Crown of Thorns and Shadow

She was sent to marry a monster. She planned to leave a corpse.

Briar is the deadliest secret in the Autumn Court. Plucked from the burning ash fields as a child, she has spent ten years serving as the personal assassin for a cruel, ambitious King. Her magic is feral, illegal, and highly destructive. When the King brokers a sudden peace treaty with the rival Winter Court, Briar is given her final, impossible mission: pose as a noble bride, marry the enemy's most terrifying general, and cut his throat on their wedding night.

General Rowan is the Scourge of the Frost. He is a scarred, ruthless commander who has sacrificed his humanity to hold the northern border against the endless fire of the south. He knows his new Autumn bride is a trap. Bound by the strict orders of his blind, paranoid Queen, Rowan intends to play along with the political farce just long enough to execute the assassin in his bedchamber and justify a full-scale invasion.

They are two absolute weapons locked in a frozen cage, both waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

But the political squabbles of monarchs mean nothing to the dark. Deep beneath the Ice Citadel, an ancient, necrotic entity known as the Abyssal Rot is waking up. It feeds on elemental magic, and it is hungry for the combined power of the sun and the snow. When the catastrophic shadow breaches the fortress walls, Briar and Rowan realize their assassination plots are meaningless. If they want to survive the night, the Autumn Blade and the Winter Shield must forge a desperate, violent alliance.

Trusting each other is a guaranteed death sentence. But fighting alone means the end of the world.

Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas, Ash and Frost is a gripping, high-stakes fantasy romance featuring lethal magic, complex political intrigue, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance that will melt the ice.