The Drake Chronicles Series by Lauren Gilley

“It so happened that Oliver’s father was a profligate, a playboy, and an exceptional warrior. He was also not at all married to Oliver’s mother, a washerwoman, who died when Oliver was only six.”Oliver Meacham, bastard nephew of the Duke of Drakewell, and a massive disappointment to his father, has just lost all his male relatives to the war with the invading Sels from the West... more“It so happened that Oliver’s father was a profligate, a playboy, and an exceptional warrior. He was also not at all married to Oliver’s mother, a washerwoman, who died when Oliver was only six.”Oliver Meacham, bastard nephew of the Duke of Drakewell, and a massive disappointment to his father, has just lost all his male relatives to the war with the invading Sels from the West. Without an heir, the duchy of Drakewell stands to fall into enemy hands, unless one of Oliver’s cousins can marry a lord with an army strong enough to defend it – which is how he finds himself escorting his cousin Tessa to the Great Northern Wastes; to the kingdom of Aeretoll, with a hope that Tessa might wed the fearsome warrior king who rules there, Erik Frodeson, in order to protect her people.But the stern, forbidding Erik refuses to marry. He offers his nephew’s hand to Tessa instead. And to Oliver he offers insult, challenge – and the sorts of loaded glances that leave Oliver as flustered as he is furious.Tessa doesn’t relish the prospect of marrying for a political alliance, but she’s ready to fulfill her duty to her family and people – even more so when she realizes that she won’t have to wed the churlish Erik, but his charming nephew, instead. Only…the king has two nephews. And Tessa has a choice to make.The Drake Chronicles is a slow-burn fantasy series, full of court intrigue, adventure, drama, dragons, and passionate romance. Heavily influenced by Viking history and mythology, the series follows the intertwining stories of multiple couples as they fall in love, and fight to save their families, and their kingdoms. less

“Your lordship.” It’s a title Oliver will have to get used to: in just a few short months, he’s gone from the bastard son of a dead duke’s equally-dead brother, plain Oliver Meacham, to Lord Oliver, the royal consort of King Erik of Aeretoll... more“Your lordship.” It’s a title Oliver will have to get used to: in just a few short months, he’s gone from the bastard son of a dead duke’s equally-dead brother, plain Oliver Meacham, to Lord Oliver, the royal consort of King Erik of Aeretoll. Still uncertain of his place amongst the Northerners, but cautiously hopeful that what he’s found with Erik is real and lasting, his new relationship is put to the ultimate test on the journey to the annual Midwinter Festival: a meeting of all the lords and clan chiefs of the North, across the treacherous Northern Wastes. It doesn’t help that he keeps having these visions…of blue light, and antlered shamans…and dragons.Lady Tessa Drake traveled North with her cousin Oliver as escort with the intention of wedding King Erik. But it was Oliver who captured Erik’s heart, and Tessa was instead offered the hand of Erik’s elder nephew, the handsome and kind-hearted Prince Leif. But with Leif away at the festival, and Tessa left behind at Aeres, she finds herself growing closer and closer to Leif’s younger brother, Rune, who’s recovering from a grave injury, and putting butterflies in her stomach.In the South, in the duchy of Drakewell, Tessa’s older sister, Amelia, spends her days scouting for outlaws with her men-at-arms – and her nights in the arms of her oldest and best friend, Malcolm, a guardsman she loves, but can’t marry if she hopes to secure an army to defend her homeland from the invading Sels. Her mother wants her to marry one of Tessa’s foppish former suitors, but Amelia has bigger things to worry about: namely, the strange happenings in the Inglewood, and the claims of “beasts” roaming there.The second installment in the Drake Chronicles is full of action, adventure, steamy romance, danger, necromancy, magic, and, finally, actual live dragons. It’s time for the Drakes of Drakewell to learn of the power that runs in their blood, just in time to save their respective kingdoms. Featuring M/M and M/F pairings, this is an ongoing epic fantasy romance intended for adult audiences. less

Lord Oliver and King Erik’s party survived capture with the help of some unlikely allies, and now hurry back through treacherous mountain paths to the site of the Midwinter Festival, where Northern celebration turned to bloodshed. From Dreki Hörgr, the ancestral seat of the North, the lords of Aeretoll will march back across the kingdom, wounded, exhausted, and waiting for Ragnar’s next strike. All save Oliver, who will take to the skies – with the help of a rather petulant Corpse Lord... moreLord Oliver and King Erik’s party survived capture with the help of some unlikely allies, and now hurry back through treacherous mountain paths to the site of the Midwinter Festival, where Northern celebration turned to bloodshed. From Dreki Hörgr, the ancestral seat of the North, the lords of Aeretoll will march back across the kingdom, wounded, exhausted, and waiting for Ragnar’s next strike. All save Oliver, who will take to the skies – with the help of a rather petulant Corpse Lord. In the city of Aeres, Tessa has made her choice of husband, but a wedding will have to wait because the Sels have set anchor in the harbor, and a siege is imminent. Being a Northern princess, she quickly learns, involves a fair bit of swordplay. In the third installment of the Drake Chronicles, it’s a race for home, a prayer for strength in battle, and the magical truth behind what it means to have the Blood of Wolves. It is part of an ongoing epic fantasy series intended for adult audiences, including M/M and M/F romantic pairings. less

“The blood of the living shall welcome the blood of the dead. I am the keeper of the Fault Lands, and the dead shall keep me.” For generations, the Corpse Lords of the Fault Lands have watched over the fire mountain of Aeretoll, preventing it from erupting and laying waste to the North... more“The blood of the living shall welcome the blood of the dead. I am the keeper of the Fault Lands, and the dead shall keep me.” For generations, the Corpse Lords of the Fault Lands have watched over the fire mountain of Aeretoll, preventing it from erupting and laying waste to the North. Not yet twenty, Náli is a powerful necromancer in service to his king, a talented swordsman known for his razor-sharp insults…and chained to his destiny as Corpse Lord, doomed since birth to lead a short, painful life; forced to beget an heir so that his essential magic can be passed on to the next Corpse Lord. War looms on the horizon, but Náli must return to his homeland, to soothe the mountain, and to finally choose a bride. Painfully in love with his Dead Guard captain, Náli sets out to discover the secrets of his power once and for all – to settle the mountain, spare himself a wedding, and finally seize all that he truly wants. The enemy is lurking, though, and war won’t wait for long. A war in which the heroes of Aeretoll will need the Demon of the Dead on their side. This is the fourth installment of the Drake Chronicles, an epic fantasy romance series intended for adult audiences. Look for the first three books: Heart of Winter, Edge of the Wild, and Blood of Wolves. less

War looms on the horizon for the kingdoms of Aeretoll and Aquitainia, a war they’ll fight together, as the allies begin to plan their cooperative marches through missives sent via falcon. But in Aeres, Náli arrives with news of the he’s met the emperor of Seles, Romanus Tyrsbane, beyond the veil in the Between, and the emperor, it seems, is searching for Oliver... moreWar looms on the horizon for the kingdoms of Aeretoll and Aquitainia, a war they’ll fight together, as the allies begin to plan their cooperative marches through missives sent via falcon. But in Aeres, Náli arrives with news of the he’s met the emperor of Seles, Romanus Tyrsbane, beyond the veil in the Between, and the emperor, it seems, is searching for Oliver. With Náli’s help, the three Drakes must now learn how to go walking between worlds, guarding their minds and their magic from an enemy who can reach out and touch them from afar.Restless in a way he’s never been before, confused by his anger and his new instincts, Leif takes his wolfpack and departs early, traveling quickly and in secret toward the Southern camp in Inglewood. At his side, urging him to let his wolf take charge, is Ragnar. Cousin, war prize, thrall, wearing Leif’s torq, and testing all of Leif’s patience. He knows it’s foolish to trust him, but Leif cleaves to him regardless, distrustful and resentful of everyone who cannot understand the man – the wolf – he’s become.Leading a ragged army of Southerners and woodland outlaws, Amelia spends her days planning their next move, and her nights walking in a world of dreams, visited by a pair of wolves with blue eyes and an irresistible allure. A letter from Oliver forewarned of Leif’s arrival, but nothing could have prepared her for the way her first glimpse of the prince rattles her to the bone.For Oliver, the long march South is full of sword lessons, saddle sores – and clandestine meetings in the Between with the emperor himself. He’s only spying, he reasons, and he can stop anytime he wishes…can’t he?Fortunes of War is the fifth installment of the ongoing high fantasy Drake Chronicles series, which is intended for adult audiences. It is not a standalone, and the series must be read in order. Dragons, shapeshifters, family drama, and romance abound as our heroes march toward a terrifying enemy, at the mercy of the fortunes of war. less