Crown of War and Shadow - J. R. Ward

nDELUXE EDITION--featuring gorgeous stenciled edges, beautiful case art under the book jacket, a detailed map and designed endpapers! n nAn outcast burdened with a curse and a mercenary who's out for himself collide in this star-crossed, slow-burn, high-stakes romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller J. R. Ward. n nIn the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall. n nWelcome to Kingdoms of the Compass. n nThe Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night. n nNo one is safe. n nEspecially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she's spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive...and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans. n nSorrel has been chosen. Cursed. n nShe must cross the Badlands to return the Queen's crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction. n nWell aware she's no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession. n nThe deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage. n nBut Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn. n nCrown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series. n nCrown of War and Shadow n*Forced proximity/Only one bed n*Chosen mates n*Dark mercenary n*Who did this to you? n*Touch her and die n*I'll die for you n*Hidden magic n nAbsolutely unputdownable. - Jennifer Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling authorn