More About Poison and Honey

We’re about a month away from the release of Poison and Honey, and I’m getting really excited! Some positive early reviews are coming in, and if you have a Goodreads account, you can now add the book to your to-read list.

A refresher on what it’s all about:

Leigh Morgan has known that magic existed ever since an unearthly monster abducted her sister. It’s why she’s in Otherworld now, posing as a servant in its dark, decadent palace. She’s gathering intelligence and working with a small band of allies to bring down the Others and free their human captives. Her mission depends on blending in, so the last thing she wants is to attract the attention of a cunning prince.

Dredarion Rath wants one thing: to disgrace his older brother and prove himself the worthier heir to the throne. And out of all the servants in the palace, he chooses Leigh to help him. Just her luck.

Now Leigh has to keep her work a secret from a bewitching man who sees right through her–and who’s not nearly as cold and inhuman as he seems. She can’t screw this up, or the humans forced into servitude will never go home. But juggling two conspiracies at once, it’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down, and the man she’s falling for has her executed for her betrayal…

I’ve daydreamed about the book, plotted the book, written the book, rewritten the book, and procrastinated on the book by making pretty aesthetics and book quote art.

Speaking of which…

There are plots in this book. And schemes. Machinations, even. Lots of spying , keeping secrets, and telling lies. Throw in dark magic and insidious potions, and Otherworld is a deceptively beautiful yet dangerous place.

Leigh and Dredarion definitely have an “enemies to lover” vibe going on, though only one of them knows they’re enemies at first. I think enemies to lovers is probably one of my favorite tropes, hence the superhero/supervillain romance in The White Knight & Black Valentine Series. There’s something about two people fighting on opposite sides who slowly gain so much respect and admiration for their amazing badass “enemy” that they can’t help falling for them.

Actually, there’s shades of that with Ella and Viktor in The Ghost Machine, too. Dang, this really must be my favorite romance trope. 🤯

Magic and monsters are the biggest dangers in Otherworld, and the human protagonists sneak in some modern technology to fight them. There are a few characters who can use both magic and tech, though while working undercover, Leigh doesn’t have access to either. But when it comes to slaying otherworldly creatures, sometimes you just need courage and a sharp object.

Poison and Honey is the first book in the Dark and Otherworldly series. I’ve written a bit more about the setting (and posted more aesthetics) here. It comes out in ebook form on July 15th, and I hope you’ll give it a try.

In the meantime, stay safe out there, everyone.

Update: Poison and Honey is out now! Click here to order it.