Word Count: 84600
Summary: In the lovely land of Astarious, the Challenge marks all royals who would seek to rule the kingdom. Before their twenty-first birthday they must submit to the will of the oracles to be sent on an adventure. Most of the time, they return from their Challenge stronger, wiser, and far more experienced than when they left. Sometimes they come back broken in body or mind. Sometimes they don’t come back at all. As the eldest of three royal sisters and the most powerful spell singer in generations, Princess Lizeth has her fortunate life all planned out: claim her place as heir to the throne, choose a perfect man of royal blood as is the law, and someday ascend as queen. All she must do is pass her Challenge—a lonely, dangerous test of her magic, her ambition, and her very spirit. But before she can prove herself, Lizeth and her two sisters find themselves caught up in intrigue, mayhem, and an alarming number of dead bodies. With the king and queen gone on a vital diplomatic mission, Lizeth is determined to protect her family and her palace. Until the oracles of the Challenge whisk her away unexpectedly. Except she isn’t alone. In contradiction of everything she’s been told, she finds herself in a strange land with her animal companion plus an annoyingly mysterious—and annoyingly handsome—woodsman. And the Challenge isn’t only hers: the fate of her someday kingdom and more may be at stake. The trio must discover why they’ve been summoned so far from home if they ever want to find their way back, and Lizeth must risk everything she holds dear—including her magic—without falling for the man fighting at her side. Her future has never been so uncertain. And it’s not just her future…
Word Count: 87900
Summary: The Challenge is faced by all royals of Astarious who would seek to rule the kingdom. Before their twenty-first birthday they must submit to the will of the oracles to be sent on an unknown adventure. The oracles created the Challenge to make certain the new royals were strong enough and wise enough to rule the kingdom when they return. If they return. As the middle royal daughter, Nevaine already saw the results of one Challenge—her older sister, Lizeth. However, unlike her older sister, Nevaine had no master life plan, nor a goal of ruling the land. She would much rather stay home and read—or work on her formidable knife skills. She wasn’t even certain that she wanted to rule the kingdom. Two days before her Challenge begins, her boyfriend suddenly vanishes, leaving a cryptic note behind—one about another woman. Hurt and furious, Nevaine first refuses to believe anything good about him, but evidence grows that he might have been taken to throw off her Challenge. Portals and foul magic invade the kingdom. And when Nevaine is kidnapped to keep her from leaving on her Challenge, she realizes there is far more at stake than her right to be declared an heir to the kingdom. She finds herself in a distant land with her grigeen companion and surprisingly, her semi-ex-boyfriend. He’s not who she thought he was and his lies could prove fatal for them all.
Word Count: 79800
Summary: You have begun your Challenge. Be fleet of mind, gentle of foot, and strong of heart. Blessings of the oracles be upon you. So begins the Challenge that every royal in Astarious has had to complete to be able to be declared an heir to the throne. It must be begun before their twenty-first birthday and they can’t be told of prior Challenges. Piallen has waited impatiently through her two older sister’s Challenges. Anticipating the day that she would not only face her own, but be able to hear their stories. She prefers training with sword and bow out in the woods over anything that takes place indoors. Her excitement at her impending Challenge is based more on being able to prove her skills worthy, than any real love of wanting to be declared heir. She has a feeling that being an heir will involve a lot more indoor time whether she wants it or not. A shocking betrayal and attack from within the palace itself throw all of the careful preparations for her Challenge off and reveals unknown secrets about Piallen and the mysterious magic leak she’s had since she was a child. Fighting off the attackers, she finds herself pulled into a strange land by a powerful and attractive sword wielding mage—but it wasn’t the work of the oracles. After a rousing sword fight, she, the mage, and her grigeen companion, find themselves flung into another kingdom. One where former allies turned enemies are mounting a massive attack. To destroy Astarious. The conclusion of the Magic & Sorcery trilogy!
