Ash, Moon, & Brine
Ash. January 1, 2023, finds Kyrian Asherton hiding in his Denver office after emotions had escalated at his New Year's Eve party. Trying to not think about how his girlfriend nearly resorted to physical violence, Ky is resolved to investigate the occult cases on his desk. Two years alone as an Interpol Occult Agent has given him a decent workload, the determination to protect the world, and fuel for that side of him that seeks justice for the innocent. His intentions are sidelined when an unexpected knock comes at his door from a man with one desire: he wants Ky to investigate the double homicide that occurred that morning and prove his girlfriend is innocent.
Moon. Nothing good happens after midnight. Had Briara Moon adhered to that old adage, perhaps she wouldn't have found herself locked up as the prime suspect for the double homicide that occurred as soon as 2023 started. An undergraduate student destined for medical school, all she had wanted was to spend a carefree night with her best friend, dancing. Briara swears she's innocent. But there's a problem: at twenty-three years old, she remembers only the last three years of her life.
Brine. Sulfur. Quicksilver. Salt. All three alchemical tria prima substances are used in the double homicide in what appears to be an alchemical ritual. The murders are tied to forbidden and ancient magic, and to a conspiracy far larger than one crime scene. To uncover the truth, Kyrian must convince Briara to reveal what really happened that night. From their first meeting on, Briara and Kyrian clash. Carrying the trauma of her irreversible amnesia and now the prime suspect, Briara doesn't trust anyone as she fights for her liberty. She refuses to tell him anything, and Kyrian knows she's hiding something important. But the deeper he digs into the case, the clearer it becomes that Briara is not the killer and the more desperate Ky becomes to proving her innocence despite the mounting evidence against Briara. Forced into an uneasy alliance, Briara and Kyrian must unravel a conspiracy tied to dangerous magic, hidden secrets, and a ritual that could reshape the world.
Because if the ceremony was completed... the murders were only the beginning.
The Crescent and Shadow series is perfect for readers who are yearning for a character-driven contemporary fantasy blending the hidden magic of A Discovery of Witches, the psychological depth of Ninth House, and the long-arc romantic tension of the Cormoran Strike series. The series will be eight books plus two prequels, which can be read as a duology standalone.Series Tropes:
Complex Characters - Unexpected Twists - Ultra Slow Burn Enemies to Friends to Lovers - Secret Identity - Found Family - Earned Romance - Competent MCs - Heaven vs Hell - Forced Proximity - Hidden Magic - Fated Mates - Investigative Urban Fantasy - Celestial War Mythology - Elemental Magic Systems - Fantastical Parallel Worlds - Who am I? - Romantic Yearning
Trigger Warnings Throughout Series
Amnesia - Physical Domestic Abuse - Male Victim - Emotional Manipulation - Sexual Assault - PTSD - Suicidal Ideation - Self-Harm - Depression
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