Anathema

Banished beyond the dreaded Witch Knell, Maevyth Bronwick stumbles into a cursed realm—and into an immortal assassin sworn to keep her hidden…or kill her. With her blood tied to a sleeping evil and his to a dark prophecy, their fates are bound by secrets, temptation, and a love that could doom them both. From New York Times bestselling author Keri Lake comes a spellbinding gothic dark fantasy. Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods... There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what's taken is never given back. Only those who've lost their senses would dare to go near it. Or the banished. Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that's as dangerous as it is alluring. It's there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he'd sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe. If only he could. Maevyth's blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything. Including himself. Anathema is the first book in The Eating Woods. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance, and a touch of horror.

Born from the blistered hands of sinners, the village of Anathema sits shrouded in fog at the edge of Hallowed Woods, where the trees whisper warnings to stay away. The pious serve The Shepherd, whose laws forbid the enjoyment of earthly pleasures. For Zephyr, the rules have never been a struggle, until she crosses into the woods and meets Charon, the hooded guardian of the village, whose face she's never seen. When a young girl goes missing from Anathema, Zephyr is tasked with finding her, deep within the forest she's forbidden to enter. Together with Charon, she uncovers the truths and lies woven into the village's history, and the darkness that festers at its heart. With the missing girl's fate hanging in the balance, Zephyr must choose between the village she knows, and the man who tempts her to sin.