Poisoned Pawn by K. L. Vincent

"A thrilling debut of a new romantasy series that will leave fans as thirsty as the Blodlyst-afflicted for the next installment." — BookLife / Publishers Weekly

2026 BookFest First Place 3x: Fantasy - Action & Adventure, LGBTQ+ - Fantasy, Women's - Fantasy

2026 Best Fantasy Action/Adventure Indies Today Awards

7th Annual Author Shout Book Awards Top Pick Winner

2025 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Winner

Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist 2026

In a tale of loyalty, love, and betrayal, survival is a choice.

After the gods shattered her world, Æri must hunt humans across the treacherous volcanic boglands to appease her queen’s vampiric appetite or face the ominous threat of her realm’s destruction. Her mission, however, takes a disastrous turn when her aircraft crashes. Waylaid by Venator huntsmen, she is hauled off into enemy territory.

Now a prisoner in a brutal realm, she’s forced to serve in gruesome gladiatorial games for the king’s twisted amusement. Each fight chips away at her chances of ever returning home. Through all of this, Æri’s heart is her greatest battleground. She wrestles with her burgeoning feelings for her captor, Rione, the king’s lethal yet enigmatic right hand. Torn between freedom, love, and unraveling the mystery behind her queen’s deadly cravings, Æri stands at a crossroads that will define the fate of all the realms.

With a diverse cast of LGBTQIA+ characters, individuals with disabilities, and women in STEM, Poisoned Pawn is an emotional, high-stakes series opener perfect for readers craving their next can’t-put-it-down romantic fantasy obsession.

Info:

Pages: 434

Language: English

Tropes:

Enemies to Lovers, Different Worlds, Forbidden Love, Feuding Realms, Post-Apocalyptic, Hidden Royalty, Morally Gray Characters, Blood Diseases, Fae, Animal Companions, Forced Proximity, Beauty and the Beast, Slow Burn.

Trigger Warnings:

Triggers involve hand-to-hand combat, battles, violence, poisoning, oppressive language, torture, abduction, addiction, trauma recovery and enslavement. The second book in the Lost Sovereigns series contains open-door scenes; however, it maintains the elements of a slow-burn.

Rating Spice Level from 0-5:

🌶🌶

Audience:

Fans of Sarah J Maas, Rachael Gillig, and Carissa Broadbent

About the Author:

K. L. Vincent is an award-winning author originally from California with a degree in theater design and anthropology from UCLA. She later received a master’s degree in anthropology and occupational therapy in the UK.

Her debut novel, Poisoned Pawn, has won multiple accolades in the indie book awards community.

She is an active Globe Soup member and continues to pen stories whenever possible. As a neurodivergent writer, she infuses her work with a focus on resilience and identity. Both she and her identical twin collaborate and bounce stories off one another. Outside of writing, she practices as an occupational therapist and teaches English. She lives with her partner in crime, baby girl, and orange furball.