Blood of the Fae Series by Sarah Chislon

Ladies don’t shame their families. Ladies don’t confront Otherwordly threats.Ladies certainly don’t admit some taint of the fae has touched their souls—unless they wish to find themselves confined to an Institution.Gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell is trying to be a lady. She conceals her true nature amongst her plants and her sketches—where she can almost shut out the whispers she alone hears... moreLadies don’t shame their families. Ladies don’t confront Otherwordly threats.Ladies certainly don’t admit some taint of the fae has touched their souls—unless they wish to find themselves confined to an Institution.Gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell is trying to be a lady. She conceals her true nature amongst her plants and her sketches—where she can almost shut out the whispers she alone hears. But a threat to her beloved aunt forces her from the comfort of home to a town perilously near an Otherworldly Crossing, with its ever-present risk of fae incursions. To protect her aunt and the townsfolk she comes to care for, she must uncover the individual responsible for a series of increasingly dangerous attacks—but to find this saboteur will require embracing the part of herself she fears most, an act that could cost her dearly. In a world where Vigilists lock up fae-touched mortals, Jessa must decide if she’s willing to risk exposing her true nature to obtain the truth and protect those she loves. less

Society, suitors, and…serial murders?As much as she desires to please her family, gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell has no intention of making a suitable match—not when she’s seeking the truth about the taint of the fae that lies within her. If she’s to escape the madness brought on by fae-touch, she must devote her energies to seeking a cure.But then mysterious tattoos begin to appear on the citizens of Avons... moreSociety, suitors, and…serial murders?As much as she desires to please her family, gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell has no intention of making a suitable match—not when she’s seeking the truth about the taint of the fae that lies within her. If she’s to escape the madness brought on by fae-touch, she must devote her energies to seeking a cure.But then mysterious tattoos begin to appear on the citizens of Avons. None recall receiving these harbingers of death, but all die at the hand of an untraceable killer days or weeks after being marked.When the tattoo appears on her beloved mentor, Jessa seeks the Magistry with information on the case—yet they refuse to consider her findings, so she must risk both social censure and her own safety to hunt for the killer herself.Her one possible ally represents her greatest fear—the encroaching Otherworld consuming her mind—and may well undo all her efforts to control her fae-touch. Yet if she forsakes the offered aid, the killer will go free.Something sinister stalks the streets of her city, and she must decide…how far will she go to stop the killing?Tattoo of Crimson, a gaslamp fantasy novel, is the first book in the Blood of the Fae series. If you like quick-minded heroines who solve cases with logic and intuition, beautiful yet deadly fae, and Otherworldly intrigues, then you’ll love this mystery set in a world of manners and mythical monsters. less

Admirers, antiquities, and . . . ancient curses?A curse taints the ruins of Kilmere—or so the locals say—which makes it an unchancy inheritance for herbalist Jessa Caldwell. Worse still, a cruel fae lord in the guise of a gentleman seeks to wrest the crumbling cliffside fortress from her and use its powers for his own ends.But Jessa isn’t one to surrender easily... moreAdmirers, antiquities, and . . . ancient curses?A curse taints the ruins of Kilmere—or so the locals say—which makes it an unchancy inheritance for herbalist Jessa Caldwell. Worse still, a cruel fae lord in the guise of a gentleman seeks to wrest the crumbling cliffside fortress from her and use its powers for his own ends.But Jessa isn’t one to surrender easily. She’s determined to resist the lord’s machinations and protect the legacy left by her mentor, even if that means involving the fae arbiter Riven, an act that could see her permanently locked away—all while evading her family’s expectation that she make a match from their list of favored suitors.Yet she’s not prepared for the depths of fae deceit and cruelty she discovers—nor the reality behind the curse. When the nearby townsfolk begin to succumb to it, suffering slow, excruciating deaths, the authorities seek a mortal poisoner, refusing to consider that these murders could have an Otherworldly origin.To uncover the true killer, Jessa must make forbidden alliances and explore the extent of her own fae-influenced nature. If she fails, countless innocents will die, including those closest to her . . . but if she succeeds, it may cost her everything.In book two of the Blood of the Fae gaslamp fantasy series, Jessa faces her greatest challenge yet—threats concealed within long-abandoned ruins, where secrets about the precarious balance between the Otherworld and her own lay buried. Will she unearth the truth before it’s too late? less

Lies, labyrinths . . . and lost souls? Never bargain with the fae. The society of Byren lives by this rule, but it’s one herbalist Jessa Caldwell has broken time and again. So far, she’s escaped unscathed, but her sister Ainslie—snared in a bargain she can’t recall making—doesn’t share her good fortune. After Ainslie vanishes into the night, Jessa fears the horrors her sister might suffer... moreLies, labyrinths . . . and lost souls? Never bargain with the fae. The society of Byren lives by this rule, but it’s one herbalist Jessa Caldwell has broken time and again. So far, she’s escaped unscathed, but her sister Ainslie—snared in a bargain she can’t recall making—doesn’t share her good fortune. After Ainslie vanishes into the night, Jessa fears the horrors her sister might suffer. She’s witnessed what fae do to mortals—using them as playthings to torment, even transforming them into monsters. No matter the cost, she’s resolved to find her. But she soon learns that Ainslie isn’t the only one missing. All across the kingdom, mortals are disappearing without a trace. With the aid of fae arbiter Riven and kit-isne Jade, Jessa seeks those responsible, but as she does, her actions draw unwelcome attention from all quarters—fae and mortal alike. Even those within her own home mistrust her purposes, and she risks shattering the relationships that mean the most to her.Yet she cannot abandon mortals to the mercies of Other. Her quest for answers takes her through the heart of a labyrinth and into the dangerous midsummer hunt of the fae, where the creature they seek could claim her life as swiftly as the fae will if they ever discover her true purpose.She’ll need everything she’s learned about fae—and her own nature—if she’s to have any chance of surviving the maze of hidden truths and shifting loyalties around her. less

Masquerades, monarchs, and . . . misalliances? All her life, Jessa Caldwell has feared the Vigil—and now they’ve claimed her. Worse yet, they’re not acting alone. Someone directs their every move, someone all too interested in Jessa—and her sisters. Even if she breaks free of her unnatural prison, the Vigil will not so readily relinquish their claim, nor will the unknown fae who hunts her across realms... moreMasquerades, monarchs, and . . . misalliances? All her life, Jessa Caldwell has feared the Vigil—and now they’ve claimed her. Worse yet, they’re not acting alone. Someone directs their every move, someone all too interested in Jessa—and her sisters. Even if she breaks free of her unnatural prison, the Vigil will not so readily relinquish their claim, nor will the unknown fae who hunts her across realms.As she struggles to clear her name, protect her family, and uncover the truth about her past, she soon finds herself in the center of a conflict that threatens both worlds, an age-old menace capable of harming mortal and fae alike. In partnership with fae arbiter Riven and her bonded kit-isne Jade, Jessa strives for a path that will keep endangered innocents safe—no easy task when someone is making her out to be the threat.To have any chance of saving that which she loves, she must forfeit it all for a world of court rivalries, power games, and treacherous bargains, where no one is what they seem. If she can’t discern truth from illusion in time, she’ll lose not only her family, but also her very self. less

Bargains, betrayals, and . . . broken bonds?No one survives the death-hunt—or so Jessa Caldwell learns during her ordeals in the Otherworld. When an unknown enemy sends this ancient evil to end her, only the intervention of fae arbiter Riven keeps her from sharing the fate of its other victims.Yet the destructive force of the hunt leaves Riven fatally injured, and Jessa must determine what she will sacrifice to spare his life... moreBargains, betrayals, and . . . broken bonds?No one survives the death-hunt—or so Jessa Caldwell learns during her ordeals in the Otherworld. When an unknown enemy sends this ancient evil to end her, only the intervention of fae arbiter Riven keeps her from sharing the fate of its other victims.Yet the destructive force of the hunt leaves Riven fatally injured, and Jessa must determine what she will sacrifice to spare his life.Her costly choice plunges her into the heart of court politics and power plays, drawing her further into the coils of those who would use her for their own ends. As circumstances close about her, Jessa accepts a seemingly impossible find the forces responsible for an act that threatens to plunge rival courts into war.Isolated from those she loves and betrayed by tentative allies, Jessa must decide who she’s willing to become and what price she’s willing to pay to uncover the truth. If she fails in her charge, the monarchs will act, shattering the fragile peace between courts—and worlds—once more. less