Valdor Series by J.E. Larson

One night can change your life. One decision can change. .. everything. Our world is dying. Every century, the High Fae venture past the magical veil in search of a shifter to compete as the champion in the trials of their Inner Kingdom. Only a shifter who completes the trials can unlock the healing powers of The Heart of Valdor, a magical stone that has the power to save our world. For five hundred years, no shifter has been victorious or returned alive... moreOne night can change your life. One decision can change. .. everything. Our world is dying. Every century, the High Fae venture past the magical veil in search of a shifter to compete as the champion in the trials of their Inner Kingdom. Only a shifter who completes the trials can unlock the healing powers of The Heart of Valdor, a magical stone that has the power to save our world. For five hundred years, no shifter has been victorious or returned alive. The dark magic of the wilt is steadily growing, devouring our world piece by piece with each passing day. The fate of all fae, shifters, and humans is at stake. And somehow. .. this task has fallen to me. Skylar Cathal is a twenty-two-year-old half-human, half-shifter with a curious mind and knack for bending the rules. Gilen Warrick, Skylar’s childhood friend and the next Alpha of the Solace pack, wants more than just her friendship– but fate has a will of its own. When Skylar is marked as the shifter champion, she must overcome her darkest fears to leave her home and those she loves behind. Daxton Aegaeon, High Fae Prince of Silver Meadows, has sworn to protect Skylar as his ward, but only she can protect her heart. A Trial of Fate is the first of a four-book series (Valdor Series). It is an epic fantasy romance that follows a "spitfire" heroine who defies her darkest fears in order to save those she loves. This book will appeal to fans of character-driven adventurous romantasy tails such as Throne of Glass, Blood and Ash, and A Ruin of Roses. less

The trials begin. Skylar arrives in the Inner Kingdom, but the danger of the trials is only half the battle she will have to face. The courts of the High Fae are as treacherous as they are mysterious to a foreign outsider. Skylar will have to navigate obstacles in the trials, along with the politics and mind games of the other fae creatures living in the Inner Kingdom... moreThe trials begin. Skylar arrives in the Inner Kingdom, but the danger of the trials is only half the battle she will have to face. The courts of the High Fae are as treacherous as they are mysterious to a foreign outsider. Skylar will have to navigate obstacles in the trials, along with the politics and mind games of the other fae creatures living in the Inner Kingdom. The ever-watchful Daxton never wavers from his promise to protect Skylar with all he is, alongside his cunning brother Castor and new allies of Crimson City. As the trial of the mind approaches, Skylar readies herself to accomplish what no other shifter has yet to achieve. Will she overcome the odds and succeed in the first trial? Will she be able to unlock the secrets of what lies hidden in the labyrinth and continue to the trial of the body? Only her heart can guide her to victory. This is the second installment of the Valdor four-book series. It follows our Spitfire heroine as she begins the deadly trials to save her world. This fantasy romance will appeal to fans of character-driven adventurous romance tales such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and A Ruin of Roses. Trigger warnings: Sexually explicit scenes, language, "creepy" tunnels/caves/ monsters, A dash of a dark fairytale, violence, torture (off-page, referred to), forced sexual encounters (off-page, referred to, not described). less

Two worlds tied together by one fate. Only one trial remains. Skylar returns to Solace to challenge the current alpha and claim the final key to the Heart of Valdor. However, tensions between humans and shifters run high, and home is no longer the safe haven she remembers. To succeed, Skylar must trust her heart and summon her inner strength. Daxton is once again Queen Minaeve’s captive, haunted by visions, the past, and the fear of losing Skylar forever. His only hope lies in her success... moreTwo worlds tied together by one fate. Only one trial remains. Skylar returns to Solace to challenge the current alpha and claim the final key to the Heart of Valdor. However, tensions between humans and shifters run high, and home is no longer the safe haven she remembers. To succeed, Skylar must trust her heart and summon her inner strength. Daxton is once again Queen Minaeve’s captive, haunted by visions, the past, and the fear of losing Skylar forever. His only hope lies in her success. But time is running out, and the Silver Shadow’s plan is as bold as it is deadly. Will they escape the fallout of what’s to come, or be consumed by it? The Heart of Valdor will ask for what was given before. Be ready. Be willing. less