Bride of Ashes

By Alaya Wells

An arranged marriage with a doomed fae king. A court of shadows and secrets, where falling in love can be lethal.

To broker peace between two fae kingdoms, I agree to marry the king of Evergorne Court, a union built on duty, not desire. I'm doomed to a life without love.

Onboard the king's ship, I meet his bodyguard, Lore, a brooding shadow of a man who's maddeningly arrogant and too handsome for his own good. He ignites something wild and dangerous inside me, something I must resist at all costs.

My new husband, King Merrick, is equally stunning. He makes me laugh, and to my surprise, he makes me hope. He offers me kindness, a chance to heal my wounded soul, and he ignites feelings I thought had died with my lost love.

Yet, beneath the intoxicating beauty of Evergorne Court, darkness festers. Secrets weave a web of intrigue, leaving me tangled in a treacherous game where trust is scarce, and desire is lethal.

Love could be my fiercest weapon, or the very thing that tears me apart.

Bride of Ashes, Book 1 in the M/F Kingdom of Shadow & Ruin Series, is full of steamy romance, gothic suspense, and secrets that will challenge everything Reyla thought she knew about the fae world-and herself. Expect arranged marriage, touch her and die, bodyguard, alpha hero, masked ball, fish out of water, forbidden love, enemies to lovers, royalty, and secrets tropes.

Trigger Warnings: blood, injuries, taking of a life, violence, class systems, poverty, hunger, grief, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to childhood trauma.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GJR2HWJ9
• ISBN13: 9798233202162
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Enchanted Star Press, LLC
• Length: 582 Pages
• Weight: 1.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"