Series Unfinished (Not Read)

In the far future, one young woman finds herself torn between two loves—and two sides of a rebellion boiling under the surface—in the first novel of a sweeping dystopian romance trilogy. Centuries after a catastrophic world war nearly decimated the human population, a city arose from the ashes, ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum. At twenty-seven, Emeline lives in limbo, wasting away her days in a job sorting ancient human art for destruction and waiting to be selected as a Mate for a procreation contract. Where others look forward to being chosen, Emeline has never felt like she fit into a society where a person’s worth is determined by constantly monitored genes, health, and the ability to procreate. She’s struggled to keep her discomfort secret, but when she is finally chosen, her Mate is revealed to be a member of the Illum named Collin, a man who seems to be harboring secrets of his own. It is the first time an Illum has taken a Mate in decades, leaving Emeline—and others—baffled as to why she was chosen. Soon, she is swept into the dangerous game of Courting, filled with ballgowns, lavish dinners, and watchful eyes, where one wrong move can mean elimination. While parts of this elite lifestyle are unexpectedly appealing, the more embroiled she becomes, the more she sees its dark underbelly—and a rebellion rising in secret. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders. As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them.

The wrong ally is deadlier than an enemy. In the Civilized World, everyone is rich, yet money doesn’t buy safety. It only buys a gold coffin. The real currency is having the right allies. Low-citizens survive by joining high-citizens’ exclusive inner circles, trading loyalty for protection from laws that govern speech, dress, and posture—and punish mistakes with public beheading. Low-citizen Loredana Waldsten already knows the cost of breaking the rules. Once a rising fencing prodigy, she lost the right to carry weapons after killing a high-citizen in a brutal locker-room attack. The courts erased his death to preserve his family’s honor. Now she’s unarmed, legally defenseless, and enrolled at the elite Grandmaster University, where champagne spills into the gutters and reputations are built on death duels. When Loredana’s father, a low-citizen politician, publicly challenges the high-citizens, she becomes a target. Some classmates demand her execution. Others hunt her for sport. And by law, she’s forbidden to fight back. Her only chance of survival lies with Edmund Prew, a charming yet ruthless high-citizen student she’s been warned against. Edmund's family has been locked in a bitter feud with Loredana’s for years, and he wants nothing to do with her until a lost bet forces him to protect her within his inner circle. What begins as a scandalous, strategic alliance turns perilous as they fall for each other. Because the man Loredana killed wasn’t just a high-citizen. He was Edmund’s cousin. Loving Edmund means living a lie. Telling the truth means certain death.

Präsentiert von Penguin. Was würdest du für dein dunkelstes Geheimnis eintauschen? Ein Händler, der mit Geständnissen handelt, der Heilige der Stille, tauscht Münzen gegen jede schmutzige Enthüllung, die ihm anvertraut wird. Je schlimmer das Geheimnis, desto höher der Preis. Die Bedürftigen strömen zu ihm, um ihm ihre beschämenden Geheimnisse zuzuflüstern, kehren jedoch als Schatten ihrer selbst zurück. Es gehen Gerüchte um, dass er Lügen schmecken kann – und dass er brutal mit denen verfährt, die es wagen, ihm eine zu erzählen. Leena kann die Toten sehen. Sie verfolgen sie, seit sie siebzehn ist, doch sie hält diesen Teil von sich verborgen. Bis ihr Bruder erkrankt und sie sich die Medikamente, die ihn retten könnten, nicht leisten kann. Verzweifelt sucht sie den Heiligen auf. Ein Fehler. Ohne Leenas Wissen sucht der Heilige der Stille ebenfalls nach jemandem – einem toten Adligen. Um ihren Bruder zu retten, muss Leena einen Pakt schließen und für St. Silas arbeiten, um den Geist zu finden, nach dem er sucht. Schon bald führt ihre Reise sie nach Weavingshaw, einem unheimlichen Anwesen in den Mooren, das zugleich lebendig und verflucht zu sein scheint. Dort erkennen sie, dass sie von einer geheimnisvollen Gruppe von Aristokraten gejagt werden, die nur als die Wake bekannt sind und vor nichts zurückschrecken werden, um das Geheimnis des Geistes zuerst ans Licht zu bringen. Während Leena St. Silas näherkommt und immer tiefer in seine Welt aus Gefahr, Täuschung und Verlangen eintaucht, erfährt sie, dass er seine eigenen Geheimnisse verbirgt – Geheimnisse, die die Macht haben, sie alle zu zerstören. Heba Al-Wasity 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

To protect her homeland, one queen must fight her people’s historic enemy―once and for all. Abbakka Chowta never expected to be queen. The youngest of Ullal’s two rajkumaris, Abbakka has spent years in rigorous combat training to become her sister’s blade. But when the monstrous Porcugi attempt to lay claim to Ullal, Abbakka’s world―and fate―are upended. The Porcugi―giant half-men, half-snakes who attack from the sea―haven’t been seen in Ullal since their failed invasion more than fifty years ago. But now, they’re back with vengeance and a choice: pay their tithes or suffer total devastation. Soon, Abbakka’s definitions of strength, subterfuge, and statecraft are put to the test. Will marriage to a neighboring king give her the resources she needs to protect her people . . . or will she watch her homeland be crushed beneath the waves of would-be colonizers? A lush historical fantasy that reimagines the Portuguese attacks on South India in the 1500s and the fierce real-life queen’s story, Burn the Sea is an electrifying exaltation of female power and the value of freedom.