Courtlight Series by Terah Edun

Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the empire. But beneath her empire’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations. Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion... moreSeventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the empire. But beneath her empire’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations. Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron. But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down. This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with remarkable characters and unforgettable magic. Sworn To Raise is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Michelle Sagara, and Maria Snyder. less

Eighteen-year-old companion trainee Ciardis Weathervane has won the friendship of the royal heir and saved his claim to the throne. Yet her interference in the inheritance rights leaves more harm done than good. The Ameles Forest lies unprotected and its inhabitants are dying. As humans begin to die in gruesome deaths, the Emperor dispatches the royal heir to the forests with the solution to the kith concerns... moreEighteen-year-old companion trainee Ciardis Weathervane has won the friendship of the royal heir and saved his claim to the throne. Yet her interference in the inheritance rights leaves more harm done than good. The Ameles Forest lies unprotected and its inhabitants are dying. As humans begin to die in gruesome deaths, the Emperor dispatches the royal heir to the forests with the solution to the kith concerns. With enemies closing ranks in Sandrin, Ciardis can little afford to leave the city’s nest of vipers to take on a new task. But she’s given no choice when her loyalty to the crown and courts are called into question. To keep the Companions’ Guild happy and the favor of the Imperial Court, Ciardis will be tested in frightening new ways, especially when she’s faced with an obstacle that could risk the lives of her friends and the family she never thought she had. This second novel continues the story of Ciardis Weathervane from Sworn To Raise. less

The latest release in the high fantasy series which has drawn comparisons to Kushiel's Dart, Graceling, and the epic world of Tamora Pierce.Ciardis Weathervane fought for the living dead and won. But worse than taking on a mass murderer, was her discovery that she had been deceived by her friends. Now she needs to not only fight a war in the North and survive, but also decide where she stands in the midst of competing sides... moreThe latest release in the high fantasy series which has drawn comparisons to Kushiel's Dart, Graceling, and the epic world of Tamora Pierce.Ciardis Weathervane fought for the living dead and won. But worse than taking on a mass murderer, was her discovery that she had been deceived by her friends. Now she needs to not only fight a war in the North and survive, but also decide where she stands in the midst of competing sides.A threat to all she holds dear lies in the North and her heart is not the only thing she might lose. A massive army awaits in the mountain pass, surging closer to the gates of the southern lands. Nothing the Algardis army has done so far has dissuaded their march forward and Ciardis finds out that her powers to enhance are needed now more than ever.As she faces her greatest fears on the battlefields and her heart is torn between her love of Sebastian and loyalty to her family, Ciardis must choose her fate carefully. For in her path, lies the destiny of the empire.This third novel continues the story of Ciardis Weathervane from Sworn To Transfer. less

Available Today Ciardis Weathervane returned to the imperial court of Sandrin to unite her foes. But her efforts hit a stumbling block. The imperial kind. She never thought that before rallying an empire, she'd have to fight the emperor himself. An imposter sits the throne and the court she turned to for help is in turmoil. Ciardis hasn't survived assassination attempts, torture and really bad luck to be taken down by her own ruler. So she devises a plan... moreAvailable Today Ciardis Weathervane returned to the imperial court of Sandrin to unite her foes. But her efforts hit a stumbling block. The imperial kind. She never thought that before rallying an empire, she'd have to fight the emperor himself. An imposter sits the throne and the court she turned to for help is in turmoil. Ciardis hasn't survived assassination attempts, torture and really bad luck to be taken down by her own ruler. So she devises a plan. But first she needs to get Sebastian and Thanar to agree. Each seems to love her in their own way. But neither is listening to her. Pushing them to put aside their differences, in an effort to ward off catastrophe, might be harder than displacing an emperor who would do anything to keep his throne. Butting heads at court isn’t Ciardis’s only problem. With the princess heir’s threat looming she is forced to travel to the mythical city of Kifar, where it is up to her small group to stop the destruction of the entire city while heading a rebellion that could foment a revolution. It wouldn't be the first revolution that Algardis has ever known. But with Ciardis Weathervane at its head—it would certainly be the last. This fifth novel continues the story of Ciardis Weathervane from Sworn To Secrecy. less

Ciardis Weathervane is officially engaged to one man and bonded to a second. She should be planning the wedding ceremony, bearding the nobles of the imperial court in their dens, and exposing an imposter emperor. Instead she’s spending her engagement on the lawless road to the western lands. Now with the help of a guide from a tribe of seers, Ciardis is traveling to the ancient city of Kifar... moreCiardis Weathervane is officially engaged to one man and bonded to a second. She should be planning the wedding ceremony, bearding the nobles of the imperial court in their dens, and exposing an imposter emperor. Instead she’s spending her engagement on the lawless road to the western lands. Now with the help of a guide from a tribe of seers, Ciardis is traveling to the ancient city of Kifar. Rumored to hold the only device capable of stopping the blutgott, Ciardis, Sebastian and Thanar must break a half-century’s old quarantine in order to enter the fabled city. But the collar of Diamis is not the only thing they seek. The princess heir’s pet wyvern lurks in wait for them and the emperor, who has done everything short of challenging the new triad of Algardis outright, wants its head on a platter upon their return. If the unscrupulous bandits don’t make short work of them, Ciardis knows that when they return she and Sebastian will have to a face and unmask the man who has stolen the imperial throne. The only question that remains…will that be before or after they’re forced to battle a god? less

Ciardis Weathervane is nothing if not resourceful but she and her friends are running out of time and options. They stand at the westernmost edge of the Algardis Empire with a mission from their emperor – bring home the collar that will stop a god in its tracks or die trying. But nothing is ever that simple. In their way stands thousands of people trapped inside a walled city for half a century... moreCiardis Weathervane is nothing if not resourceful but she and her friends are running out of time and options. They stand at the westernmost edge of the Algardis Empire with a mission from their emperor – bring home the collar that will stop a god in its tracks or die trying. But nothing is ever that simple. In their way stands thousands of people trapped inside a walled city for half a century. With the bodies of the living and the souls of the damned, the denizens of Kifar have become the living undead. What’s worse than confronting the undead? Learning that those poor souls blame the imperial family for their predicament. Now the city and its people want retribution and the only thing they will accept is the sacrifice of the empire’s most famous son – Sebastian Athanos Algardis. He will stand trial for the crimes of his bloodline and it will take more than diplomacy for Ciardis to win his freedom, before a reign of fire comes down from the wyvern and the dragon to burn them all. less

Ciardis Weathervane has one simple rule – win the first fight, then move on to the next. But she’s finding out that the citizens of Sandrin have other plans in mind. When she returns to the imperial capital city, she finds that nothing is as she left it. Only a week has passed and yet chaos reins. Vana Cloudbreaker has been attacked and surprisingly, she did not come out on top... moreCiardis Weathervane has one simple rule – win the first fight, then move on to the next. But she’s finding out that the citizens of Sandrin have other plans in mind. When she returns to the imperial capital city, she finds that nothing is as she left it. Only a week has passed and yet chaos reins. Vana Cloudbreaker has been attacked and surprisingly, she did not come out on top. The woman Ciardis thought was invincible stands a broken shell of what she once was and Ciardis isn’t entirely sure what or who was the cause of the fabled assassin’s derailment. To top it off, the revolutionary party is determined to make itself known, starting with a call for an impostor emperor to vacate his throne. They couldn’t have chosen a worse time to start their revolution. Right when the noble societies at court are ready to throw their support to the prince heir and princess heir-in-waiting against the blutgott itself. Now revolutionaries and courtiers are at odds, but even stranger—the duchess of Carne stands among the revolutionary guard. Ciardis is faced with the predicament of saving an empire and sacrificing a revolution, all while facing down a clock that has run out of the time. The gods are here and there’s nothing that she nor anyone else can do to stop them. less

Ciardis has seen the goddess for what she is — a bloodthirsty deity bent on breaking them before eliminating everyone Ciardis knows and loves. She, the daemoni prince, and Sebastian, the sitting emperor of Algardis, have set a trap. A plan in motion that will unleash a wave of magic across the land in quantities not seen since the Initiate Wars... moreCiardis has seen the goddess for what she is — a bloodthirsty deity bent on breaking them before eliminating everyone Ciardis knows and loves. She, the daemoni prince, and Sebastian, the sitting emperor of Algardis, have set a trap. A plan in motion that will unleash a wave of magic across the land in quantities not seen since the Initiate Wars. Ciardis knows this is their only hope to defeat a god, but she can only pray that she doesn’t do the goddess’s work in the process by inadvertently killing the citizens of the empire that she had vowed to protect. But the battle has begun and she’ll do what she has to protect the people she cares about – her family, her friends, her empire. When all the gods feel free to intervene, you do what you have to make sure that the one which wants to destroy you never makes the same mistake twice. In a battle between an immortal and a mortal, the humans are coming to win. less

Ciardis Weathervane has come to face what she always thought was a myth. A legend. A goddess bent on destruction. But it turns out that while the goddess wants to kill all those she loves and cares for, at least her motivations are pure. Ciardis quickly learns however that the Emperor’s conclave don’t hold to that same ethos. While Ciardis is destined to defeat Amani, she must first navigate the perils of an entrenched court balking against interlopers challenging their very existence... moreCiardis Weathervane has come to face what she always thought was a myth. A legend. A goddess bent on destruction. But it turns out that while the goddess wants to kill all those she loves and cares for, at least her motivations are pure. Ciardis quickly learns however that the Emperor’s conclave don’t hold to that same ethos. While Ciardis is destined to defeat Amani, she must first navigate the perils of an entrenched court balking against interlopers challenging their very existence. The conclave will they take things further than could ever be imagined, forcing the daemoni prince, the Emperor of Algardis, and the Lady Companion to renegotiate the building blocks of their alliance. Ciardis once thought she had everything in the world – two individuals who loved her, a home in a palace, and power unlike any other. But as she learns – nothing is permanent and everything is up for grabs. As Ciardis finds herself surrounded by traitors direct from the Imperial Court themselves, she has to wonder-if she’s fighting to save the empire, who is fighting to save her? less