Amid the chaos of the Great War, two master assassins risk it all for love. Washington DC, 1914. Ivy Olwen knows how to survive on the streets without two coins to rub together. But when she finds herself whisked into a secret society that seeks to maintain the balance of good and evil in the world, she can’t believe there’s more to life than just surviving. In the hallowed and historied halls of Talon, she learns European languages and ballroom dancing, as well as demolitions and sharpshooting—in short, everything a spy and assassin will need to survive in the field. The first day Jack Vale meets Ivy, he knows she is not to be underestimated. The second day, he knows his heart will belong to no one else. Between sparring bouts and constellation gazing, Jack takes Ivy under his wing, and the two form a bond that soon turns to love. While the rest of the world tumbles into war, the two embark on an official mission to take down a madman who has left a trail of blood and murder across Russia. Little do they know the unfathomable peril waiting in the wings of a chaotic Europe. When Jack and Ivy are thrust into encounters each more terrifying than the last, Ivy must determine how far she will go to save the man she loves. Equal parts historical fiction and adventure novel, Ciesielski’s epic tale of espionage and romance will leave readers both enchanted and thrilled. The first book of an epic duology from bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski, The Brilliance of Stars incorporates her signature blend of thrilling adventure, glamorous espionage, and sweeping romance.

The Great War consumes all in its path, but for the assassins at Talon it’s just another day on the job . . . until a new threat rises from the smoke of war-torn Europe to obliterate the world as they know it. After successfully rescuing Phillip from the clutches of the Order of the Rising Moon, Jack Vale and Ivy Olwen are relieved to end their months-long chase across Eastern Europe and recover from their wounds back at Talon headquarters. A happy homecoming, however, is not written in the stars. Ambushed and beaten, Jack disappears into the darkness of night without a trace. Ten years later, Ivy has long accepted her husband as dead, even though she sees echoes of him behind every doorway and in every corner. She single-mindedly focuses on the mission of Talon: to ensure good outweighs the evil in the world. But the fight against darkness has only just begun, and sometimes the enemy you should fear is the one within . . . Completing the epic duology from bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski, To Free the Stars incorporates her signature blend of thrilling adventure, glamorous espionage, and sweeping romance.