Birthright of Scars Duology Series by Laurisa Brandt

Falling in love with his bounty hunter was never part of the plan. After the Kobalt empire spent decades suppressing Pyron culture, Emperor Cinnabar designed the walled Pyron sector with only one purpose: extermination.Disrel of Tourmal has little left except his sister, but he won’t accept death without a fight. When the state mandates that all Pyrons relocate to the walled sector, Disrel does not hesitate to don a mask and replace the capitol flag with one that proclaims Pyron is free... moreFalling in love with his bounty hunter was never part of the plan. After the Kobalt empire spent decades suppressing Pyron culture, Emperor Cinnabar designed the walled Pyron sector with only one purpose: extermination.Disrel of Tourmal has little left except his sister, but he won’t accept death without a fight. When the state mandates that all Pyrons relocate to the walled sector, Disrel does not hesitate to don a mask and replace the capitol flag with one that proclaims Pyron is free. What he didn’t count on was a simple act of defiance becoming the symbol of an empire-wide revolution. By the time dawn breaks, a sable commander renowned for catching renegades is on his trail, and Disrel is driven into the center of the resistance against the state.Decorated Sable Commander Ambrosia is ready for the challenge of pulling Pyron resistors off Tourmal’s streets. But the layers of unrest in the capitol go deeper than a masked renegade inciting insurrection, locking her in a deadly dance between conviction and duty, comrades and terrorists—one that requires a flawless loyalty to the state to survive. And the unassumingly charming Disrel keeps getting in her way.Disrel and Ambrosia are thrust into each other’s paths—as renegade and sable, as citizens of the empire struggling to survive the upheaval. But as their feelings for each other grow, they’ll have to choose: one love destined to destroy them both, or the fate of an empire? Adult Dark fantasy with trigger warnings for: brief depictions of early stages of genocide, racism, SA, and violence.Sequel also includes: torture, hypodermic needles, and the deaths of children. less

The cost of loving her was always his destiny.Disrel has stolen the keys to the imperial regime’s murder machine, but the Pyron sector continues swallowing innocent human life by the thousands. The outside world is just as eager to devour them, with the military executing Pyrons on sight, arresting any who shelter them, and pitting prisoners against each other in deadly arena games in exchange for pardon... moreThe cost of loving her was always his destiny.Disrel has stolen the keys to the imperial regime’s murder machine, but the Pyron sector continues swallowing innocent human life by the thousands. The outside world is just as eager to devour them, with the military executing Pyrons on sight, arresting any who shelter them, and pitting prisoners against each other in deadly arena games in exchange for pardon.As Disrel wrestles impossible odds to keep himself and his sister free of the walls, his identity as the Tourmaline Renegade becomes increasingly difficult to hide from his enemies and the people he loves most.Sable Commander Ambrosia can no longer deny that the masked renegade she hunts is a hero, and she can’t convince Disrel—or herself—she loves him while leaving thousands of his people to die of starvation behind the Pyron sector walls. As her emperor demands more from her, she is faced with the choice of following orders or damning herself to a traitor’s cross.But as her love for Disrel grows, so does the Tourmaline Renegade’s ability to see all her secrets, making him the most dangerous opponent she has ever faced.As the Pyron people’s situation turns dire, Disrel and Ambrosia must decide if their lives are worth risking for a future neither of them can see, or if the price of freedom requires betrayal, despair, and their blood on each other’s hands. less

The cost of loving her was always his destiny.Disrel has stolen the keys to the imperial regime’s murder machine, but the Pyron sector continues swallowing innocent human life by the thousands. The outside world is just as eager to devour them, with the military executing Pyrons on sight, arresting any who shelter them, and pitting prisoners against each other in deadly arena games in exchange for pardon... moreThe cost of loving her was always his destiny.Disrel has stolen the keys to the imperial regime’s murder machine, but the Pyron sector continues swallowing innocent human life by the thousands. The outside world is just as eager to devour them, with the military executing Pyrons on sight, arresting any who shelter them, and pitting prisoners against each other in deadly arena games in exchange for pardon. As Disrel wrestles impossible odds to keep himself and his sister free of the walls, his identity as the Tourmaline Renegade becomes increasingly difficult to hide from his enemies and the people he loves most. Sable Commander Ambrosia can no longer deny that the masked renegade she hunts is a hero, and she can’t convince Disrel—or herself—she loves him while leaving thousands of his people to die of starvation behind the Pyron sector walls. As her emperor demands more from her, she is faced with the choice of following orders or damning herself to a traitor’s cross. But as her love for Disrel grows, so does the Tourmaline Renegade’s ability to see all her secrets, making him the most dangerous opponent she has ever faced. As the Pyron people’s situation turns dire, Disrel and Ambrosia must decide if their lives are worth risking for a future neither of them can see, or if the price of freedom requires betrayal, despair, and their blood on each other’s hands. less