I am the silent guardian.

I am the one who stands between monsters and their prey.

By day, an unassuming apothecary and alchemist; by night, a powerful runecaster veiled in secrecy. My magic once protected the people from The Harrow’s soldiers. Now, as peace blankets the city under King Andris’s rule, I find myself caught between the serene life I’ve cultivated and the urge to indulge in darker pursuits. Everything changes when Magnus rents a room above my apothecary. He’s a giant of a man with a past as murky and dangerous as the beasts he’s hunted.

I didn’t anticipate reclaiming my power.

Magnus, with his restlessness and dark past, disrupts my carefully balanced existence. My nights become an irritating blend of unwanted disturbances and burgeoning desire—a mixture as volatile as any potion I’ve ever concocted. Yet, as the kingdom’s peace is threatened by enemies both without and within, our paths intertwine. And I must become a protector once again.

If only I can avoid the distraction that is Magnus.

The closer I work with him, the more our arguments ignite into something dangerous, something compelling. I try to keep our encounters strictly about protecting Iron Deep, but the lines blur, emotions running as wild as the magic I secretly wield.

But lurking beneath our quest to save the city, a fire threatens to consume all I hold dear. And in the smoke and ash of betrayals and hidden dangers, I’m torn. My desires and my duty pull me in opposite directions, forcing me to choose between the saving of my home and the whispers of my heart.

Can I truly decide between guarding my city… and succumbing to the storm within?

Of Monsters and Runes is the third book in the Wanderers of Ruin series, and part one in The Runes of Sorrow Duet.

It is a slow-burn dark romantasy with hate to love, secrets, a bad*ss, brainy FMC, and sizzling banter. This duet can be enjoyed on its own without reading books 1 and 2 first, but it does contain spoilers for the previous books in the series. It is told in dual POV, and will end on a cliffhanger.

This book is meant for adults 18 and over. Of Monsters and Runes is set in a medieval style dark fantasy world overshadowed by war, conflict, and human predators.

Certain elements might be difficult for some readers, including graphic (consensual) sexual content; graphic violence; references to sexual violence and an attempted sexual assault; past family trauma; death of a parent.