Showing results by author "Melanie Karsak" in All Categories

Britain, AD 38, Princess Cartimandua—Carti—of the Brigantes tribe faces an uncertain future when her father’s sudden death ignites turmoil. Suspicion falls on the Crow People of the Votadini tribe, straining the fragile peace between the factions. But they’re not the only ones bearing a grudge. A tangled web of political games soon unfolds. When enigmatic Prince Cormag of the Votadini shows the princess unwanted attention, the Brigantes’ alliance with the Carvetti is shaken. Cartimandua’s dream of marrying gallant Prince Venutiux of the Carvetti is put at risk.

In the shadows of the hollow hills, a queen's destiny unfolds. Britain, AD 38. Having defeated her enemies, Queen Cartimandua works swiftly to stabilize the north. But not all foes yield quietly. Forces move in the shadows to destabilize the Brigantes. Working to root out resistance, Queen Cartimandua finds an unlikely ally in deposed Prince Venutiux—much to his wife’s dismay. Even with King Eddin’s support, facing an unnamed enemy proves difficult. Darkness, in the shape of an eagle, looms for them all.

For Odin’s chosen, all roads lead to Valhalla. With Gudmund dead, Hervor and Hofund are crowned queen and king of Grund. The pair soon discovers that ruling a Viking land is not without difficulty. Enemies from without and within threaten the new rulers. While her dreams are the same, Hervor’s future becomes unclear. The gods have grown silent. Only Skadi whispers to Hervor now, and all her words are warnings. A dark moon is rising. Hervor must learn to rely on her inner strength to protect her family and face the tumultuous path the Norns have woven for her.

Under the thunder moon, the war-horn will sound, and Odin’s Valkyrie will rise. Reunited with Hofund, and with Bolmsö safe from its enemies, Hervor takes her place as jarl. But the All-Father has bigger plans for his favorite shield-maiden. When Hervor learns that Jarl Bjartmar has vowed vengeance on Leif, she knows she must stand by her cousin. To free Dalr, they must enlist the help of old allies, former enemies, and a warrior-priest called the Reindeer King. Together, they will fight to free Dalr.

Iceland, 985—When Eirik the Red sailed from Iceland to journey west, everyone knew he was mad. Everyone knew Jörmungandr would swallow him and his crew whole. Everyone lost faith in him, including his wife, who turned to her Christian friends for solace.

The king is dead. Long live the queen. With Duncan defeated, Gruoch becomes Queen of Scotland. Now, she must rule at Macbeth's side, a difficult prospect as the new King of Scots grows increasingly unstable. To keep her son, her love, and her country safe, Gruoch must call upon the raven. Dive into the final installment of Gruoch's epic tale in Highland Queen, a Scottish historical fantasy, book four in The Celtic Blood Series by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak.

An orphaned descendant of Loki. A princess without a kingdom. A shield-maiden plagued by the shadows of Valhalla. Born to rule two jarldoms, Ervie should have had a life of ease. But fate has not been kind. Her parents’ jarldoms destroyed in the wars of a previous generation, Ervie is set adrift in the world. Taking refuge in the lands of the famed King Gizer, Ervie finds a temporary retreat from her aching sense of loss. But when Gizer’s warband is summoned to defend one of his staunchest allies, the journey promises more than just battle for Ervie.

Buttercream. Vanilla. Fondant. Dark chocolate. Brown sugar. Molasses. Baking has always been my true love, but it wasn't until my mother's death, and the unexpected inheritance of Serendipity Gardens, that my bliss called me. Bittersweet. But Serendipity Gardens has more to offer than just a potential shopfront. An unusual recipe box left to me by a distant relative might be the key to unlocking my dreams. Too bad the most powerful family in Chancellor has plans that could turn those dreams to ruins - literally.

Being the heir to Camelot is a tangled mess. Rapunzel has spent her entire life living in Merlin's cave on the coast of Cornwall. Under the protection of her faerie guardian, Gothel, she's stayed safe. Safe and bored. Dreaming of a life that looks more like a Jane Austen novel, Rapunzel fears she'll never have the chance to explore Victorian England's modern delights. Or meet a man. Or be kissed. Or anything else remotely resembling normal.

When Isabelle Hawking and her papa set out from London on a sea voyage, Isabelle is thrilled. Visiting foreign courts, learning from master tinkerers, and studying mechanicals is her dream. But Isabelle never arrives. Swept up in a tempest, her ship is lost. Isabelle survives the storm only to be shipwrecked on a seemingly deserted island. The magical place, dotted with standing stones, faerie mounds, and a crumbling castle, hints of an ancient past. Isabelle may be an unwilling guest, but her arrival marks a new beginning for the beastly residents of this forgotten land.

With the 1824 British airship qualifying race only weeks away, Lily Stargazer is at the top of her game. She's racing like a pro, truly in love, and living clean. But on one ill-omened day, everything changes.

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily's life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What's a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: Drink absinthe and smoke opium.

With the war against the Gauls over and Angantyr crowned king, everything should have been peaceful. But the arrival of Prince Hlod and its devastating consequences have brought nothing but heartache and darkness. Determined to avenge their losses, Ervie and Loptr will unite the Scandinavian world, including King Ormar of the Myrkviðr, against the Huns.

With the dark days in Dalr behind them, Hervor and Hofund journey to Grund. Hervor’s focus turns to tracking down the sea kings and taking vengeance, but she soon finds that life in Grund is convoluted. Family grudges, secret alliances, and shady friendships abound in the capital. Everyone has their own agenda, and for some, Hervor is in the way. Hervor will find that surviving Grund is far more complicated than the bloody fields. But a blood moon is rising. Soon, Odin’s shield-maiden must clear the path to her promised future...no matter who must meet Tyrfing to ensure that fate.

A mermaid princess destined to wed a handsome king.... It sounds like a fairy tale, but the reality is far murkier. Ink, Princess of the Florida Atlantic mers, is slated to wed the ancient enemy of her tribe, the King of the Gulfs. After years of war that led to countless mer deaths, as well as the genocide of aquatic shapeshifters and the freshwater mers of Florida, Ink's marriage will bring lasting peace.

People think being haunted is a bad thing. That’s because they’ve never visited The Curiosity Curio. The spirits who linger in my store dance the jitterbug, look after the plants, and gossip about long-dead relatives. Even though no one believes me about my mediumistic gifts, it’s my job to aid these lost souls. I can help them, even if I gave up hoping to find someone who understood me long ago.

Just when Ervie was beginning to break free of the shadows that plagued her, the Gauls set her world on fire. With King Harald murdered, the warhorn calls for revenge. From Skagen to Grund, the Vikings will rally to avenge the heinous attack. Ervie will soon find herself in the middle of it all—even if her heart is still in the Myrkviðr.

After years of working for my family's business, I'm finally back in college and ready to chase my dream of becoming a perfumer. It seems like the stars are all aligning when Chancellor College invites a preeminent French fragrance expert to speak at a symposium. Everything is working out just right, as long as I can continue to ignore my growing feelings for a certain hippie beekeeper. That, it seems, is turning out to be easier said than done.

With the undead walking, vampires hunting, and kitsune closing in, everything seems lost. Layla and the others will need help if there is any hope of survival. But how can you endure in the dying world? Join Layla, Cricket, Amelia, and the other survivors for the final chapter of The Harvesting Series in The Torn World.

In the little town of Brighton, Amelia's practice of Wicca has always marked her as odd. But Amelia can't change what she is. Knowing how to see auras, heal, and create spells comes naturally to her. Only Madame Knightly, the ancient matriarch and owner of Witch Wood Estate to whom Amelia plays caretaker, doesn't seem to mind her conjoining. In fact, the crumbling old mansion is full oddities.