Perfect for fans of high-heat fantasy—think Ice Planet Barbarians spice meets Naomi Novik's worldbuilding.
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In the decadent realm of Nuama, winged women rule. Men are trained in the domestic and pleasure arts. Life is peaceful, pleasurable, and safe—until traitors are discovered in the household of the Empress.
But that isn't the only threat facing Nuama—an ancient hellrealm is bleeding into theirs. If the flow of evil cannot be staunched, both worlds will shatter.
As the barrier thins, the fate of reality rests on unlikely shoulders—the Empress and her Evermate, a daughter colliding with her destiny, and a winged man who shouldn't exist.
They'll risk their lives to find the legendary Awakener before it's too late. She is the only being who can stop the collision of worlds—but she hasn't been seen for thousands of annums, and no one knows if she even still exists.
Yet, the deadliest threat might not be the darkness outside… but the forbidden desires within.
Welcome to paradise. Enjoy it while it lasts.
- Queernorm world
- Open-door, high-heat scenes
- Morally grey to downright wicked characters***—TW below.***
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"The air is thick with heady scents of crushed blossoms and honeywine. Sunlight filters through the living canopy above, flickering along flowing water, silken cushions, soft feathers of your wings.
The natural pools, waterfalls, and streams of the grottos are fed by various cool, warm, and hot springs—creating a natural microclimate atop the cliffs. Delicacies grow in wild profusion all through the annum.
In a world as abundant as this one, the beauty of these grottos is unremarkable..."
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A note before you begin—Part One contains the book's most difficult scenes. Women are in peril—though not as graphic as HBO's Game of Thrones. There is also a brief, non-depicted instance of childhood SA. The act is NOT shown; rather, the child is comforted by a loving presence who is furious on her behalf. To skip it, turn to page 28 (on most e-readers), to the section after the page break beginning "When you awaken much later..." The story never returns to this topic.
Part One is intense by design—it establishes how terrible the hellrealm of Ihatithre truly is. But you'll also find love, abundance, pleasure, friendship, and found family. There is much to love about Nuama and those who dwell within these pages.
