I am so excited that KINGDOM OF BLOOD & SALT by Alexis Calder is available now and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book,
be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon
GC’s courtesy of Alexis & Rockstar Book Tours.
So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.
Title: KINGDOM OF BLOOD & SALT (Blood & Salt #1)
Author: Alexis
Calder
Pub.
Date: March 30, 2023
Publisher: Illaria
Publishing
Formats: Paperback,
eBook
Pages: 328
Find
it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/KINGDOM-OF-BLOOD-SALT
An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Raven Kennedy, and Sarah J Maas.
After spending years training to defend my people from our enemies, I never expected that my enemy would be the one keeping me alive.
Athos is the last human city. A treaty with the Fae keeps the fae, the vampires, and the wolf shifters at bay, while we fight against the dragons at our border. Being a human in this world is dangerous and we all make sacrifices to survive.
When the delegation sent by the Fae King arrives to claim the human tributes required by our treaty, I never expected to forge a connection with their leader.
Ryvin is as dangerous as he is handsome. I know he’s my enemy, and I know I’m supposed to hate him, but with each passing day, he’s more difficult to resist.
But things are changing in Athos. Humans no longer want to bend to the Fae King.
Alliances blur and centuries of lies begin to unravel.
And I’m faced with a choice.
No matter how much I hate him, Ryvin might be the key to preventing war.
But it may mean sacrificing everything….
Kingdom of Blood and Salt is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy with fae, vampires, and shifters. This enemies to lovers series contains violence, mature language, and spice. This is a NA/adult fantasy romance and steam level will increase as the series progresses. Mind the cliff.
At least I’d only have
to make small talk with one of the delegates, and I could avoid being too close
to Ophelia. Istvan took a seat near the queen, leaving one empty chair between
us. I was grateful he’d chosen to be closer to her than me.
Servants brought out
drinks, then followed with platters of fish and lamb, bowls of rice and
vegetables, and gorgeous towers of figs dripping with honey. My stomach growled
at the sight, and I breathed in the mingling scents.
“Your kingdom is
lovely,” the man sitting next to me said.
I looked over at him,
doing my best to force a smile. “Thank you.”
The man smiled widely,
and I caught sight of two gleaming white fangs. “Not so different from my
home.”
Swallowing down the
initial burst of fear, I forced my gaze to his eyes. They were watery blue. A
faded, unimpressive color. After everything I’d been told about these
creatures, I expected something more. They were said to be beautiful, experts
at seduction. But this man wasn’t any prize. There were plenty of guards in our
armies who were more handsome.
“You don’t seem to be
afraid of me,” he said.
“Should I be?” I asked.
“Most humans are,” he
said.
“And you enjoy being
feared?” I asked.
He smirked. “Fear is
power, princess.”
“Respect is power,” I
countered.
“You are young, but
you’ll learn,” he said.
“Orion, are you trying
to scare our new friend?” A familiar deep voice cut in.
I tensed, knowing my
good luck was up. I looked to my right just as the ambassador pulled out the
chair and sat next to me.
“I thought perhaps
you’d fallen into the sea,” I said.
“Alas, I’m an excellent
swimmer. I was… occupied,” he said, his eyes darting toward one of the servants
in the corner. She caught his eye, then giggled, her face flushing deep
crimson.
My stomach tightened in
what felt an awful lot like jealousy. Gritting my teeth, I sent the thought
away. First Lady Marlette at the party and now servants? With any luck, he’d be
too busy finding women to seduce to have any need for me.
A grim thought struck
me. Perhaps this was how he chose tributes. Or maybe he promised his lovers a
reprieve. “Already making notes for your selection?”
“That wasn’t my
intention,” he said. “I was simply getting to know your household.”
“With a servant, Ryvin?”
Orion wrinkled his nose.
“None of the princesses
were available,” Ryvin said with a shrug.
“Nor will they be,” I
bit out. “You will not touch me or any of my sisters. That applies to all of
you.” I glanced at each man next to me, before turning back to Ryvin. I knew he
was the highest ranking out of their delegation. “You understand me?”
A hand gripped my thigh
and squeezed. “I like your fire,” Orion whispered in my ear.
Before I could push him
away, Ryvin was out of his seat, his chair clattering to the ground. He yanked
Orion from his seat. In a blur of black fabric, Orion was on the ground and
Ryvin’s knee was on the man’s chest. The ambassador held a dagger to the other
man’s throat. “She gave you an order.”
Gasps and the
screeching of chairs over the stone floor surrounded us, but I couldn’t tear my
eyes away from the men on the ground.
“You take the side of a
woman over me?” Orion hissed.
“We are their guests,”
Ryvin said. “If you touch her again, I will remove your head myself.”
My heart thundered in
my chest, and I had to clamp my thighs together to tamp down the rising need.
I’d grown up around the fiercest warriors in our kingdom, but never once had
any of them defended me. Apparently, it was a major turn on.
Blowing out a breath, I
gave myself a moment to enjoy the thrill of seeing a man stand up for me before
reminding myself of who he was. He was still a monster. Just because he stood
up to another monster didn’t change anything.
“Is everything alright,
ambassador?” My father asked.
Ryvin removed his knee,
then tucked his dagger into his boot. He stood, then smoothed out his tunic. “I
apologize, your highness. We aren’t used to human protocols. Sometimes, I
forget myself and a little bit of the beast within breaks free.” He glanced at
me before he turned back to my father. “Please, forgive me.”
A lump rose in my
throat. His words were a reminder of what simmered below that handsome
exterior. I’d wondered if he was human, and it seemed he was giving me a hint.
Or a warning.
“I apologize for my
forwardness, your highness,” Orion said softly. He was standing next to me,
eyes downcast.
Everyone in the room
was staring at me, waiting for me to react. I licked my lips reflexively.
“If you’d like me to
further punish him, I’m happy to oblige,” Ryvin said so quietly I was certain I
was the only one who heard him.
“That’s not necessary.”
I had a feeling if I said the words, Orion’s head would be torn from his body.
I glanced at the man standing to my left. “A misunderstanding”
Orion bowed. “It won’t
happen again; I can assure you.”
“Well, if that’s
settled,” the queen said. “Shall we get back to our meal?”
Orion settled into his
seat, and after a few tense moments of silence, the table erupted into general
chatter.
Sophia caught my eye,
then silently mouthed the words, are you
okay? I nodded, then made myself eat, keeping my attention on my food.
“I will keep my men in
line,” Ryvin said.
“Can you send your men
home?” I countered.
“As soon as our job
here is done,” he said.
“You mean after you
kidnap humans so you can take them to their deaths?” I hadn’t meant to say it,
but the words tumbled out.
“I can assure you; all
the tributes are well cared for and live a far more luxurious life than they’d
have here,” he said.
“If you say so,” I
mumbled.
“I can offer my
personal…”
I stood, not waiting
for him to finish. The table quieted and Ophelia glared at me. I ignored her,
turning my attention to my father. “I’m afraid the excitement has made me
tired. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”
“Of course, darling,”
my father said.
Ryvin stood. “Please,
allow me to escort you safely to your room.”
“Oh, that is not
necessary,” I said.
“I insist,” he smiled,
flashing straight white teeth. No sign of fangs.
My brow furrowed
slightly. What exactly was he if not a vampire? He couldn’t possibly be human,
could he?
It didn’t matter what
he was. He was a threat.
“That’s very kind,
ambassador,” my father said. “Of course, Ara is happy to accept.”
“Shouldn’t I have a
chaperone?” I asked, flashing my most demure smile.
Ophelia laughed. No,
not laughed. Cackled. “I think that ship has sailed, Ara.”
I narrowed my eyes at
her and threw her my nastiest glare.
“I promise, I won’t
bite,” Ryvin said.
Ophelia stopped
laughing. The whole room went so silent I swore I could hear the waves crashing
against the cliffs in the distance. If I wasn’t so tense, I might have
appreciated the way the color drained from Ophelia’s face.
“Shall we, princess?”
Ryvin offered his elbow, and as if driven by something outside myself, I
complied, sliding my arm into his. I could feel the eyes of everyone at dinner
on us as we exited the dining room.
Alexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.
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1 Winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.
Ends April 18th, midnight EST.
