Smoke and Shadow Series by Laura Winter

An assassin, a powerful dagger, and a magic that shouldn’t exist.Shadow magic is extinct. The Veil Worshippers who honor the shadow god’s wall are hunted for their artifacts, including the Veil shards that break off the wall in Valisea.Brela vows to steal it all back. With the dagger of her people and a Veil shard embedded in her collarbone that has infected her with shadow-cursed magic, she is determined to keep her secrets or suffer a fate worse than death... moreAn assassin, a powerful dagger, and a magic that shouldn’t exist.Shadow magic is extinct. The Veil Worshippers who honor the shadow god’s wall are hunted for their artifacts, including the Veil shards that break off the wall in Valisea.Brela vows to steal it all back. With the dagger of her people and a Veil shard embedded in her collarbone that has infected her with shadow-cursed magic, she is determined to keep her secrets or suffer a fate worse than death. That was a lot easier when the uptight and infuriatingly handsome Captain Cason Valkip wasn’t hunting her.Cason has spent his entire life hiding—from the raids on Valisea, from his emotions, and from his multiple gods-blessed magics that everyone is afraid of… everyone except Brela. The chaotic, non-magic wielding assassin who drives him insane is also the only person who has never looked at his tainted magic without any ounce of fear. Which is why being forced to work with her to discover the source of the breaking wall sets his already uncontrollable fire magic ablaze.With tension growing in the remaining kingdoms and mythical beasts threatening her at every turn, Brela’s secrets might not remain hidden for much longer. To survive, she will have to work with the one man who could burn her.Because if shadow hell is released, no one will be safe.For fans of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series, Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, and Shelby Mahurin's Serpent & Dove series. Dive into this epic, enemies to lovers fantasy with magic, found family, and knives. Lots and lots of knives. less

The makings of a Night Terror.Raised in Valisea by the Veil Worshippers, Brela escaped the massacre of her shadow kingdom with more than just a Veil shard embedded in her collarbone. Hiding her supposedly-extinct magic is just one of the skills she’s been forced to learn while living in a kingdom where everyone is her enemy. She is the Night Terror assassin, and she will be feared across the forest.But there is something more underneath the cold assassin... moreThe makings of a Night Terror.Raised in Valisea by the Veil Worshippers, Brela escaped the massacre of her shadow kingdom with more than just a Veil shard embedded in her collarbone. Hiding her supposedly-extinct magic is just one of the skills she’s been forced to learn while living in a kingdom where everyone is her enemy. She is the Night Terror assassin, and she will be feared across the forest.But there is something more underneath the cold assassin. Something deeper than the shadow magic growing inside her. As her guild seeks to control her, Brela searches for more than just answers to her power, and she’ll find it in the most unlikely places… with the most unlikely people.The Bones of Crystal Sand is a collection of six prequel stories following Brela’s adventures from Valisea and Rooke to the Crystal Desert. Discover how Brela came to be the most feared assassin in the forest, while picking up a few strays along the way.Suggested reading order:Book 1: The Curse of Broken ShadowsBook 0: The Bones of Crystal SandBook 2: Coming SoonFor fans of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series, Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, and S.M. Gaither's Shadows and Crowns series.TW: This book contains explicit content and dark elements, including language, violence and torture, mature romantic scenes, and mentions of abuse. less

The Night Terror assassin: betrayed, captured, broken.Brela once believed she would never lose hope in a world hells-bent on her destruction, but now she’s not sure what’s left for her. Trapped in the dungeons of her enemy, she will never give up her people, her friends, her family—no matter what it costs her.Cason Valkip is a changed man, and he’s determined to prove it by rescuing Brela from the clutches of his former king. But the woman he finds is not the same one who was taken... moreThe Night Terror assassin: betrayed, captured, broken.Brela once believed she would never lose hope in a world hells-bent on her destruction, but now she’s not sure what’s left for her. Trapped in the dungeons of her enemy, she will never give up her people, her friends, her family—no matter what it costs her.Cason Valkip is a changed man, and he’s determined to prove it by rescuing Brela from the clutches of his former king. But the woman he finds is not the same one who was taken. Left shattered when the Veil shard is removed from her collarbone, she’s going to need more than just her training to survive. Something has been forged in the darkness within her… something more powerful than anyone could have imagined.Together, the dragon and the shadow wolf might just set the forest on fire.Amidst political games and mysterious magic, Brela’s friends are determined to help her find her people again, even if it means going their separate ways. But old magic is stirring, and it’s going to take more than just the magic-blessed misfits to face the inevitable.The Veil between shadow hell and the kingdoms has fractured, and no one is prepared for what steps through. less

A blade, a bargain, and a curse.Adrienne wants nothing more than to hone her skills in the forge, find an apprenticeship, and save enough to one day study her magic at the shadow temple. She’s worked tirelessly to complete the sword that will be her ticket out of Calcheth and the oppression of Lord Irazin.Until that blade is taken from her... moreA blade, a bargain, and a curse.Adrienne wants nothing more than to hone her skills in the forge, find an apprenticeship, and save enough to one day study her magic at the shadow temple. She’s worked tirelessly to complete the sword that will be her ticket out of Calcheth and the oppression of Lord Irazin.Until that blade is taken from her.Every month, Irazin steals from his people in order to lay an offering to the shadow wolf that stalks their streets, but Adrienne refuses to lose her greatest achievement. Armed with nothing but stubborn determination, she braves the night to steal back her sword.Only to find someone else is there stealing it first.If she wants it back, she’ll have to make a deal. Can she trust this stranger's offer of protection, or will she trade one tyrant for another?A loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, TBOSB is a short romantasy novella featuring a dyslexic, plus-size heroine and despite having some dark elements, ends with a HEA. This is part of the larger Smoke and Shadow world but is not required to understand the series. Also includes deleted and bonus scenes from the previous books.This story was previously published in From The Relics of Legends and Lore. While the plot remains the same, this version contains a consensual romantic scene and additional sub-plots that did not make it into the short story. less

“Where you go, we go. To the ends of this land or the depths of the oceans. Into shadow hell itself.”The vow between three assassins has now become reality as the shadow god’s appearance can only mean one thing: war. Time is running out, Ryia’s power is failing, and what exists beyond the Veil wall might be their only chance of victory.Brela has gone by many titles in her life, and now she must confront the truth of her existence and the harsh expectations that come with her power... more“Where you go, we go. To the ends of this land or the depths of the oceans. Into shadow hell itself.”The vow between three assassins has now become reality as the shadow god’s appearance can only mean one thing: war. Time is running out, Ryia’s power is failing, and what exists beyond the Veil wall might be their only chance of victory.Brela has gone by many titles in her life, and now she must confront the truth of her existence and the harsh expectations that come with her power. The Daughter of Shadowfire has never been more than a pawn for others, but she is a prisoner no more. It is time for her to show the world exactly who she was meant to be.This time, she will not be alone.Cason has avoided this conflict his entire life, but now he finds himself in the midst of war, fighting for the magic and people he once swore to destroy. But he is not the same former captain and son of the famed Anfroidian general, running from his fears and hiding from his magic. He has found a purpose, a safety, and he will do everything he can to make sure his family has a future.With alliances forming and plans in motion, hope is on the horizon, but some costs are too great. Morals, magic, and lives are at stake, and sacrifices must be made. But there is one vow that will carry them to the end, no matter what it may be.“Always together, arm in arm, hand in hand. With blades sharp and chins raised. Always for family.”The Crown of Fractured Darkness is the final book in the Smoke and Shadow series and ends with a HEA/HFN. It is suggested to read The Blade of Severed Bonds for character overlap and minor context, but is not necessary to understand the plot. less