Helen’s Books and Works In Progress
A War of Fractured Souls (on sub)
Mulan meets Hannah Kaner’s GODKILLER in A WAR OF FRACTURED SOULS, an adult romantic fantasy, complete at 115k words, the first book of a proposed trilogy.
Twenty-five-year-old Sascha Willard would do anything to keep her family together in the midst of a protracted war. When all military age-males are conscripted to serve at the behest of the crown, Sascha makes a drunken bargain with Zafira, the Goddess of Death to ensure their protection and flees their hometown, joining the army in place of her younger brother, but for a price—kill the king. As Sascha is honed into a tool of the crown, her training is derailed by the interference of gods’ blessed humans and a secret society—the New Age—who may have motivations of their own, but are united in one cause: to deter her kingdom's victory. As Sascha struggles to survive—and maintain her disguise—with her handsome commanding officer tugging at her heartstrings, proof of her king’s villainous plans come to light, and, the even more nefarious machinations of her deal with Zafira: that she, like the other gods’ blessed humans, will perish if they do not fulfill the terms of their deals struck with the gods. Sascha, with the help of one of Zafira’s defected minions, must risk everything—even her allegiances—for her freedom, her life, and peace.
Notable elements, tropes, tags: Magic that exacts a toll, manipulative gods, high stakes, Lovers-to-Enemies, Only One Bed
An Affinity of Stars (edits)
Freya Marske’s A MARVELLOUS LIGHT meets V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series and T. Kingfisher’s SWORDHEART in AN AFFINITY OF STARS, a dual-POV New Adult Fantasy Romance complete at 114k words, with potential for an optional sequel
In a world where magic is rare, people (the Many) are categorized into two groups: the Magical Few, and the Without. The Magical Few are welcomed into a royally subsidized organization—The Order of Mages—that molds its members to serve the crown, and its interests, above all. But for all that the Order provides, it takes in equal measure, and Lorcan, the unofficial ‘shining star’ of his generation, feels this pressure more than anyone else. When Lorcan’s mentor, Dion, is on the cusp of creating an invention that supposedly gives any person, Magicked or Without, the power to access magic at the wearer's fingertips, her negligence causes the death of three mages—one of which is Lorcan’s best friend. Years later, after Lorcan has left the Order, and Dion long-since imprisoned for her crimes, the king entreats Lorcan’s help. Dion has escaped prison and trapped one of her inventions—a ring—on his son, Henry. They hope, with Lorcan’s knowledge of Dion’s inventions, that they can remove the ring and save Henry. As our heroes undertake their journeys to the one place that Lorcan hopes can break the spell on Henry’s ring, they encounter one deadly obstacle after the next that they realize are being orchestrated by someone else within the Order. Even worse, the budding desire between Lorcan and Henry blooms into love, even though they are destined to be apart…if they survive.
Notable elements, tropes, tags: Found family, high stakes, cursed objects