The Miners Mine Series by Penny Moss

Deep in the mountain where magic and mining coincide, penniless Oliver enlists as a Miner of the Mystics. The dream is unfathomable riches, the risk is injury or even death. A risk worth taking for just a glance at Sentinel Tau, an otherworldly being tasked with protecting the mountain’s inhabitants. Oliver’s luck plummets when he suffers a magical curse. Even a wayward touch could hurt him or his friends, alienating Oliver from everyone but Tau, whose healing magic he needs to survive... moreDeep in the mountain where magic and mining coincide, penniless Oliver enlists as a Miner of the Mystics. The dream is unfathomable riches, the risk is injury or even death. A risk worth taking for just a glance at Sentinel Tau, an otherworldly being tasked with protecting the mountain’s inhabitants. Oliver’s luck plummets when he suffers a magical curse. Even a wayward touch could hurt him or his friends, alienating Oliver from everyone but Tau, whose healing magic he needs to survive. Oliver aches for an echo of his feelings behind the Sentinel’s expressionless mask—and discovers it in unexpected ways. When Oliver and his friends unearth a portal, the rarest artefact of all, he is plunged into a world of nightmares. There, he uncovers the gruesome origins of mining for the transmundane. The truth of what they might have unleashed upon their own world is only the beginning of a harrowing road Oliver stumbles down to be with Tau. A slow-burn dark fantasy m/m romance story. less

In the depths of the Tesera Mine, Oliver’s hope of finding Tau again fades with each passing day. Just as despair consumes him, his Sentinel returns, only a shadow of the mighty being he once was. Oliver swears revenge against those responsible, but there’s no time to plan or savour being reunited, as a deadly mistake forces him and his friends to escape. With no other choice, and a weakened Tau, Oliver traces the steps of his missing teammate to war-torn lands... moreIn the depths of the Tesera Mine, Oliver’s hope of finding Tau again fades with each passing day. Just as despair consumes him, his Sentinel returns, only a shadow of the mighty being he once was. Oliver swears revenge against those responsible, but there’s no time to plan or savour being reunited, as a deadly mistake forces him and his friends to escape. With no other choice, and a weakened Tau, Oliver traces the steps of his missing teammate to war-torn lands. He’s wholly unprepared to discover the toll exacted by mining for magic, and it’s worse than Oliver could have ever imagined. His hunger for revenge becomes a desperate need to put a stop to the atrocities committed, even if it means forming an alliance with an adversary. In a sea teeming with horrors and growing distrust among his friends, Oliver and Tau find solace only in each other’s embrace. less

With Oliver caught in Ondine’s merciless grip, Tau scrambles to find a way to reach him even at his own peril. Oliver’s rescue, however, comes at a terrible cost. Shattered and unwilling to face the world or his friends, Oliver chooses to disappear into the safety of his Sentinel’s arms. Unfortunately, their peace is only a fragile illusion, and the threat of Ondine continues to eclipse their existence... moreWith Oliver caught in Ondine’s merciless grip, Tau scrambles to find a way to reach him even at his own peril. Oliver’s rescue, however, comes at a terrible cost. Shattered and unwilling to face the world or his friends, Oliver chooses to disappear into the safety of his Sentinel’s arms. Unfortunately, their peace is only a fragile illusion, and the threat of Ondine continues to eclipse their existence. Oliver and Tau are left with little choice but to confront the impossible task of ending the life of one who cannot die. As long-buried origins surface and the secrets Tau has kept begin to unfurl, they discover not only a spark of hope, but the possibility of a future where their love can finally breathe. But as Oliver soon learns, not all light is the same, and even the most careful plans can crumble under the weight of betrayal. A plotty m/m monster romance, Miners of the Resilience the third book in the Miners Mine tetralogy. less