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THE GILDED CROWN

BOOK 1 OF THE RAVEN'S TRADE DUOLOGY

EVERY LIFE COMES AT A PRICE

The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old…

Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects.

Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’ death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side.

But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the princess alive.

But Death will always take what he is owed.


Praise for THE GILDED CROWN:

‘First-class fantasy. Marianne Gordon is a superb writer who brings a rare sensual and emotional richness to the world she so skilfully creates. This is a compulsively readable book that raises profound and unsettling questions around power, life, death and love. Highly recommended’ Alison Croggon, award-winning author of The Books of Pellinor

'Has the feel of an ancient fairy tale freshly told' Freya Marske, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Marvellous Light

'Fantastic series opener… A richly imagined beginning that shouldn’t be missed' Kirkus

'Fascinating dark fantasy… A study of kindness and humanity. This series is off to a promising start' Publishers Weekly

'A beautiful fantasy full of quests, court intrigue, and star-crossed lovers…' Library Journal

 

THE ANTLERED KING

BOOK 2 OF THE RAVEN'S TRADE DUOLOGY


DEATH DEMANDS HIS DUE

In this stunning conclusion to the Raven's Trade duology that began with The Gilded Crown, Hellevir's bargains with Death to save the ones she loves--including the princess she risked everything to bring back to life--may just lead to the ultimate sacrifice.

Hellevir's gift to raise the dead once thrust her into the center of a court filled with backstabbing and treason, where she became duty bound to protect Princess Sullivain, the sole heir to the kingdom's throne and target of many rivals eager for the crown. But the more Hellevir risked to keep Sullivain alive, and the more deeply she fell in love with the princess, the greater the cost became--for Hellevir's power can only be granted by the strange figure who rules the afterlife, and there is always a price to pay.

Now Hellevir may have risked too much, and Sullivain has become obsessed with consolidating power to vanquish her foes once and for all--by whatever means necessary. Cast out to the fringes of a country on the verge of civil war, Hellevir is torn between protecting her heart or giving what little she has left to finish what she started. Yet, her connection with Sullivain runs deeper than the mortal world, and saving her friends and family might mean risking the woman she is still bound to by soul and blood.

To stop a war, Hellevir must unravel the last of Death's riddles and decide, once and for all, who deserves to live, what a life is worth, and whether she can pay the price. This explosive finale to the Raven's Trade duology is sure to satisfy fans of dark fantasy and queer romance.

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