Read This: Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven, plus a HUGE giveaway from Penguin Random House!

I discovered Grace Draven last year when I picked up her Romantic Fantasy novel Radiance. If you haven’t read it, GET THEE HASTILY over to Amazon or your library because it is sublime and one of my all time favorites. And while you’re there, you might as well preorder her upcoming release Phoenix Unbound, because it is the epic, thrilling start to her Fallen Empire series.

A Fire Witch, a Gladiator, and a Whole Lot of Fermented Mare’s Milk

Gilene is an extremely rare fire witch, capable of wielding both flame and illusion. Each year, the corrupt and brutal Kraelian Empire demands a woman from each village be sacrificed by fire to appease the gods. And each year, Gilene’s village expects her to disguise herself and go as the sacrifice to the Empire’s capital, as she cannot be harmed by the flames and can use her magic to escape. She’s beaten, starved, and raped each year in the process, but she saves another from death.

This year’s sacrifice is different. She aids Azarion, the Empire’s most notorious gladiator, in escaping the gladiator pits. He shows his gratitude by kidnapping and hauling her hundreds of miles to his homeland. DICK MOVE, BRO. But he desperately needs a fire witch, you see, to reclaim his rightful role as leader of his clan. He promises, cross-his-heart-and-hope-to-die, that he will release her, unsullied, once he’s confirmed as clan leader. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Gilene is NOT COOL WITH THIS PLAN. But you can’t have an enemies-to-lovers trope if the heroine doesn’t hate the hero’s guts at first, am I right? Thankfully they have their mutual hatred of the Empire to bring them together.

This series shows so much promise. Draven has constructed a diverse, detailed world. Much of the book takes place in a setting styled after the fascinating Mongolian culture (hence the above mare’s milk reference, an iconic Mongolian beverage and one profusely imbibed in this book). And Gilene and Azarion’s enemies to friends to lovers transition is gradual and realistic and sweet. You know, after he apologizes for that messy kidnapping business. A blurb for the Fallen Empire series implies that there are two more female leads to be introduced, and that together with Gilene they will use their powers to take down the Empire for good. Bring the pain, witches.

Be Sure To Enter The Six Book Giveaway from Penguin Random House!

To celebrate the launch of The Fallen Empire series, Penguin Random House is doing a giveaway for other first-in-series Romantic Fantasy books, as well as an advanced reading copy of Phoenix Unbound! Other authors include Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, and Anne Bishop. The giveaway runs until September 19th and you can enter here.