My Personal Faves Read in 2019!

So, I don't typically include my personal opinions on this blog.  I like to stick to list topics and the general opinion of the reading world, as rated by Goodreads users.  But today to wrap up 2019 I'd like to share with you my ten favorite books / series I read this year.  Back to our regular type of list tomorrow, today lets talk about my interest in sci fi / fantasy romance!  I'm only going to include one book or series by an author if I've read more by them, but I'll mention the others I've read too.

Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven - On the unforgiving planet of Dakkar, I did what all the humans in our village did: kept my head down, worked to provide for my family, and I certainly didn’t break any Dakkari laws to risk inciting the alien race’s merciless wrath.
Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for my brother and one careless mistake brings a horde of the nomadic, barbarian Dakkari straight to our doorstep, led by their powerful horde king—a cold, ruthless, battle-scarred warrior demanding retribution.
In order to save my brother’s life, I do the unthinkable.
I sell myself to the horde king as his war prize. I agree to warm his furs, to travel with his horde across the wild lands of Dakkar, and to never see my family again.
But as I struggle with my new reality, I discover that the surly, mysterious, dominant horde king never intended for me to be his concubine…
He wants me as his queen.  Book 1 of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series 

I decided to take a chance on Audible this year in about October.  I had a baby in May and haven't been able to read as much as I wanted to since then.  Getting Audible was a REVELATION.  I also invested in some Airpods and suddenly I'm tearing through 4-5 books a week.  It's wonderful.  Anyway, Captive of the Horde King was the first book I got on Audible and I instantly loved it.  Barbarian aliens?  I am soooo in.  This book had great world building, a wonderful romance, and a plot that kept me listening up late.  As I'm writing this I just realized that book two (Claimed by the Horde King) recently came out and I'm hoping that it's coming to audiobook soon too.

The Choosing by Lucy Varna - Ziri Mokuru has lived her entire life in the rural village of Arden Hollow on the planet Tersi. While her parents are off having adventures and being Very Important People, she's struggled simply to find a place where she belongs. One night, she investigates a disturbance in her home and discovers an armor-clad man sorting through her belongings. Her first thought is for her parents' safety, not to question why this man is in her home late at night without even the courtesy of knocking. After all, no one among the trusting Tersii breaks into someone else's home without a good reason.
Ryn abid Alna has an excellent reason for sneaking into Ziri's home. After years spent scraping together enough vud for the bride price, he's finally ready to steal a wife. One look at Ziri's sweet smile and Ryn decides no other woman will do. She can fix anything she touches, so why not the loneliness he's lived with since he was enslaved as a young boy?
Though Ziri longs for love, she's not so sure she's ready to settle down with the man who kidnapped her, especially after he jumps her into a nest of Sweepers, a sinister alien race bent on mayhem and destruction. As the day draws near when she faces Ryn's family on the Choosing field, Ziri ponders the hardest decision of her life: Fight for Ryn and the place he's made for her in his heart or choose another man as a life mate and risk never knowing love. Book 1 of the Pruxnae series

I got this book as a free review copy on Audiofreebies.com not being sure if I would like it.  Boy did it blow me away.  I loooved it.  I'm a sucker for alien abduction romances and I don't know what weird thing that says about me.  This book had a really interesting culture in it, and the world (galaxy?) building was neat too.  I put the other books in the series on my wishlist!

A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais - Burning alive is nothing compared to the heat of his touch.
There are better ways to break up with a girl than having her roasted at the stake as a witch. Is it any wonder Ysabel has trust issues? She got her revenge, though, and it only cost her a slightly tarnished soul.
Working for Lucifer isn't all bad, until her ex-boyfriend escapes the bowels of Hell and she's forced to team up with a womanizing demon to fetch the jerk back.
As a minion in Lucifer's legion, Remy's seen a lot of things, but nothing can prepare him for the witch with the acerbic tongue - and voluptuous figure. The more she pushes him away, the more determined he becomes to seduce her. However, what's a poor demon to do when he accidentally falls in love and wants to keep her forever?
Welcome to Hell where you're screwed if you do and damned if don't. And just so you know, Lucifer has a special spot reserved for you... Book 1 in the Welcome to Hell series

EVE LANGLAIS! My new author crush!  I read A LOT by her but I picked the Welcome to Hell series as my favorite.  So far I've read books 1-4.  Looking at her other series I think this may be a sequel series to one or more of her other series, but I never felt like I was missing any important information reading these.  They are very funny and very sexy.  I know I keep saying this about all the books... but I loved the world building.  The concept of hell in these books is interesting. 
Close second to these books were the Alien Abduction series, of which I read books 1-5.  Also I'm currently reading the Furry United Coalition books.  I'm on book 3 and they are very fun as well.  I love you Eve Langlais, can't wait to read more!

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri - The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.
When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance.... Book 1 in the Books of Ambha

Here is one that I actually did read the print version of rather than the audiobook.  I picked up this book while on a very quiet shift at the very small library branch I work at and I think I had binged over a hundred pages before I even left work.  This is a richly detailed fantasy with some romance too, but it wasn't as much the focus in this book as a lot of the other books I read this year.  I haven't gotten to the second book yet, but it's definitely on my radar.  Oh and Tasha Suri is a great follow on twitter!

How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper - Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay's career has taken a turn south.
Concerned that technology is about to chase mythological creatures out into the open (how long can Sasquatch stay hidden from Google maps?), the League for Interspecies Cooperation is sending Jillian to Louisiana on a fact-finding mission. While the League hopes to hold on to secrecy for a little bit longer, they're preparing for the worst in terms of human reactions. They need a plan, so they look to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where humans and supernatural residents have been living in harmony for generations. Mermaids and gator shifters swim in the bayou. Spirit bottles light the front porches after twilight. Dragons light the fires under crayfish pots.
Jillian's first assignment for the League could be her last. Mystic Bayou is wary of outsiders, and she has difficulty getting locals to talk to her. And she can't get the gruff town sheriff, Bael Boone, off of her back or out of her mind. Bael is the finest male specimen she's seen in a long time, even though he might not be human. Soon their flirtation is hotter than a dragon's breath, which Bael just might turn out to be.... Book 1 in the Mystic Bayou series

Dragons are one of my absolute favorite character types, so this book caught my eye easy.  Add in the fun quirky southern town and a paranormal mystery and I was hooked.  I also read book 2 (Love and Other Wild Things) and I desperately want pie from Bathtilda's Pie Shop.

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon - You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.
And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me... Book 1 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series

More sexy aliens!  This time with blue skin!  I don't think I would like to visit not-Hoth, not being a fan of cold and snow myself, but Ruby Dixon almost makes it sound worth it with these swoony and fun blue barbarian aliens.  So far I've read 11 of these and I currently have book 12 queued up to read soon.  Also by Ruby Dixon I read book 1 of Fireblood Dragons (Fire in His Blood) - again, sucker for dragons.  And SUPER SPECIAL MENTION - I read Bound to the Battle God and I freaking loved this book sooo sooo much.  So much so that I almost put that as the header here for Ruby instead of IPB.  Seriously, it is so good.  I'm really hoping that turns into a series rather than just a stand alone.  I will be waiting!

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mikalik - In the far-distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three high houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her high house is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.
Ada eluded her father's forces for two years, but now, her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.
When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiance captures her, she'll become a political prisoner and a liability to her house. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.
But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive devil, you may lose more than you bargained for.... Book 1 in the Consortium Rebellion

Ada is my number 1 bad ass space princess...followed closely...or tied with... her sister Bianca in book 2 (Aurora Blazing)  These books are everything I want in a space opera romance and more.  These two I both read in print version rather than in audio, having discovered them before I starting using Audible, but I'm tempted to grab the audio versions just to revisit these wonderful ladies.  Also, Jessie Mihalik is another great follow on twitter!  Can't wait for book 3!

Tamed by the Troll by Tracy Lauren - Once the belle of her village, life took a dark turn for Adelaide upon her parent's death. Plagued by lingering grief, there was not a soul who didn't turn their back on her. They called her angry and spiteful...hell, they called her a monster.
One fateful day Adelaide finds herself alone, lingering on the edge of the perished woods - a cursed and evil place. Without warning, an orc army attacks.
Her village ablaze, Adelaide races into the perished woods, seeking refuge in a place of nightmares. With orcs at her heels, she's desperate to escape. But when the young woman crosses an aging stone bridge in the middle of the cursed forest she's met with an even more fearsome enemy. A troll...one who is determined to save her. Book 1 in the Perished Woods series

This was my second read on Audible!  This is an interesting take on fairy tale creatures and tales in this book and I am totally here for it.  Besides that, this was a great exploration of grief.  I see now that book 2 is out now too, so that will be going on my wishlist.  Also Tracy Lauren has an alien series?  The TBR list never ends....

Wild Blood by Naomi Lucas - Dommik was a monster, a Monster Hunter, and an alpha. Part of an elite group that dealt with the horrors of the universe. At least that was what everyone at the spaceport was whispering as he walked by.
A Cyborg, a hunter, a beast with eyes as dark as the pits of Hell and the stride of a predator. Katalina was a nobody who was intimate with death. It clung to her like a shroud, It followed her like the plague, and infected her like a parasite.
When she overheard that the Monster Hunter needed an assistant, she took the job. And when the Cyborg's eyes caught hers, she knew getting closer to death might just bring her back to life. The Cyborg didn't scare her. So she followed him and left fate up to chance. Book 1 in the Cyborg Shifters series

So...this book actually did make me blush when I tried to explain the premise to my husband.  It's a romance with a cyborg shifter who is part..spider?  It sounds very weird when I try to explain it...but I loved it.  Dommik gives me very Dom vibes and I am here for that.  I also read books 2 & 3, but book 4 doesn't seem to be on Audible from what I remember..but is on my TBR list too.

The Winter King by C. L. Wilson - After three long years of war, starkly handsome Wynter Atrialan will have his vengeance on Summerlea's king by taking one of the man's beautiful, beloved daughters as his bride. But though peace is finally at hand, Wynter's battle with the Ice Heart, the dread power he embraced to avenge his brother's death, rages on.
Khamsin Coruscate, Princess of Summerlea and summoner of Storms, has spent her life exiled to the shadows of her father's palace. Reviled by her father, marriage to Wintercraig's icy king was supposed to be a terrible punishment, but instead offers Kham her first taste of freedom - and her first taste of overwhelming passion.
As fierce, indomitable Wynter weathers even Khamsin's wildest storms, surprising her with a tenderness she never expected, Kham wants more than Wynter's passion - she yearns for his love. But the power of the Ice Heart is growing, dangerous forces are gathering, and a devastating betrayal puts Khamsin and Wynter to the ultimate test. Book 1 in the Mystral series

This was a truly epic fantasy! I loved it! The romance had a lot of ups and downs and will they / won't they that made me verrrry anxious but I was rewarded for making it through.  Book 2, The Sea King is on my radar for 2020!




Wow ok I don't usually write this much of my own opinion and I am feeling verrrry anxious about this, but I hope you've enjoyed hearing about what I enjoyed in 2019.  See you tomorrow with a new list! 

Pirate Novels

Welcome to ARRRRR-gust!

The Catch by Taylor Stevens - With blood on her hands and a soul stained with guilt, Munroe has fled to Djibouti, Africa. There, with no responsibility except a gig at a small maritime security company, Munroe finds stillness--until she's pressured to work as an armed guard on a ship bound for Kenya. On board, Munroe discovers the contract is merely cover for gunrunning; when the ship is invaded off the Somali coast, she fights her way out--dragging the unconscious captain with her.
But nothing about the hijacking is what it seems. The pirates had come for the captain, and continuing their pursuit, they unwittingly raise the killer's instinct Munroe has tried so hard to bury. Wounded and on the run, Vanessa Michael Munroe will use the life of her catch as bait and bartering chip to manipulate every player, and wash her conscience clean.  Book 4 of 5 in the Vanessa Michael Munroe series

Deadmen Walking by Sherrilyn Kenyon - To catch evil, it takes evil. Enter Devyl Bane--an ancient dark warlord returned to the human realm as one of the most notorious pirates in the New World. A man of many secrets, Bane makes a pact with Thorn--an immortal charged with securing the worst creations the ancient gods ever released into our world. Those powers have been imprisoned for eons behind enchanted gates . . . gates that are beginning to buckle. At Thorn's behest, Bane takes command of a crew of Deadmen and, together, they are humanity's last hope to restore the gates and return the damned to their hell realms. But things are never so simple. And one of Bane's biggest problems is the ship they sail upon. For the Sea Witch isn't just a vessel, she's also a woman born of an ancient people he wronged and who in turn wronged him during a centuries long war between their two races--a woman who is also sister to their primary target. Now Marcelina, the Sea Witch, must choose. Either she remains loyal to her evil sister and almost extinct race against Bane and his cause, and watches humanity fall, or she puts faith in an enemy who has already betrayed her. Her people over the totality of humanity--let's hope Bane can sway her favor. Book 1 of 3 in the Dark-Hunter: Deadman's Cross Trilogy

Golden Lion by Wilbur Smith & Giles Kristian - He saw his father executed in battle. He spent his youth avenging that death. And now Henry 'Hal' Courtney is a man with a ship - and a family - of his own.
But fate has not finished with Hal. On a voyage along the eastern shore of Africa, a powerful enemy abducts his wife, the fearless warrior Judith... and with her, Hal's unborn child. For Hal, a man all too familiar with loss, there is only one way forward: He must track his nemesis across desert and ocean, through the slave markets of Zanzibar and the dangerous waters of the coast, in pursuit of the woman he loves, the child he sired, and the glorious destiny that awaits him.  Book 13 of 17 in the Courtney series

Hook's Tale: Being an Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself by John Leonard Pielmeier - A rollicking debut novel from award-winning playwright and screenwriter John Pielmeier reimagines the childhood of the much maligned Captain Hook: his quest for buried treasure, his friendship with Peter Pan, and the story behind the swashbuckling world of Neverland. Long defamed as a vicious pirate, Captain James Cook (a.k.a Hook) was in fact a dazzling wordsmith who left behind a vibrant, wildly entertaining, and entirely truthful memoir. His chronicle offers a counter narrative to the works of J.M. Barrie, a "dour Scotsman" whose spurious accounts got it all wrong. Now, award-winning playwright John Pielmeier is proud to present this crucial historic artifact in its entirety for the first time. Cook's story begins in London, where he lives with his widowed mother. At thirteen, he runs away from home, but is kidnapped and pressed into naval service as an unlikely cabin boy. Soon he discovers a treasure map that leads to a mysterious archipelago called the "Never-Isles" from which there appears to be no escape. In the course of his adventures he meets the pirates Smee and Starkey, falls in love with the enchanting Tiger Lily, adopts an oddly affectionate crocodile, and befriends a charming boy named Peter--who teaches him to fly. He battles monsters, fights in mutinies, swims with mermaids, and eventually learns both the sad and terrible tale of his mother's life and the true story of his father's disappearance. Like Gregory Maguire's Wicked, Hook's Tale offers a radical new version of a classic story, bringing readers into a much richer, darker, and enchanting version of Neverland than ever before. The characters that our hero meets--including the terrible Doctor Uriah Slinque and a little girl named Wendy--lead him to the most difficult decision of his life: whether to submit to the temptation of eternal youth, or to embrace the responsibilities of maturity and the inevitability of his own mortality. His choice, like his story, is not what you might expect. 

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding - Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn't just a nuisance anymore - he's public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down. But Frey knows something they don't. That freighter was rigged to blow, and Frey has been framed to take the fall. If he wants to prove it, he's going to have to catch the real culprit. He must face liars and lovers, dogfights and gunfights, Dukes and daemons. It's going to take all his criminal talents to prove he's not the criminal they think he is ... Book 1 of 4 in the Tale of Ketty Jay

Revenger by Alastair Reynolds - The galaxy has seen great empires rise and fall. Planets have shattered and been remade. Amongst the ruins of alien civilizations, building our own from the rubble, humanity still thrives. And there are vast fortunes to be made, if you know where to find them . . . Captain Rackamore and his crew do. It's their business to find the tiny, enigmatic worlds which have been hidden away, booby-trapped, surrounded with layers of protection - and to crack them open for the ancient relics and barely-remembered technologies inside. But while they ply their risky trade with integrity, not everyone is so scrupulous. Adrana and Fura Ness are the newest members of Rackamore's crew, signed on to save their family from bankruptcy. Only Rackamore has enemies, and there might be more waiting for them in space than adventure and fortune: the fabled and feared Bosa Sennen in particular. Revenger is a science fiction adventure story set in the rubble of our solar system in the dark, distant future - a tale of space pirates, buried treasure and phantom weapons, of unspeakable hazards and single-minded heroism . . . and of vengeance.  Book 1 of 2 in the Revenger series

The Sea King by C. L. Wilson - He wasn't supposed to choose her ... Seafaring prince Dilys Merimydion has been invited to court the three magical princesses of Summerlea. To eradicate the pirates threatening Calberna and to secure the power of the Sea Throne, Dilys vows to return home with a fierce warrior-queen as his bride. But politics has nothing to do with unexpected temptation. She didn't dare wed him ... A weathermage like her sisters, Gabriella Coruscate's gentleness exemplifies the qualities of her season name, Summer. Yet her quiet poise conceals dangerous powers she cannot begin to wield. Better to live without excitement, she reasons, than risk her heart and lose control-until an irresistible Sealord jolts her awake with a thunderclap of raw desire. Until evil threatens everything they hold dear ... When pirates kidnap Summer and her sisters, Dilys is in a desperate quest to save the woman he loves. Only by combining his command of the seas with the unleashed fury of Summer's formidable gifts can they defeat their brutal enemies and claim the most priceless victory of all: true love.   Book 2 of 2 in the Mystral series

The Tears of Dark Water by Corban Addison - Daniel and Vanessa Parker are an American success story. He is a Washington, DC, power broker, and she is a physician with a thriving practice. But behind the gilded façade, their marriage is a shambles, and their teenage son, Quentin, is self-destructing. In desperation, Daniel dusts off a long-delayed dream—a sailing trip around the world. Little does he know, the voyage he hopes will save them may destroy them instead.
Half a world away on the lawless coast of Somalia, Ismail Adan Ibrahim is living a life of crime in violation of everything he was raised to believe—except for the love and loyalty driving him to hijack ships for ransom and plot the rescue of his sister, Yasmin, from the man who murdered their father. There is nothing he will not do to save her, even if it means taking innocent lives.
Paul Derrick is the FBI’s top hostage negotiator. His twin sister, Megan, is a celebrated defense attorney. They have reached the summit of their careers by savvy, grit, and a secret determination to escape the memory of the day their family died. When Paul is dispatched to handle a hostage crisis at sea, he has no idea how far it will take him and Megan into the past—or the chance it will give them to redeem the future.
Across continents and oceans, through storms and civil wars, the paths of these individuals converge in a single, explosive moment. It is a moment that will test them and break them, but it will also leave behind an unexpected glimmer of hope—that out of the ashes of tragedy and misfortune, the seeds of justice and reconciliation can grow. 

The Wicked Ways of Alexander Kidd by Paula Quinn - An innocent stowaway. As the sheltered niece of a Highland chief, Caitrina Grant longs for adventure beyond the lush hills of Scotland. So when a pirate ship glides into the loch, tempting her with promises of exotic lands and hidden treasures, Trina sneaks aboard. But she is unprepared for the consequences-and the seductive captain who demands the ultimate price for her deception... A sinful pirate. For Alexander Kidd, the sea is no place for a lady. Pursued by deadly enemies from every direction, Alex won't rest until he claims the bounty of riches left to him by his father, the notorious Captain Kidd. A stowaway will not be tolerated-no matter how beautiful. But soon fighting his desire for Trina becomes his toughest battle yet, and he will have to make an agonizing choice: sacrifice his quest-or lose the woman who has stolen his heart.  Book 2 of 9 in the Highland Heirs series

Winds of Marque by Bennett R. Coles - In a dense star cluster, the solar winds blow fiercely. The star sailing ship HMSS Daring is running at full sheet with a letter of marque allowing them to capture enemy vessels involved in illegal trading. Sailing under a false flag to protect the ship and its mission, Daring's crew must gather intelligence that will lead them to the pirates' base.
Posing as traders, Daring's dashing second-in-command Liam Blackwood and brilliant quartermaster Amelia Virtue infiltrate shady civilian merchant networks, believing one will lead them to their quarry.
But their mission is threatened from within their own ranks when Daring's enigmatic captain makes a series of questionable choices, and rumblings of discontent start bubbling up from below decks, putting the crew on edge and destroying morale. On top of it all, Liam and Amelia must grapple with their growing feelings for each other.
Facing danger from unexpected quarters that could steer the expedition off course, Blackwood and Virtue must identify the real enemy threat and discover the truth about their commander--and their mission--before Daring falls prey to the very pirates she's meant to be tracking.  Book 1 in the Winds of Marque series

Princess Fiction

Today is Princess Day, a fictional holiday in the Pokemon games...which is just enough of a good reason for me to feature princess fiction.  Enjoy!

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock - In a world of soaring continents and bottomless skies, where a burgeoning new science lifts skyships into the cloud-strewn heights, and ancient blood-borne sorceries cling to a fading glory, Princess Isabelle des Zephyrs is about to be married to a man she has barely heard of, the second son of a dying king in an empire collapsing into civil war. Born without the sorcery that is her birthright but with a perspicacious intellect, Isabelle believes her marriage will stave off disastrous conflict and bring her opportunity and influence.  Book 1 of 2 in the Risen Kingdoms series

And I Darken by Kiersten White - NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who's expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he's made a true friend--and Lada wonders if she's finally found someone worthy of her passion.
But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against--and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.  Book 1 of 3 in the Conqueror's Saga

The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip - Scholar Phelan Cle is researching Bone Plain--which has been studied for the last 500 years, though no one has been able to locate it as a real place. Archaeologist Jonah Cle, Phelan's father, is also hunting through time, piecing history together from forgotten trinkets. His most eager disciple is Princess Beatrice, the king's youngest daughter. When they unearth a disk marked with ancient runes, Beatrice pursues the secrets of a lost language that she suddenly notices all around her, hidden in plain sight. 

Dragonfly by Julia Golding - Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal in order to unite their lands. And he's not too pleased, either. They hate each other on sight. So, when Tashi and Ramil are kidnapped, they fear there's no escape - from their kidnappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure help them or betray them to the enemy?  Book 1 of 2 in the Dragonfly series

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson - Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.
Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations ofHrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.
But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.  Book 1 of 2 in the Elantris series

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows - Wilhelmina has a hundred identities. She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom's capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne. She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace and Melanie's behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable. Wil can't trust anyone. She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina's magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil's magic, she will vanish like all the others.  Book 1 of 2 in the Orphan Queen series

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George - Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all--true love--to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.  Book 1 of 3 in the Princess of the Midnight Ball series

Storm Glass by Jeff Wheeler - Theirs is a world of opposites. The privileged live in sky manors held aloft by a secretive magic known only as the Mysteries. Below, the earthbound poor are forced into factory work to maintain the engine of commerce. Only the wealthy can afford to learn the Mysteries and they use their knowledge to further lock their hold on society. Cettie Pratt is a waif doomed to the world below until an admiral attempts to adopt her. But in her new home in the clouds, not everyone treats her as one of the family. Sera Fitzempress is a princess born into power. She yearns to meet the orphan girl she has heard so much about but her father deems the girl unworthy of his daughter's curiosity. Neither girl feels that she belongs. Each seeks to break free of imposed rules. Now, as Cettie dreams of living above and as Sera is drawn to the world below, they will follow the paths of their own choosing. But both girls will be needed for the coming storm that threatens to overturn both their worlds.  Book 1 of 5 in the Harbinger series

There Before the Chaos by K. B. Wagers - An epic space opera trilogy featuring the gunrunner empress, Hail Bristol, who must navigate alien politics and deadly plots to prevent an interspecies war. The battle for the throne is over. The war for the galaxy is just beginning. Hail Bristol, infamous galactic gunrunner and former runaway princess, never expected to inherit the throne of Indrana. But after avenging the murder of her entire family and cleansing the Empire of usurpers in a bloody civil war, the former outlaw must fulfill her duties to her people. Hail retires her gun and throws herself into the rebuilding of her Empire. Her hard-won peace is short-lived. When Indrana's closest ally asks Hail to intervene in an interstellar military crisis, she embarks on the highest stakes diplomatic mission the Empire has ever faced. Caught between two alien civilizations at each other's throats, she must uncover each side's true intentions before all of humanity becomes collateral damage in a full-blown galactic war.  Book 1 in the Farian War series

The Winter King by C. L. Wilson - After three long years of war, starkly handsome, Wynter Atrialan, will have his vengeance on Summerlea's king by taking one of the man's beautiful, beloved daughters as his bride. But though peace is finally at hand, Wynter's battle with the Ice Heart, the dread power he embraced to avenge his brother's death, rages on. Khamsin Coruscate, Princess of Summerlea and summoner of Storms, has spent her life exiled to the shadows of her father's palace. Reviled by her father, marriage to Wintercraig's icy king is supposed to be a terrible punishment, but instead offers Kham her first taste of freedom--and her first taste of overwhelming passion. As fierce, indomitable Wynter weathers even Khamsin's wildest storms, surprising her with a tenderness she never expected, Kham wants more than Wynter's passion--she yearns for his love. But the power of the Ice Heart is growing, dangerous forces are gathering, and a devastating betrayal puts Khamsin and Wynter to the ultimate test.  Book 1 of 2 in the Mystral series