Stars and Soil

Caitlin had her life perfectly planned out. She and Brenna would travel the world, inherit Peddigree Trading Company, and grow old together.

Until Brenna was murdered.

The land is dying. The poor are protesting. The workers are unionizing. The king is aging, and the prince does nothing to quell the unrest.

None of that matters to Caitlin, whose dreams for the future died with Brenna. But a chance encounter with the spoiled prince makes her his future queen-a decision not everyone is happy with, especially Caitlin.

Beset by bickering dukes and conniving clergy, she must learn to do more than just lie and mislead if she's to survive her new world. She must uncover truths long-buried, secrets kept hidden, and use whatever she can to manipulate those around her.

Can she count on the militant revolutionaries who have promised her freedom from the prince in exchange for information? Can she trust the cryptic priestesses who offer her protection but demand her cooperation? Can she rely on the charming lady-in-waiting who extends a hand of friendship but whose ambitious family wants Caitlin dead?

Caught in a web of deception and conspiracies, Caitlin must determine who is friend and who is foe, or the whole kingdom may be consumed by a threat far more dangerous than a tyrannical king.

Stars and Soil is the first novel in the Scions and Shadows series and is perfect for lovers of fantasy full of court gossip, political intrigue, and shifting alliances. Fans of David Hair's Moontide Quartet and Katherine Addison's The Goblin Emperor will feel right at home in the world of betrayal and backstabbing.

"Don't trust anyone, Lady Caitlin. Not even me. Especially not me. You can have allies here, but this court does not allow you the luxury of friends."

The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest.

But Caitlin does not care-she hasn't cared about anything since that day-the day her world shattered and she lost everything. Then she befriends a rebellion leader and catches the eye of the spoiled prince. These chance encounters could make her the most powerful woman in the realm-the power to rule it as queen, or the power to tear it all down from the inside as a revolutionary spy. Either way, she has to keep the prince's interest and ignore the fluttering of her heart whenever she sees a certain court lady.

But there is much more going on at court than the rebels know about. Darker forces lurk behind the throne, and if Caitlin is to survive with her head still on her shoulders, she will need to learn the ever-changing rules of power.

Caught in a web of deception and conspiracies-militant revolutionaries, cryptic priestesses, and a secretive lady-in-waiting with a ruthless family-Caitlin must unravel the truth of a long-hidden magical prophecy, or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy far more dangerous than a tyrannical king. An enemy that has been plotting in the shadows for centuries.

And it has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon.

Stars and Soil is the first novel in the Scions and Shadows series and is perfect for lovers of fantasy full of court gossip, political intrigue, shifting alliances, deep worldbuilding, and sapphic and disability representation. Fans of David Hair's Moontide Quartet and Tessa Gratton's Queens of Innis Lear will feel right at home in the magical, queer-normative world Ahnlisen and all of its betrayal and backstabbing.

Die as a queen or live as a rebel?

Caitlin Peddigree faces a dire choice: accept a loveless marriage to the crown prince, or die as a traitor to the throne. While Caitlin still grieves the death of her wife, a rebellion simmers in Fayn, the streets filled with cries for the monarchy's fall and the rise of democracy. When Caitlin unwittingly befriends a rebel leader, she believes she may have a way out of her unwanted relationship.

Marrying the prince would protect her family's fortune, but can she also be an informant for the rebellion? Caught in a tangled web of political intrigue and court gossip, Caitlin treads a treacherous path, made more dangerous when a spirited new lady arrives at court and ignites a new fire in Caitlin's heart.

But power in Fayn is ever-shifting. Whispers of magic and long-forgotten gods stir beneath the surface. Religious orders conspire against each other. New nobles scramble for power and old bloodlines seethe with resentment. The rebellion fractures into factions as they bicker over strategy. But underneath it all and unbeknown to most, dark and ancient forces are waiting, watching, and plotting. Surrounded on all sides, Caitlin finds herself a pawn in a deadly game.

But she must decide for herself: remain a prisoner of her circumstances-or reclaim her own life. And she must decide fast, otherwise the flames of revolution may be put out by a force far darker than a tyrannical king.

Stars and Soil is the exciting first novel in the Scions and Shadows series from Dax Murray. A finalist for the 2024 Indie Ink Awards for "Writing the Future We Need: Best Disability Representation by a Disabled Author" and "Writing the Future We Need: Best Gay and Lesbian Representation," Stars and Soil is perfect for those who like their fantasy full of shifting alliances, deep worldbuilding, backstabbing and betrayal, and sapphic and disability representation set in a magical, queer-normative world.

Note: This book contains LGBTQ+ characters who use gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them/their, xie/xir/xirs, and more.