Tricia Mingerink

If he falls to the lure of the curse, the dance might trap him forever. Alex has survived his first year as high king. The new counsel has improved cooperation between the kingdoms, and peace seems achievable. When the Tuckawassee queen sends him an invitation he can't refuse, Alex must once again face his greatest threat for the sake of peace. Princess Tamya of Tuckawassee, along with her eleven sisters, has danced from sunset until sunrise every night of her life. It is her gift and her curse. When Queen Valinda wishes to use the power their cursed dance gives them to rule all of Tallahatchia, Tamya must decide if she will do what is right even if it betrays her own sister. Daemyn Rand has survived a hundred years' worth of battles. All he wants to do now is safely marry his princess. Will he be forced to choose between the love of his life and the high king he has loyally served for years? They have faced certain death before. This time, they might not make it out alive. Don't miss this re-envisioning of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale.

The glass slippers might be her dreams come true...or her worst nightmare. High King Alexander rules the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia-a divided nation on the brink of yet another war. When an invitation arrives from the king of Pohatomie, Alex knows it must be a trap, but could it also be his opportunity to unite the kingdoms? Daemyn Rand has lived a hundred years, served an arrogant prince, fallen in love with a princess, and lost himself somewhere along the way. He has already died for his loyalty. Will standing at the high king's side cost him his last chance to truly live? Elara Ashen is a lowly, miserable servant. All she wants is to spend even one night in a fancy dress dancing with the high king. When she is offered a pair of glass slippers, it seems that all her dreams have come true. But dreams have a price, and gifts can be curses in disguise. What will it cost to stop this curse from tearing Tallahatchia apart yet again? Fairy tales meet the Appalachian Mountains in this adventurous fantasy retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

Before the war, before the Blades, before the Leader... There was a boy and a scullery maid and a secret shame.One moonlit night of blood and knives destroyed their country and their lives forever. The Leader failed to die, but will he also fail to lead?

A Blade never fails his mission. Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed. Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time. Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades? No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain. Someone will die.

A Blade trusts no one. Martyn is broken. After torturing his best friend, he doesn't belong anywhere in Acktar. No matter how far he runs, he can't lose his guilt. Leith is broken. While healing from the torture he received at Nalgar Castle, he struggles to find his new role. But can a Blade ever outrun his past? The country is broken. Bitterness divides town against town, neighbor against neighbor. What will it take to deliver Acktar from itself? They face their hardest battle yet.Peace.

A traitor to the Blades must die. The war for Acktar has begun. With his betrayal revealed, former Blade Leith Torren flees into the Sheered Rock Hills, pursued by King Respen's vengeful Blades.Left behind at Nalgar Castle, Renna Faythe tries to find her purpose, yet that purpose isn't what she expected.Brandi Faythe has been torn from her sister, and that isn't all right. If Leith can't rescue Renna, Brandi will take matters into her own hands.War demands sacrifice. Courage falters. Who will find the strength to defy King Respen?Acktar rests on one hope: The Leader is ready.

A Blade never betrays his king. Promoted to the top rank among King Respen's assassins, First Blade Leith Torren hides his involvement with the Resistance. How many lies will it take to protect his secret? Renna Faythe has done nothing but survive for the past four years, but now Leith's courage inspires her to try to be something more. If only she could figure out what that duty might be. When the unthinkable happens, faith wavers. Friendships tear. What else will they be forced to deny? But this time, Leith faces his greatest fear. He can't save everyone.

The Adventure Continues. Discover more of The Blades of Acktar in this collection of novellas and short stories. The Blades as They Should've BeenA test and the Gathering of Nobles will decide Leith and Martyn's futures. Can they fight to become more than the Blades they were? Will Keevan accept the man who attempted to kill him as family? The First MissionWhen Martyn visits Surgis, his past seems determined to haunt him. Can he figure out how to forgive, especially when confronted with an enemy in need of his help? To the Far Great MountainsA death sends Leith and Martyn far beyond the borders of Acktar. Will they be able to arrest their quarry before they are caught themselves?This collection also includes the stories Meeting Martyn, A Blizzard for Brandi, Honeymoon Holdup, The Wedding, The Healer and the Clerk, The Perfect Plan, and The Treaty. From the story of how Leith and Martyn met to Ranson's search for a life outside of the Blades, these stories will answer plaguing questions and expand the world of Acktar.

If he falls to the lure of the curse, the dance might trap him forever.Alex has survived his first year as high king. The new counsel has improved cooperation between the kingdoms, and peace seems achievable. When the Tuckawassee queen sends him an invitation he can't refuse, Alex must once again face his greatest threat for the sake of peace.Princess Tamya of Tuckawassee, along with her eleven sisters, has danced from sunset until sunrise every night of her life. It is her gift and her curse. When Queen Valinda wishes to use the power their cursed dance gives them to rule all of Tallahatchia, Tamya must decide if she will do what is right even if it betrays her own sister.Daemyn Rand has survived a hundred years' worth of battles. All he wants to do now is safely marry his princess. Will he be forced to choose between the love of his life and the high king he has loyally served for years?They have faced certain death before. This time, they might not make it out alive.Don't miss this re-envisioning of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale.

The glass slippers might be her dreams come true...or her worst nightmare. High King Alexander rules the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia--a divided nation on the brink of yet another war. When an invitation arrives from the king of Pohatomie, Alex knows it must be a trap, but could it also be his opportunity to unite the kingdoms? Daemyn Rand has lived a hundred years, served an arrogant prince, fallen in love with a princess, and lost himself somewhere along the way. He has already died for his loyalty. Will standing at the high king's side cost him his last chance to truly live? Elara Ashen is a lowly, miserable servant. All she wants is to spend even one night in a fancy dress dancing with the high king. When she is offered a pair of glass slippers, it seems that all her dreams have come true. But dreams have a price, and gifts can be curses in disguise. What will it cost to stop this curse from tearing Tallahatchia apart yet again? Fairy tales meet the Appalachian Mountains in this adventurous fantasy retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

A prince cursed to sleep. A princess destined to wake him. A kingdom determined to stop them. High Prince Alexander has been cursed to a sleep like unto death, a curse that will end the line of the high kings and send the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia into chaos. With his manservant to carry his luggage and his own superior intelligence to aid him, Alex sets off to find one of the Fae and end his curse one way or another. A hundred years later, Princess Rosanna learns she is the princess destined by the Highest King to wake the legendary sleeping prince. With the help of the mysterious Daemyn Rand, can she find the courage to finish the quest as Tallahatchia wavers on the edge of war? One curse connects them. A hundred years separate them. From the rushing rivers of Tallahatchia's mountains to the hall of the Highest King himself, their quests will demand greater sacrifice than either of them could imagine. For readers of adventure, fairy tales, and stirring allegories comes this fresh imagining of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale, the first book in a new YA fantasy series from Tricia Mingerink.

A Blade trusts no one. Martyn is broken. After torturing his best friend, he doesn't belong anywhere in Acktar. No matter how far he runs, he can't lose his guilt. Leith is broken. While healing from the torture he received at Nalgar Castle, he struggles to find his new role. But can a Blade ever outrun his past? The country is broken. Bitterness divides town against town, neighbor against neighbor. What will it take to deliver Acktar from itself? They face their hardest battle yet.

A traitor to the Blades must die. With his betrayal revealed, former Blade Leith Torren flees into the Sheered Rock Hills, pursued by King Respen's vengeful Blades.Left behind at Nalgar Castle, Renna Faythe tries to find her purpose, yet that purpose isn't what she expected.Brandi Faythe has been torn from her sister, and that isn't all right. If Leith can't rescue Renna, Brandi will take matters into her own hands.War demands sacrifice. Courage falters. Who will find the strength to defy King Respen?Acktar rests on one hope: The Leader is ready.