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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, June 4, 2018

They all should have known better than to test her - Crown of Ruin (Crown of Death #3) by Keary Taylor

" I know that when I read a book by Ms. Taylor, I will: get my heart torn out of my chest, be left in a state of uncertainty, or be afraid to see what’s going to happen next (or all of them) and this latest addition to the series is no exception! [...] This book is the best one I’ve read by Ms. Taylor, and I can’t recommend it highly enough! " - Penny, Goodreads

Description:

Release Date: June 5th, 2018

Logan has returned to Roter Himmel. Once a peaceful haven for the Royals, it is now a kingdom of chaos and distrust. The people may love their queen, but she has never ruled them on her own.

Sevan has seen Cyrus work miracles long ago, and learned his methods herself. His curse has sustained stronger than death before but the visage of Cyrus’ demise is undeniable. Still, Logan refuses to believe this is the end. Cyrus keeps appearing to her in strange dreams, rambling that she must prepare—that the day is coming when night will rule the day.

While the entire world of vampires watches, Logan will take on the weight of the crown, the certainty of impending change, and the threat of war.

They all should have known better than to test her. She’s had multiple lifetimes to prepare for this…

All hail the Queen.

EXCERPT

I want to break. To shatter. I could crumble, a million pieces scattered across the stone floor. 
But there are eyes—so many eyes. Dozens of them, hundreds perhaps. They watch me. They watch their queen. 
I’ve been under their eyes before. I’ve been studied, scrutinized. I know what they are looking for in this moment. 
I can’t crumble. 
Because right now I have to be queen of them all. 
“Get out,” I say evenly as I stare at my husband’s blank face. My stomach turns. My jaw tightens. 
I stand straight. I take one deep breath. I turn to face the masses. 
“I want everyone, and I mean everyone save Alivia, Ian, and Eshan out of this castle. But if anyone tries to leave Roter Himmel, the punishment will be one hundred years tied up in the middle of the desert where the sun never sets.” 
Eyes widen, breaths suck into lungs. 
I see it, they doubt me. If I really am the Queen. If I mean what I say. 
If I were Cyrus, I’d probably kill someone. Drag them out into the sunlight outside, watch them scream, watch them cry in agony. I would probably tear someone’s skin off, inch by inch, while everyone watched, to show them how deadly serious I am. 
But I am not Cyrus. 
I am Sevan. 
“Do you all understand me?” I ask quietly. 
No one speaks. They only watch me with wary eyes. 
“Do you understand your Queen?” I bellow. 
Some take a step back. Eyes widen. Others narrow at me. 

“Do you understand if you leave our city you will regret it for the next 36,500 days?” I threaten with an angry tremor in my voice. “Do you understand if anyone tries to travel on silent and dark feet, I will know?” 

While the majority nod their heads solemnly—most know better than to defy me, others doubt. 
I make a mental note of each of them. 

Of their own accord, my eyes drift, studying each of those that surround me. The shock of Eshan. The horror of Alivia. And the bitter anger of Ian. 
My eyes shift from him to those who look at me with doubt. And I look back to Ian. 
He looks over at them as well, and I know he gets my silent communication: take note of the doubters. 
We may not like one another, maybe we never will, but I know in this, we speak the same language when it comes to being distrustful and suspicious of others and their motives. 

Looking back at those who weren’t smart enough to take me seriously, I know that some will die. 
And I don’t care. 
Emotion wells in my eyes. Tears threaten to slip down my face. 
But I hold them in. 
I’ll burn every one of them to the ground if it means avenging Cyrus. 
“Leave,” I let the word quietly slip over my lips.

About the author:
Keary Taylor is the USA TODAY bestselling author of over twenty novels. She grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now splits her time between a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest and Utah, with her husband and their two children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night.

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