The Crown of Ash and Oaths: A Dark Romantasy of Magical Trials, Enemies to Lovers, and Shadow Magic - Paperback

by Liora M. Valen (Author)

She was meant to die for the crown, not shatter the empire that built it.

In a world where magical trials decide who lives, who rules, and who is sacrificed, Mara is chosen for a fate no one survives. The Trials exist to crown a ruler and consume them in the process, feeding an ancient system that thrives on fear, obedience, and blood. But when Mara refuses to disappear quietly, she breaks more than tradition. She breaks the rules of magic itself.

Bound by force to the one man she hates and fears, a lethal former warden with secrets darker than the Citadel's stone, Mara is dragged into a brutal fantasy romance of survival, power, and betrayal. Their bond creates inescapable forced proximity, igniting a slow-burning, dangerous connection that neither of them can afford. He is a morally gray hero, trained to destroy threats like her. She is the threat the empire never planned for. As enemies are pushed closer together, desire, magic, and violence collide in a high-stakes enemies to lovers fantasy romance where the bond between them feels like destiny. But this is no simple tale of fated mates or bonded mates. Love in this world is not a gift. It is a weapon.

Set against a backdrop of ruthless royal intrigue, forbidden magic, and rising rebellion, this dark romantasy blends shadow magic romance, political tension, and emotional intensity into a story where survival means choosing who you are willing to become.

Perfect for readers who crave epic romantasy, intense fantasy romance, deadly trials, slow-burn passion, and worlds where love and power are equally dangerous.

The crown is broken.

The rules are gone.

And the hunt has only just begun.

Book One of a completed romantasy trilogy. Books Two and Three continue the story.