorous retelling of "Swan Lake"!Strange things can be said of the forest that spans the border of two kingdoms long at war. An evil sorcerer has made it his dominion, or an elegant enchantress has claimed it as her domain and grants wishes to those who chance upon her, or maybe the forest is guarded by an ancient and wrathful spirit.Katya calls the forest home, living a life of magic and charms with her partner Ivan. But a threat looms over their forest, some darkness and danger that Ivan swears to protect her from. Katya finds herself caught up in a web of grudges and deception spanning generations, but most dangerous of all is the beautiful princess who stumbled into their woods. A princess who sets Katya's heart fluttering with both desire and fear.As forces rally to rescue the princess or go to war, Katya must take measure of her own powers and decide what she is willing to sacrifice. Will she retreat to the safety of what's familiar or give up everything she knows to spread her wings and fly?