Marian L Thorpe

The sixth title in the Empire's Legacy series returns the action to Casil, the capital city of the Empire of the East. Gwenna, heir to sparias, is summoned by the Empress of Casil to compete for the hand of her son. Offered power and influence far beyond what her own small land can give her, Gwenna's strategy seems clear - except she loves someone else.Nineteen years earlier, the Empress outplayed Cillian in diplomacy and intrigue. Alone, his only living daughter has little chance to counter the Empress's experience and skill. Aging and torn by grief and worry, Cillian insists on accompanying Gwenna to Casil.Risking a charge of treason, faced with a choice he does not want to make, Cillian must convince Gwenna her future is more important than his - while Gwenna plans her moves to keep her father safe. Both are playing a dangerous game. Which one will concede - or sacrifice?

Book 1 of Empire's Legacy, Silver Medal, Historical Fantasy Book of the Year 2019(Box Set), Coffee Pot Book Club Awards'Fans of Guy Gavriel Kay will love Thorpe's work.' Anya Pavelle, author of The Moon Hunters.Once there was an Eastern Empire of grandeur and beauty and learning. Then it disappeared, leaving only snatches of story and faint memories in a little sea-bordered land far to the west, where invasion from both north and south now threatens. Could the Eastern Empire still exist - and if it does, if it can be found, will it come to the aid of its long-forgotten province? In the first book of the award-winning Empire's Legacy trilogy, Leste, an island nation, grows short of food. Raiding a nearby land, rich in grain and livestock, while its army is occupied on its northern frontier, will be simple and quick. But they haven't counted on spies among them.Lena, a young fisherwoman, is inspired by her Emperor's message: to defend their land against this invasion, women must learn to fight. Answering his call separates Lena from her lover, the first sacrifice in what becomes a deadly battle for her land, not just with Leste, but with unexpected enemies from within. Caught up in the intrigues of the Emperor, watching the world she has known since childhood change irretrievably, can Lena reconcile the village girl she was with the soldier she has become?

Historical Fantasy Book of the Year 2019: Gold Medal Winner, Coffee Pot Book ClubWhat price would you pay to save your land? Lena is exiled for treason, along with a man she barely knows - or likes. The need to survive builds a fragile trust, then a closer friendship, until violence shatters their peace. When news of brutal and devastating war in both their homelands reaches them, they join the search for the lost Empire of the East, their last hope for support. Only the small chance that legend is truth can save their countries, but this quest may cost Lena everything - and everyone - she loves.

How do you trust an adversary who's your only hope? After eighteen months of war, Lena's Emperor asks her to stand as hostage to a truce. Sent north of the Wall to live among people who were the enemy only days before, Lena learns the secret reason behind their invasion of her land - and challenging their leader over it may prove to be her worst decision yet. Far more than the success of a truce is now in Lena's hands, but in a place she neither knows nor understands, she needs help. But how do you convince someone who hates you and everything you stand for to work together to save both your lands?