Blood of Ashlin

by Rachel O'Laughlin

After the death of the notorious Seren king Altrun, Izannah Orion ascends the throne in Serengard under less than traditional circumstances. Ten years younger than she should be, and with questionable parentage, she is merely a stand-in for an heir that murdered his siblings and threatened to eclipse the kingdom in dark chaos. Against bad odds, Izannah quells unrest, forges treaties, and engenders trust where it is least expected…even in the thick-skinned, deeply scarred Captain of the Guard.

Many have called Izannah their salvation, but, seventy-four years later, her descendants are uncertain whether to call themselves blessed or cursed—especially Malcom, whose mother wants to use his power to usher in an age of deep deceit. The nation has already been war torn for a decade and a half. Firm traditionalist Kierstaz Orion is poised to retake her grandmother’s kingdom by force, and the armies converging on the Seren capital are more likely to aid her than stop her. Son of two rebels, Malcom is the last person expected to reclaim a peace never seen in his lifetime…but he is determined to try.

385 pages, Paperback

Published February 26, 2018

About the author

Rachel O’Laughlin grew up writing adventure stories on an archaic laptop that only ran one program, couldn’t connect to the internet, and died every few days—which provided a nice excuse to use a typewriter in the middle of an epic murder scene. After high school, she pushed novels to the backburner for immersion in the arts, touring with her band, and a hands-on education in sustainable living. At last she admitted to herself that she missed her first love and returned to fiction full time. She lives in New England with her husband and two kids, listens to The Fray, and drinks too many lattes. Two novels in her SERENGARD fantasy series have been released, and a third is scheduled for December 2014.