Jennifer Estep

This Spartan makes her own destiny . . . Most kids at the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy know me as Rory Forseti, the daughter of Reaper assassins. Secretly, I'm a member of Team Midgard, a group of students and adults tasked with stopping Covington, the evil leader of the Reapers of Chaos. For me, the mission is a deeply personal one, since Covington is also the man who murdered my parents. When my friends and I get a lead on a powerful artifact that Covington wants to steal, we think we finally have a chance to thwart the Reapers and stop them for good. Team Midgard comes up with a plan, but everything goes sideways, and I'm suddenly in the fight of my life. My worst fears might have come true, but I know what my Spartan destiny is--to save my friends, or die trying . . .

The truth won't set me free--but it will probably get me killed ... As Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, I'm used to having a target on my back. But ever since I started investigating the secret society known as the Circle, that target seems bigger than ever. Still, I'm trying to relax and enjoy the events leading up to my friends' wedding when I learn that an old enemy has returned to Ashland. And that's the just beginning of my latest nightmare. Soon, I have Circle goons watching my every move, but I have no choice but to continue searching for a key piece of evidence against the evil group. The deeper I dig, the more horrifying secrets I uncover, and the more dangerous things become for me and my friends. Just when I think I finally have a handle on things, a shocking revelation shatters my heart and leaves me with an ugly realization--that betrayal is the sharpest sting of all ...

USA TODAY Bestseller! 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. Dark forces are also at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, her immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes Evie wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen. 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…

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 . . .

Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance. 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.

Blood might be thicker than water, but venom is stronger than just about anything ... It was supposed to be a nice, quiet, simple dinner with friends--but nothing is ever nice, quiet, or simple when you're Gin Blanco, the Spider, notorious assassin and current queen of the Ashland underworld. This time around, someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosley, the president of First Trust bank. Lots of people have grudges against Mosley, but the more I investigate, the more Mosley's problems seem to be connected to some of my own, especially when it comes to the Circle, the evil, shadowy group that is secretly responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland. But when another blast from my dark and deadly past as the Spider comes to light, I wonder if I'll be able to survive this dangerous new enemy, who has a burning thirst for revenge that will only be satisfied with one thing: my death.

Blood might be thicker than water, but venom is stronger than just about anything ... It was supposed to be a nice, quiet, simple dinner with friends--but nothing is ever nice, quiet, or simple when you're Gin Blanco, the Spider, notorious assassin and current queen of the Ashland underworld. This time around, someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosley, the president of First Trust bank. Lots of people have grudges against Mosley, but the more I investigate, the more Mosley's problems seem to be connected to some of my own, especially when it comes to the Circle, the evil, shadowy group that is secretly responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland. But when another blast from my dark and deadly past as the Spider comes to light, I wonder if I'll be able to survive this dangerous new enemy, who has a burning thirst for revenge that will only be satisfied with one thing: my death.

New school year, same old problems . . . At Mythos Academy, everyone knows exactly who I am: Rory Forseti, Spartan girl and the daughter of Reapers. Even though I fought alongside my cousin Gwen Frost to save the mythological world from Loki and his evil Reapers of Chaos, I'm still the most hated girl at the academy because of all the horrible things my parents did. I had hoped that this school year would be different, but the other kids just won't let me forget about my parents. But something strange is going on at the Colorado academy. First, I run into a Viking guy who dislikes me more than most. Then I notice some odd artifacts in the Library of Antiquities. And worst of all, I start hearing rumors about a new group of Reapers who can summon mythological monsters. I might be the most hated girl at Mythos Academy, but I'm also the only one who can save it . . .

New school year, same old problems . . . At Mythos Academy, everyone knows exactly who I am: Rory Forseti, Spartan girl and the daughter of Reapers. Even though I fought alongside my cousin Gwen Frost to save the mythological world from Loki and his evil Reapers of Chaos, I'm still the most hated girl at the academy because of all the horrible things my parents did. I had hoped that this school year would be different, but the other kids just won't let me forget about my parents. But something strange is going on at the Colorado academy. First, I run into a Viking guy who dislikes me more than most. Then I notice some odd artifacts in the Library of Antiquities. And worst of all, I start hearing rumors about a new group of Reapers who can summon mythological monsters. I might be the most hated girl at Mythos Academy, but I'm also the only one who can save it . . .

The sixteenth book in the New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series that RT Book Reviews calls, "An extraordinary series... containing] one of the most intriguing heroines in the genre." If you don't know Gin "the Spider" Blanco, you don't know dangerous female heroines. Irony 101--The Spider herself snared in someone else's web... Another week, another few clues trickling in about the Circle, the mysterious group that supposedly runs the city's underworld. Gathering intel on my hidden enemies is a painstaking process, but a more immediate mystery has popped up on my radar: a missing girl. My search for the girl begins on the mean streets of Ashland, but with all the killers and crooks in this city, I'm not holding out much hope that she's still alive. A series of clues leads me down an increasingly dark, dangerous path, and I realize that the missing girl is really just the first thread in this web of evil. As an assassin, I'm used to facing down the worst of the worst, but nothing prepares me for this new, terrifying enemy--one who strikes from the shadows and is determined to make me the next victim.

Which is stronger: blood ties or a battle-tested friendship? In this entry in the New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series, that's the question Gin Blanco asks when a friend's long-lost relative strolls into town. The suspicious reunion is a surprise for everyone--and a big problem for Gin. It's not easy being queen bee of an underworld abuzz with crooks and killers. Wielding my potent Ice and Stone elemental magic will only get me so far--my real secret is my tight-knit makeshift family, a motley crew of cops and criminals, dwarves and playboys. My foster brother Finnegan Lane is my right-hand man, but when his suddenly not-dead relative comes back into the picture, I'm the one on the outside looking in. It's funny how life works: one minute your best friend is rock-steady, and the next he's doe-eyed and buying into this whole loving-relative routine to the point of ignoring you. I'd like to be happy for Finn, I really would. But all of my instincts are telling me that beneath the syrupy sweet demeanor and old-fashioned charm, this sudden interloper is planning something. The whole shtick leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This person might have avoided the grave once, but I'll put anyone who hurts Finn in the ground--for good.