Crown of Shards series

  • · · · · ·

    Jennifer’s book release schedule for 2019 …

    2 Comments

    Greetings! I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Here is my book release schedule for 2019. Please note that some of these dates could change, due to various publishing whims.

    JENNIFER’S TENTATIVE 2019 BOOK RELEASE SCHEDULE

    Spartan Promise — Jan. 15 — Mythos Academy spinoff #2

    Winter’s Web — March 12 — Elemental Assassin #17.5

    Protect the Prince — July 2 — Crown of Shards #2

    I’m also hoping to release Spartan Destiny, Mythos Academy spinoff #3, in late fall 2019, along with Elemental Assassin book #18, but it just depends on my writing deadlines. Those books might get bumped to 2020. We’ll see what happens.

    In case you missed it, here is the cover art for Spartan Promise, Mythos Academy spinoff #2.

    GET THE  EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    GET THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print

    Note: Booksellers and librarians can order print copies of Spartan Promise through IngramSpark.

    ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK:

    There will be an audiobook for Spartan Promise. Unfortunately, I have no idea when it — or the audiobook for Spartan Heart, book #1 — will be released. So if you want to read the book on release day, you will have to get the ebook or print book.

    SPARTAN PROMISE DESCRIPTION:

    Hunting for the bad guys has never been so dangerous . . .

    My name is Rory Forseti, and I attend the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy, a school of warrior kids, powerful artifacts, and mythological monsters.

    I’m a student, a fierce Spartan warrior, and a member of Team Midgard, a group of kids and adults tasked with stopping the evil Reapers of Chaos. There is one Reaper I’m determined to hunt down above all others: Covington, the man who murdered my parents.

    So when the Midgard gets a tip that Covington is going to try to steal a dangerous artifact, I’m ready to fight. But the situation is far more complicated than it seems, and the Reapers aren’t my only enemies.

    I’ll have to use all my Spartan strength and skills to survive this. And even then, it might be my blood that gets spilled . . .

    Note: This series is set in my Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy world. This is a spinoff series, and the new books star Rory Forseti, Gwen’s cousin from Midnight Frost and Killer Frost, books #5 and #6 in the original series. Gwen is NOT the heroine in these books, although she and some of the other characters from the original series make cameo appearances in the spinoff books.

    SPARTAN HEART ON SALE FOR $2.99

    Spartan Heart, Mythos Academy spinoff #1, is on sale for $2.99. So if you have been wanting to check out the series, now is the time:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    Spartan Heart is also available as a print book, although the print version is not on sale:

    Amazon print B&N print

    Booksellers and librarians can order print copies of Spartan Heart through IngramSpark.

    I hope that everyone enjoys getting caught up on Rory’s story. Happy reading!

  • · ·

    Order signed copies of Kill the Queen by Dec. 11 for holiday gifts …

    Several folks have asked me how they can get a signed book for themselves or to give as a holiday present.

    Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, N.C. is offering signed copies of Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1.

    CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY OF KILL THE QUEEN BY DEC. 11.

    Malaprop’s is the ONLY BOOKSTORE offering signed copies of Kill the Queen. The deadline to order is Dec. 11, so get your order in ASAP.

    The thrilling first novel of the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when a member of the royal family becomes a contender in a clash for the crown… 

    In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

    But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

    Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

    But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

    PRE-ORDER SIGNED COPIES OF PROTECT THE PRINCE

    You can also pre-order signed copies of Protect the Prince, book #2 in my Crown of Shards series, through Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe.

    CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY OF PROTECT THE PRINCE.

    Protect the Prince will be released on July 2:

    Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

    Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

    First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

    Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

    But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

    But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

    Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…

    I hope that everyone enjoys the signed copies. Happy shopping and happy holidays!

  • · · ·

    Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1, available now!

    Kill the Queen, book #1 in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy series, has been published today, Oct. 2. Woot! Woot! 🙂

    I’m so excited to finally be able to share the book with readers, I hope that everyone enjoys getting to know Evie and the other characters in Kill the Queen.

    GET THE EBOOK

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play Apple Books Kobo

    GET THE PRINT BOOK

    Amazon print B&N print Books-A-Million IndieBound

    GET THE AUDIOBOOK

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon MP3 CD

    Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, N.C. is offering signed copies of Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1. Malaprop’s is the ONLY BOOKSTORE offering signed copies. 

    ORDER A SIGNED COPY OF KILL THE QUEEN

    Fun fact: Lauren Fortgang, who narrates the audiobooks for my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will also be the narrator for Kill the Queen. I know many of you guys love Lauren’s narration, and I’m excited to hear how she brings Evie and all the other Kill the Queen characters to life. You can get a sneak peak at Lauren’s narration by clicking on the SoundCloud excerpt box below:

    It’s a trilogy: As of right now, there will be three books in my Crown of Shards series. Protect the Prince, book #2, will probably be out in summer 2019. I’ll share more information about that book as it becomes available

    Epic fantasy: I’ve gotten some questions about the book genre. Kill the Queen is adult epic fantasy — NOT YA fantasy.

    There is sex, language, and violence in Kill the Queen, just like there is in my Elemental Assassin series.

    That being said, if you like my YA books, especially my Mythos Academy series, you will probably enjoy this one too. There are some nods to Roman, Norse, and other mythologies in the book, but this is much more of an adult read than my YA series. And like all my other books/series, Kill the Queen features a strong heroine, lots of action/fight scenes, a hint of romance, and magic/worldbuilding, among other things.

    Book description: And here is the book description.

    The thrilling first novel of the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when a member of the royal family becomes a contender in a clash for the crown… 

    In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

    But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

    Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

    But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

    In other words: I’m pitching the book as Gladiator meets Game of Thrones with a kickass heroine.

    PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

    KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen. — Ilona Andrews #1 New York Times bestselling author

    KILL THE QUEEN rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please! — Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

    Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.
    — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles
     
    Read the first chapter: To read the first chapter, go here, scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.
     
    I hope that everyone enjoys the book. Happy reading and listening! 🙂
  • · ·

    Pre-order Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1 …

    Don’t forget to pre-order for Kill the Queen, coming Oct. 2. This is the first book in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy series.

    Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, N.C. is offering signed copies of Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1. Woot!

    CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY OF KILL THE QUEEN

    Malaprop’s is the ONLY BOOKSTORE offering signed copies. Kill the Queen will be out on Oct. 2, so get your pre-order in ASAP.

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play iBooks Kobo

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK

    Amazon print B&N print Books-A-Million IndieBound

    PRE-ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon MP3 CD

    Fun fact: Lauren Fortgang, who narrates the audiobooks for my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will also be the narrator for Kill the Queen. I know many of you guys love Lauren’s narration, and I’m excited to hear how she brings Evie and all the other Kill the Queen characters to life. You can get a sneak peak at Lauren’s narration by clicking on the SoundCloud excerpt box below:

    Epic fantasy: I’ve gotten some questions about the book genre. Kill the Queen is adult epic fantasy — NOT YA fantasy.

    There is sex, language, and violence in Kill the Queen, just like there is in my Elemental Assassin series.

    That being said, if you like my YA books, especially my Mythos Academy series, you will probably enjoy this one too. There are some nods to Roman, Norse, and other mythologies in the book, but this is much more of an adult read than my YA series. And like all my other books/series, Kill the Queen features a strong heroine, lots of action/fight scenes, a hint of romance, and magic/worldbuilding, among other things.

    Book description: And here is the book description.

    The thrilling first novel of the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when a member of the royal family becomes a contender in a clash for the crown… 

    In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

    But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

    Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

    But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

    In other words: I’m pitching the book as Gladiator meets Game of Thrones with a kickass heroine.

    PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

    KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen. — Ilona Andrews #1 New York Times bestselling author

    KILL THE QUEEN rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please! — Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

    Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.
    — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles
     
    Read the first chapter: To read the first chapter, go here, scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.
     
    I hope that everyone enjoys the book when it is released. Happy reading and listening! 🙂
  • · · ·

    Pre-order a signed copy of KILL THE QUEEN from Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe …

    Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, N.C. is offering signed copies of Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1. Woot!

    CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY OF KILL THE QUEEN

    Malaprop’s is the ONLY BOOKSTORE offering signed copies. Kill the Queen will be out on Oct. 2, so get your pre-order in ASAP.

    You can also pre-order the book in ebook and audiobook formats:

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play iBooks Kobo

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK

    Amazon print B&N print Books-A-Million IndieBound

    PRE-ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon MP3 CD

    Fun fact: Lauren Fortgang, who narrates the audiobooks for my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will also be the narrator for Kill the Queen. I know many of you guys love Lauren’s narration, and I’m excited to hear how she brings Evie and all the other Kill the Queen characters to life. You can get a sneak peak at Lauren’s narration by clicking on the SoundCloud excerpt box below:

    Epic fantasy: I’ve gotten some questions about the book genre. Kill the Queen is adult epic fantasy — NOT YA fantasy.

    There is sex, language, and violence in Kill the Queen, just like there is in my Elemental Assassin series.

    That being said, if you like my YA books, especially my Mythos Academy series, you will probably enjoy this one too. There are some nods to Roman, Norse, and other mythologies in the book, but this is much more of an adult read than my YA series. And like all my other books/series, Kill the Queen features a strong heroine, lots of action/fight scenes, a hint of romance, and magic/worldbuilding, among other things.

    Book description: And here is the book description.

    The thrilling first novel of the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when a member of the royal family becomes a contender in a clash for the crown… 

    In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

    But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

    Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

    But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

    In other words: I’m pitching the book as Gladiator meets Game of Thrones with a kickass heroine.

    PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

    KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen. — Ilona Andrews #1 New York Times bestselling author

    KILL THE QUEEN rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please! — Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

    Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.
    — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles
     
    Read the first chapter: To read the first chapter, go here, scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.
     
    I hope that everyone enjoys the book when it is released. Happy reading and listening! 🙂