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Queen of the Shadow Woods

Queen of the Shadow Woods

Val E. Lane

Publication
February 11, 2026

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About the Book

A marked girl hidden from the world..
An exiled prince driven from his throne.
A darkness they can't outrun.

Living as a fugitive for her forbidden marks of magic, Caramyn survives in the only place no one else dares to go—deep within The Shadow Woods. With the Fae and all magic outlawed by the new king, there’s no safe place outside the Woods, and anyone who enters them is at the mercy of the girl they made into a monster.

When Prince Asterious intrudes into the Woods, he finds far more than what he came searching for when he stumbles upon the strange girl with violet eyes who threatens to awaken the beast he thought he buried. As the ruthless executioner for the king, he takes her captive for a crime she swears she didn't commit, and takes her somewhere she never expects—the long forgotten Fae lands of Evelyre.

Caramyn will have to hide her dark side to convince Asterious she’s innocent—and to get close enough to get her revenge on the son of the king who took everything from her. But she’ll soon realize she's not the only one with secrets in the shadows.

As the balance of power in kingdom shifts and dark truths unravel, Caramyn and Prince Asterious find their fates intertwining. And Caramyn is faced with choices that could change the destiny of the throne—and her heart—if the Shadows she thought she left behind in the Woods don't consume them first.

"We have both been forced to become the monsters we never wanted to be."

Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and BBC Merlin, readers will love this enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy romance where everyone is a little morally grey.

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About the author

Val E. Lane

Hi! I’m Val. I love to write. From the first time I picked up a Little House on the Prairie book in my elementary school library, I knew I wanted to be a writer. When I’m not writing, I love to spend time outdoors, especially when it involves horseback riding or lying in a hammock with a good book. If you like…

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