In the Veins of the Drowning

Cassidy debuts with this spellbinding romantasy, the first in her Siren Mage series. Monster-hating King Nemea of Seraf wields absolute power over siren Imogen, who is forced to remain in human form or risk being hunted. Nemea commands Imogen to marry Captain Evander but after she accidentally kills Evander before the wedding, her life is imperiled. Enter King Theodore of Varya, who’s visiting Seraf on a diplomatic mission and recognizes Imogen as a siren. She begs Theodore’s assistance in escaping Nemea, and, despite the likelihood that helping her will result in a war between his country and Seraf, he agrees. The pair form a blood bond, sparking a steamy romance—until Imogen discovers that Theodore has a fiancée waiting in Varya. Once there, they’ll be forced to sever their bond. Cassidy dials the tension up to 11 as Nemea declares war on Varya and Theodore struggles to choose between his love for Imogen and his duty to his people. An abrupt cliffhanger ending will frustrate readers—but also leave them clamoring for more. This is un-put-downable. (July)