Ballad of the Pale Lady by Fern Thornvale

She spent her whole life hiding in the shadows; now she will burn in his light.

Galatea's life has always been marked by fear. Being a changeling in a kingdom like Nodiur is a curse. But even in the darkest times, she shared the burden with her twin brother, Gileas. With him, even a life spent in the shadows was more than worth living.

Everything changes when the Queen is murdered.

Mad with grief, King Theoderich hunts for a culprit, and nobody is safe from his wrath; especially not changelings. That's why Gileas abandons his sister, to protect her and chase a future where they can be free. But his life is not a price Galatea is willing to pay.

She needs to find him and bring him home, even if that means travelling across Nodiur with strangers. Even with Corim, elven prince and changeling hunter. Their kinds are fated enemies, but his hazel eyes tell a far more dangerous story, one of pure desire.

With their lives at stake and the King closer each day, Galatea will be left with a choice: risk everything to abandon herself in Corim's embrace, or keep living in the web of lies that always kept her safe.

Info:

Pages: 537

Language: English

Tropes:

Love triangle, fated enemies, found family, reluctant allies, folklore, familiars, hurt/comfort.

Trigger Warnings:

Violence, racism, sexual assault of a main character (mentioned), domestic violence involving a main character, alcohol, animal death, death of a supporting character, mental health issues (anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks), blood and gore, torture of a main character, porcelain dolls.

Rating Spice Level from 0-5:

🌶🌶🌶

Audience:

New adult

About the Author:

Fern Thornvale is an Italian-Peruvian romantasy author and psychology graduate.

She’s a geek who runs on hyper-fixations, tea, and cuddles with her three cats and husband. When she’s not writing, she spends her time playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading, watching series, and playing video-games; not exactly in this order nor one at a time.