Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps

Walking home late one night, burned-out barista Nell accidentally incinerates someone. Whoopsie! Now, if this tale began in a fantastic, far-away land, or Nell was, perhaps, a wizard, such a mishap might make some kind of sense. But this is not a wondrous, fantasy world. This is real life, and Nell just wanted to go home and eat macaroni. As Nell stares at the smoldering corpse, she realizes something with horrifying certainty: She's magic. And not the cute, pulling-a-rabbit-from-a-hat kind of magic. Unfortunately, during Nell's little outburst, she suffers a mortal injury. Fortunately, Darragh, a rugged and magical outcast, witnessed the entire incident. To save Nell's life, Darragh whisks her away to a world where magic reigns. However, as is so often the case with magic, it comes at a price. In this harsh world, the entities that lurk in the darkest corners of Nell's nightmares await her in hungry anticipation. As Nell and Darragh vanquish monsters and ghouls, their affections for one another take root. Just when this treacherous tale is beginning to look like a love story, Darragh is captured by a wretched, cadaverous queen. Now, it's up to Nell to save him The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps boasts portal magic reminiscent of A Darker Shade of Magic, the romance of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the action-packed adventure of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and the humor of Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Stories creep through Scrying Hollow-whispers of a great beast. Come dusk, the first howl catches the wind and rustles the trees. Make haste, for it's no wolf bounding through the Hollow. The Hound comes for you. Liliwen, the eldest daughter of the Valet family, knows the tales well. You see, her father was the first to die to the Hound. Seven years later, heartbreak threatens again when Liliwen's brother is ambushed by the beast. Eviscerated and barely alive, her brother escapes and stumbles home. Once more, death waits upon Liliwen's doorstep. In response, a reward is issued for the Hound's heart. Believing the queen's physician might help her dying brother, Liliwen embarks on a solitary hunt. Armed with intimate knowledge of the Hollow, she catches the Hound in a magical net. Before she can deliver the killing blow, the splintering of bones rings out. Suddenly, it's a man, not a Hound, writhing in Liliwen's net. Liliwen frees the man, but the pair are set upon by wolves, forcing them to retreat into the Hound's home, a ruinous castle within Scrying Hollow. It isn't until Liliwen attempts to escape that the doors slam shut, trapping her. While her brother inches closer to death, Liliwen remains captive in the crumbling castle with the very beast who murdered her father… The Hound of Scrying Hollow.