The Ancients' Bargain Series by V.T. Hoang

Sirens are known for their beauty and grace. Everything from their lithe figures to their perfectly symmetrical faces to the cadence of their voices is designed to charm. Pleasure of the flesh is how they sustain themselves. So, of course, Detective Carver would be the one siren lucky enough to hate sex... moreSirens are known for their beauty and grace. Everything from their lithe figures to their perfectly symmetrical faces to the cadence of their voices is designed to charm. Pleasure of the flesh is how they sustain themselves. So, of course, Detective Carver would be the one siren lucky enough to hate sex. Ever since his husband died, Carver has resented the defining feature of his race, but when his boss calls in someone to assist with his investigation, he finds himself confronted with a problem he never expected—attraction. Jian is supposed to be just an analyst, buttoned-up and stiff and unassuming. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, he can put on a nice smile and act polite enough, but there's something behind his eyes that's decidedly not professional. That hunger for carnal satisfaction Carver thought long dead starts to come back to life as they work together. And he has to wonder if he's just starving or if this is a craving. less

Her love is lethal. That's an immutable truth Saoirse's had to contend with since she nearly killed the love of her life eighty years ago. Sirens have a biological imperative to empathically bond with their partner. It's supposed to be a soft melding of nervous systems, intertwining two people as one, but people like Saoirse, a khavira, have a genetic defect that make that bond fatal to their partners. Love just isn't possible for her... moreHer love is lethal. That's an immutable truth Saoirse's had to contend with since she nearly killed the love of her life eighty years ago. Sirens have a biological imperative to empathically bond with their partner. It's supposed to be a soft melding of nervous systems, intertwining two people as one, but people like Saoirse, a khavira, have a genetic defect that make that bond fatal to their partners. Love just isn't possible for her. She accepted that a long time ago, distracting herself with her work as an Inquisitor. So she's a bit at a loss of what to do when her boss tells her she'll be escorting her ex to a research station through uninhabited mountains. It takes over a month roundtrip. That's over a month with Iza, the woman who once was Saoirse's entire world. And perhaps worse yet, Iza's going with her husband. less

Most pureblood vampires go blind early in their life, and Minsu is no exception. That hasn't stopped him from living an accomplished life as a diplomat. Following the end of the war between the demonic Pure Clans and vampiric Khrang Bi, Minsu is chosen to participate in a political marriage with Clan Deng. He's expecting a savage and bigoted demon for a wife, but what he gets is a husband who seems too kind for his own good. Liem was selected as a mockery to this union... moreMost pureblood vampires go blind early in their life, and Minsu is no exception. That hasn't stopped him from living an accomplished life as a diplomat. Following the end of the war between the demonic Pure Clans and vampiric Khrang Bi, Minsu is chosen to participate in a political marriage with Clan Deng. He's expecting a savage and bigoted demon for a wife, but what he gets is a husband who seems too kind for his own good. Liem was selected as a mockery to this union. Born female and mixed blood, his family has never accepted him. Minsu finds himself conflicted as he grows to care for Liem. In truth, he wasn't sent to make peace. Who would expect a blind man to be a threat, after all? Minsu’s real directive is to assassinate all of Clan Deng. And that includes his new husband. less

Everyone fears Anh. Quiet falls when she enters a room. Eyes lower in her presence. Even her name is spoken with dread. She is the most severe case of demonic bloodlust in the world, and her reputation was rightly earned in blood and pain. But Eji doesn't treat her like everyone else. He bullies her into eating regularly, makes sure she takes her meds, and keeps her fits of rage contained when she loses control... moreEveryone fears Anh. Quiet falls when she enters a room. Eyes lower in her presence. Even her name is spoken with dread. She is the most severe case of demonic bloodlust in the world, and her reputation was rightly earned in blood and pain. But Eji doesn't treat her like everyone else. He bullies her into eating regularly, makes sure she takes her meds, and keeps her fits of rage contained when she loses control. As her head of security, he's with her constantly—always attentive to her every need. She chooses to ignore how he makes her heart flutter whenever he fusses over her. There's no way she could promise not to seriously injure him in one of her fits, and he deserves a partner who won't hurt him. It seems like fate that Anh is saved one night from a Gar by a Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong. As it so happens, Phuong is a psychologist, and she claims she can help Anh control the demonic drive. There's just one catch: it's going to hurt. less

Love is a curse. Fumi never thought she'd take that phrase literally, but here she is anyway. Two years ago, she was cursed to have love itself be the venom coursing through her. The more she's loved, the faster she'll die. So she burned every bridge she had, abandoned her spouse and their children, which let her squeeze a couple more years of life out. When the Envoy, harbinger of the future, gives her one last job to complete, it requires her to return home—to all the people she loves... moreLove is a curse. Fumi never thought she'd take that phrase literally, but here she is anyway. Two years ago, she was cursed to have love itself be the venom coursing through her. The more she's loved, the faster she'll die. So she burned every bridge she had, abandoned her spouse and their children, which let her squeeze a couple more years of life out. When the Envoy, harbinger of the future, gives her one last job to complete, it requires her to return home—to all the people she loves. She knows it's a death sentence, but the Envoy claims it's the only way to ensure her family's safety in whatever prophesied cataclysm is to come. In truth, however, Fumi's not that afraid to die. All she wants is for her ex, Sanya, and their children to know her love at the end. She just isn't quite sure how to repair her relationships while also doing this job. The Envoy needs her to steal an artifact, and it belongs to the mother of the gods. less

She's the only Ancient who never chose to be someone. Mother of the Gods. She Who Brings the End of All Things. The Professor has lived for millennia, with many names and many faces. Time moves differently for her who experiences past and present synchronously. The two constants in her temporally disjointed existence are her spouses, Damian and Palus. With a great power unleashed upon the world, their lives and the very continuation of this planet have been threatened yet again... moreShe's the only Ancient who never chose to be someone. Mother of the Gods. She Who Brings the End of All Things. The Professor has lived for millennia, with many names and many faces. Time moves differently for her who experiences past and present synchronously. The two constants in her temporally disjointed existence are her spouses, Damian and Palus. With a great power unleashed upon the world, their lives and the very continuation of this planet have been threatened yet again. But the secret to their salvation can't be found in the now. The Professor has to search in her repeating echoes of the past and revisit again the path that led her to this dire present. There's a story, one never told in any book, of how a fae slave and an unwilling warrior stumbled into the lair of the god of death. And together, they saved the world. less