Nightmarked Series by Kat Ross

For the Shadow is a tight passage, a narrow door, whose painful constriction no one is spared who goes down the deep well . . . After decades of civil war, the Via Sancta has declared victory over humanity’s basest instincts. Anger, hatred and greed are suppressed by intricate Marks on the skin. Wards have tamed the wild psychic magic of the ley. Four of the six cities still stand, and if a few rebel Nightmages haunt the ruins of the other two, the Church has dismissed them as toothless... moreFor the Shadow is a tight passage, a narrow door, whose painful constriction no one is spared who goes down the deep well . . . After decades of civil war, the Via Sancta has declared victory over humanity’s basest instincts. Anger, hatred and greed are suppressed by intricate Marks on the skin. Wards have tamed the wild psychic magic of the ley. Four of the six cities still stand, and if a few rebel Nightmages haunt the ruins of the other two, the Church has dismissed them as toothless. Alexei Bryce is a priest in the storm-wracked southern capital of Novostopol. He hunts deviants whose Marks have inverted, driving them mad. When a prominent doctor violently turns, Alexei stumbles across a conspiracy at the highest levels of the Via Sancta. The trail leads to Kasia Novak, a tarot reader with dangerous secrets of her own. The cards say their fates are intertwined — but only if the threads aren’t snapped short. Now the ley is rising again. A Nightmage has infiltrated the city, bent on finding Kasia. And Alexei discovers that his faith’s victory over the darkest recesses of the human soul is more fragile than he imagined. What is your deepest desire? Money? Power? Revenge? Lust? I’ll give to you. Malach is many things. Corrupter of the pious. Survivor of the Via Sancta’s bloody campaigns. Implacable enemy of all it stands for. He’s primal desire made flesh, and the thing he wants most is a child. Half-bloods are fragile creatures, but if this one survives, it will be monster, a savior — or both. less

Who is the Jack of Wolves? Kasia's cards never lie . . . And all her readings warn of mortal danger. Hunted by the Order of the Black Sun, she flees to a remote manor house in Kvengard. But evil has come to the city. Children are going missing. Ghostly figures haunt the grounds at night. Can she use her newfound powers to discover the truth before it's too late? At the Arx, Alexei is investigating the abductions... moreWho is the Jack of Wolves? Kasia's cards never lie . . . And all her readings warn of mortal danger. Hunted by the Order of the Black Sun, she flees to a remote manor house in Kvengard. But evil has come to the city. Children are going missing. Ghostly figures haunt the grounds at night. Can she use her newfound powers to discover the truth before it's too late? At the Arx, Alexei is investigating the abductions. The case leads him down ever darker paths—and towards both his brother and the woman he yearns for. An ancient text on alchemy holds the keys to solving the mystery, if the Order doesn't find them both first. Meanwhile, the Nightmage Malach promised to help Nikola reach the witches of Dur-Athaara, but letting her go demands that he renounce his selfish nature. A man with one foot in light and the other in deepest shadow, Malach’s choice will have consequences for them all. You'll love Book #2 in the Nightmarked series for its twisty plot, captivating characters and intricate magic. less

Lust is a siren . . . Greed is a dragon . . . But revenge is the most seductive mistress of all. Held captive in Dur-Athaara, Malach would give anything to return to the land he once despised. But the witch-queen has declared him too dangerous to run loose, a prophecy that proves right when he escapes to wreak havoc on a continent already poised at the brink of civil war. Across the sea in the icy fortress of Sinjali’s Lance, Alexei's brother grows more dangerous by the day... moreLust is a siren . . . Greed is a dragon . . . But revenge is the most seductive mistress of all. Held captive in Dur-Athaara, Malach would give anything to return to the land he once despised. But the witch-queen has declared him too dangerous to run loose, a prophecy that proves right when he escapes to wreak havoc on a continent already poised at the brink of civil war. Across the sea in the icy fortress of Sinjali’s Lance, Alexei's brother grows more dangerous by the day. Desperate to find a cure for Mikhail's Nightmark, they return to Nantwich, where Kasia is hunting the Order of the Black Sun. Forbidden to use her power, she walks a razor’s edge. The Red King stalks her dreams. Is she strong enough to resist his seductive whispers? As armies gather, and the Black Sun rises over the Morho Sarpanitum, sworn enemies must join forces to stop an unspeakable evil from devouring the world. You'll love Book #3 in the Nightmarked series because of the complex antiheroes, kick-ass women and immersive world-building. less

Seven keys and seven gates, forged by a god’s rebellious seventh son. They lead to the fabled City of Dawn. But is it a treasure trove… or a gilded prison? Hurled halfway across the world, Malach and Alexei must join forces to stop the body-snatching alchemist Balaur from stealing an elixir of immortality—assuming they don’t end up killing each other first. To complicate matters, Malach discovers he’s the spitting image of a dead angel who caused both the first and second Dark Ages... moreSeven keys and seven gates, forged by a god’s rebellious seventh son. They lead to the fabled City of Dawn. But is it a treasure trove… or a gilded prison? Hurled halfway across the world, Malach and Alexei must join forces to stop the body-snatching alchemist Balaur from stealing an elixir of immortality—assuming they don’t end up killing each other first. To complicate matters, Malach discovers he’s the spitting image of a dead angel who caused both the first and second Dark Ages. Gavriel Morning Star still has a bounty on his head—and the draconic creatures looking for him tend to shoot fire first and ask questions later. Kasia and the witches are hunting Balaur, too. The trail leads to the Masdari capital, where a new Imperator is about to be named. She will have to confront her own worst fears—and master the art of Dreaming—to finally face her nemesis in the liminal realm. less