Screams of Shadows - Sherwood Aspen

You may want to be their hero, but I will sooner make you their villain.

With the barrier destroyed, and the true force of the monsters unleashed, war is looming closer with every sunset. The Verndari find themselves in the centre of the unfolding chaos, as both saviours to their allies and as targets for their enemies.

When a powerful Jarl publicly snubs the King Commander and declares his support to Bryn instead, she becomes a threat to the throne. The King Commander, realizing that not only is his realm at risk, but that his power is slipping through his fingers, makes a point of what he can control - the Verndari. Manipulating them like puppets on strings, Bryn and the Verndari have to confront the fact that they can't always do what is right.

Bryn is unwillingly turned into the figurehead for the King Commander's unjust decisions making her the peoples enemy. But she refuses to be the villain he wants her to be and actively works against his agenda however she can. Realizing the dangerous waters that they are treading, the Verndari are forced to consider the dangers of the King Commander and whether he is the best thing for Drysden.

The Exiled Commanding Family are not ones to wait for someone else to make the first move and are actively recruiting behind the scenes as their forces and supporters rapidly grow. Numbers that the Verndari thought they could count on may no longer be theirs as the impact of the King Commander's actions push what were once allies into the arms of the enemy.

Bryn is forced to find her strength when her body is past its limit; her courage when there is no hope for the future. And she learns that in order to survive a war she has to harden her heart.

Perfect for fans of Laura Thalassa and Amanda Bouchet, Screams of Shadows is the third instalment in the Nightmares of Nightfall series. Darkness consumes the world as romance, court intrigue, and impossible decisions create a thrilling story of high stakes and traitorous secrets.