The Kingdom Below · #1
A Darkness So Sweet
Traded for peace. Sacrificed to a monster.
Maia Fremont just wanted a chance. When the opportunity to create floral arrangements for the royal wedding is offered to her, who is she to say no? But the crown is never honest, and soon enough she finds herself thrust into an unwanted union with a fearsome troll. Ripped from her beloved garden and the only life she’s ever known, she’s offered as a bride to a creature she’s only heard whispers of—rumors of brutality, darkness, and insatiable hunger.
Ragnar, a powerful troll healer, is disgusted by the human king’s deception. His duty to his people forces him to accept this lie of a marriage. His bride is a fragile human instead of the strong half elven mate he expected. Her meager magic is an insult, but honor and allegiance bind him to her. No matter how much he hates it.
Married to a beast who sees her as nothing more than a tool to strengthen his bloodline, Maia must fight for her life in the treacherous world of the trolls. But in their kingdom Deep within the mountain, she must balance her growing attraction for her gruff, surprisingly poetic husband against the lurking dangers in this strange new world—especially when the growing darkness threatens to tear them apart.
The series
Beneath the surface of familiar fairy tales lies a shadowed world, steeped in forgotten bargains and the echoes of ancient magic. In this richly woven fantasy series, Emma Hamm reimagines the folklore we think we know—giving voice to the monsters beneath and the mortals who dare to love them.
Read full series description
The story unfolds in an underworld shaped by both beauty and ruin, where creatures born of myth and curse guard their secrets fiercely. At its heart is a romance that defies kingdoms and curses, told with lyrical prose and an atmospheric pull that lingers long after the final page. There’s a haunting stillness to the world Hamm creates—a place where every whispered promise might come true, and every truth demands a price.
What sets this series apart is not just the allure of forbidden love or the pull of an ancient realm hidden below. It’s the depth of emotion stitched into every encounter, the way each character wrestles with their own darkness, and the slow-burning tension that simmers beneath every exchanged glance and shattered illusion.
Dark fantasy lovers will feel at home in this series’ ethereal gloom, where gothic romance and slow-burn intrigue collide in unexpected ways. It’s not about heroes and villains—it’s about choices, sacrifice, and the power of desire to reshape even the most cursed of fates.
If you're drawn to reimagined folklore, atmospheric world-building, and morally complex characters tangled in dangerous enchantments, this is a descent worth taking. Just be warned—the deeper you go, the harder it is to come back.
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