Starfall Banners Series by Baert Ochs

Crispin Vale has a gift for connection—and a partner waiting at home. As a Banner-Bearer, Crispin walks between kingdoms, solving problems and collecting magical proof of the lessons love teaches. His partner Gideon understands. Their relationship has rules—the Accord—and one of them is *the road is part of who Crispin is. *. When a cursed prince summons him to Clovercourt, Crispin expects politics... moreCrispin Vale has a gift for connection—and a partner waiting at home. As a Banner-Bearer, Crispin walks between kingdoms, solving problems and collecting magical proof of the lessons love teaches. His partner Gideon understands. Their relationship has rules—the Accord—and one of them is *the road is part of who Crispin is. *. When a cursed prince summons him to Clovercourt, Crispin expects politics. He doesn't expect Prince Alaric sharp-tongued, exhausted, and hiding behind a performance so polished even he's forgotten what's underneath. Alaric can't make promises without the luck-magic exploding. Every vow backfires. Every commitment turns to chaos. He needs someone who can navigate his political summit without him speaking—and someone who might teach him what honesty actually feels like. But the curse isn't just about words. It's about the gap between truth and performance. And breaking it might require something Alaric has never learned to himself. Crestfallen Prince is a high-heat MM romantasy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Explicit heat with consent as seductionA Banner-Bearer who loves deeply and often (with his partner's blessing)A cursed prince learning that vulnerability isn't weaknessFound family, luck-magic chaos, and one very patient goatHFN for the road romance, HEA for the series. This is Book 1 of a 12-book serial. Crispin has a primary partner (Gideon) who he returns to between adventures. Each book features a new romantic connection within an open, negotiated relationship. less

The ritual requires absolute honesty. The magic will punish every lie. Soren Larkspur is an elven envoy with a secret that could shatter his diplomatic mission. The Revelen'aar ceremony requires a consort whose presence can anchor the spell—and whose honesty will be tested by magic that reveals what you hide from yourself. Crispin Vale has always been honest. But the elven truth-magic doesn't just detect lies to others. It exposes the ones you tell yourself... moreThe ritual requires absolute honesty. The magic will punish every lie. Soren Larkspur is an elven envoy with a secret that could shatter his diplomatic mission. The Revelen'aar ceremony requires a consort whose presence can anchor the spell—and whose honesty will be tested by magic that reveals what you hide from yourself. Crispin Vale has always been honest. But the elven truth-magic doesn't just detect lies to others. It exposes the ones you tell yourself. As the ceremony approaches, Crispin realizes the real deception isn't in Soren's political games. It's in everything this elegant, guarded man has been taught to believe about what he deserves. Some truths are spoken. The important ones are lived. Starfall Banners Book 2. HFN for the road romance, HEA for the series. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. less

He was made to guard doors. He's never been allowed to choose which ones he opens. Bastien is a minotaur monk sworn to vows he never consented to take. The lantern he carries burns with compulsion magic—and it's slowly killing the gentle soul underneath. Crispin is summoned to break an impossible curse. But the real trap isn't the magic. It's the belief that obedience and devotion are the same thing... moreHe was made to guard doors. He's never been allowed to choose which ones he opens. Bastien is a minotaur monk sworn to vows he never consented to take. The lantern he carries burns with compulsion magic—and it's slowly killing the gentle soul underneath. Crispin is summoned to break an impossible curse. But the real trap isn't the magic. It's the belief that obedience and devotion are the same thing. In a temple that demands surrender, Crispin must teach a gentle giant that choice is the truest form of worship—even when everything he's been taught says otherwise. The lesson of the Lantern Star: choice over compulsion. Starfall Banners Book 4. HFN for the road romance, HEA for the series. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Non-consensual vows (taken as a child)Religious/monastic controlCompulsion magic (curse)Themes of reclaiming autonomy. less