This dark romantasy meets wild west gold rush adventure quest will break your reading slump.

Talia Salaren is a brilliant scholar and obedient eldest daughter with a future decided by everyone but her.

When her life’s work is outlawed, she flees to Gateway, a frontier boomtown where divine magic is clawed from the earth like gold. She joins a charming cult leader and a crew of misfits on a quest to the fallen fae capital.

As they push deeper into godforsaken territory, the myths she was raised to believe begin to fracture—along with the careful version of herself she’s always performed.

The cult leader is wrong. She knows it.

For once, she wants to be wrong too.

If Talia doesn’t choose what she stands for—and who she’s willing to lose—she won’t just have her heart broken. She’ll become someone else’s weapon.

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This slow burn, open-door dark romantasy features ancient languages, fallen gods, frontier cults, monsters and dragons:

• Villain origin story
• Enemies with benefits
  
• Eldest daughter gets dangerous
  
• Forced proximity
  
• Found family & campfire banter