Among the Beasts & Briars

In the kingdom of Aloriya, Cerys is secure.

Here, there is perpetual peace and there are no famines, diseases, or droughts. Since the first king struck a deal with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the realm, things have been this way for hundreds of years. However, the forests became darker, cursed, and off-limits as Aloriya became prosperous. Cerys is all too familiar with this having barely survived when her mother and friends were slain in the woods when she was a little child. Cerys now has a trace amount of the magic—the curse—in her blood, serving as a constant reminder of the day she lost everything. As the daughter of a gardener, the biggest threat she currently faces is the persistent fox that prowls the royal gardens and won't leave her alone.

But as a new queen is crowned, things that have been kept hidden for a long time come crashing down on the realm. With just the tiny fox from the garden, an odd and strong bear, and the magic in her veins as company, Cerys is compelled to flee. She must track down the fabled Lady of the Wilds and implore her to find a means to preserve her home. But the path ahead is more perilous and obscure than she realizes, and when long-buried mysteries are revealed among the forest's teeth and roots, she will need to use every ounce of might merely to survive.