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Darkly #3
Kept Darkly
As the Seelie Queen’s champion and captain of her guardsmen, Sel, son of Selgi, has lived a life ruled by duty and honor. For centuries, his Queen’s wishes have dictated his every action. Not once has he questioned the legendary seer-queen’s edicts or flinched upon receiving a new mission—that is, until now. The Queen has ordered him from her side and from her court so that he might take an unseelie as his mate, fulfilling the requirements of an ancient fey law long ignored. As if that weren’t bad enough, the Queen has named the unseelie girl. It is Riona, the dark and hauntingly beautiful bastard daughter of the morally corrupt Unseelie King. What the hell could the Queen be thinking?
Riona has lived most of her life hiding from her powerful father. She is the unwanted issue of a despised king and his lusty courtesan, a political pawn her father is determined to use to his advantage. But King Melwas can’t use what he can’t find. Riona, who has grown used to betrayal in the Unseelie Court, is grateful for the timely intervention of the Seelie Queen in escaping her dreary fate—that is, until she learns that the Queen intends to reward her captain by formally binding Riona to him. She knows Sel by reputation only. He is said to be cold, unfeeling, and frighteningly powerful. He is also rumored to be desperately in love with his sovereign. There is no chance that the Queen’s most loyal defender will ever truly love her, so why, then, cannot Riona steel her heart against him?
As a Bonus: Blood and Fire, a Darkly Short Story
Airem’s strength is that he is dragon-kind. It is also his biggest weakness. Thanks to the perverted sense of humor of his own King and Queen, he is now the Seelie Queen’s enforcer tasked with catching and retrieving wayward fey who choose to flaunt the ban on traveling from their homeland of Tir na n-Og to the human realm. Not a bad gig really, since hunting comes naturally to him. Typically Airem likes tagging, bagging, and occasionally bedding a she-fey when they raid the populous looking to supply their fey pleasure dens with newly enchanted humans. The Queen has banned such practices in the Seelie Court, but the unseelie are a lusty and mischievous lot. After a hundred centuries of service to the Seelie Queen, Airem thought he had seen it all – but then she came looking for him. He knew the lavender-eyed unseelie was trouble the moment he locked eyes with her, but he just couldn’t seem to help
Riona has lived most of her life hiding from her powerful father. She is the unwanted issue of a despised king and his lusty courtesan, a political pawn her father is determined to use to his advantage. But King Melwas can’t use what he can’t find. Riona, who has grown used to betrayal in the Unseelie Court, is grateful for the timely intervention of the Seelie Queen in escaping her dreary fate—that is, until she learns that the Queen intends to reward her captain by formally binding Riona to him. She knows Sel by reputation only. He is said to be cold, unfeeling, and frighteningly powerful. He is also rumored to be desperately in love with his sovereign. There is no chance that the Queen’s most loyal defender will ever truly love her, so why, then, cannot Riona steel her heart against him?
As a Bonus: Blood and Fire, a Darkly Short Story
Airem’s strength is that he is dragon-kind. It is also his biggest weakness. Thanks to the perverted sense of humor of his own King and Queen, he is now the Seelie Queen’s enforcer tasked with catching and retrieving wayward fey who choose to flaunt the ban on traveling from their homeland of Tir na n-Og to the human realm. Not a bad gig really, since hunting comes naturally to him. Typically Airem likes tagging, bagging, and occasionally bedding a she-fey when they raid the populous looking to supply their fey pleasure dens with newly enchanted humans. The Queen has banned such practices in the Seelie Court, but the unseelie are a lusty and mischievous lot. After a hundred centuries of service to the Seelie Queen, Airem thought he had seen it all – but then she came looking for him. He knew the lavender-eyed unseelie was trouble the moment he locked eyes with her, but he just couldn’t seem to help
322 pages, Paperback
Published April 28, 2011
62 people want to read
About the author
Tarrant Smith
14 books34 followersFar far away and in a time long ago, Tarrant Smith graduated from Queens College in North Carolina with a degree in English literature. She currently lives in the beautiful town of Madison, Georgia with her husband, son, and two rescued stray cats who follow her around like familiars. As a kitchen witch, she has always sought out and nurtured the magick that can be found in the mundane trappings of everyday life. For more information about the author and her romance books please go to tarrantsmith.com
2020 Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award (Romance Catagory for The Love of Gods)
"From cover to cover, Smith delivers insanely well-drawn characters and enough moments of levity to keep this paranormal romance moving along at a brisk pace. Never does Smith's work lack. As the author bounces from one subplot to the next and back, she keeps readers on their toes and deeply involved with each of the main characters and their tragic lives."
"The entire cast of characters created by Smith is deserving of readers' adoration for that matter. Humor is a big part of Smith's writing and adds to the depth of her characters."
The Love of Gods was awarded Literary Titan's Silver Book Award for June 2019.
The Fate of Wolves was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award in December 2019
The Dreams of Demons was awarded Literary Titan's Silver Book Award in August 2020
The Souls of Witches was awarded Literary Titan's Siver book Award in February 2021
Bound Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for July 2019.
Kept Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for August 2019.
Surrendered Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for August 2019.
Resurrected Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for August 2019.
All the Darkly Books and Short Stories are now available in on Complete Boxed Set! This is a great way to get all five books and three short stories at once. This complete set is only offered in ebook format.
Her newest series, the Legends of the Pale books, currently include 4 books but is still growing with book 5 likely to be released before Christmas of 2021.
Tarrant Smith also has a collection of Poetry and Poetic Prose available in both paperback and ebook formats. Love, Sex & Witchery is her first poetry book. A second collection has a likely January 2022 release date.
Website: https://tarrantsmith.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarrantSmith
Substack: https://tarrant.substack.com/
Medium: https://medium.com/@starrantsmith
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legendsofthe...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/starrants/t...
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_HC...
2020 Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award (Romance Catagory for The Love of Gods)
"From cover to cover, Smith delivers insanely well-drawn characters and enough moments of levity to keep this paranormal romance moving along at a brisk pace. Never does Smith's work lack. As the author bounces from one subplot to the next and back, she keeps readers on their toes and deeply involved with each of the main characters and their tragic lives."
"The entire cast of characters created by Smith is deserving of readers' adoration for that matter. Humor is a big part of Smith's writing and adds to the depth of her characters."
The Love of Gods was awarded Literary Titan's Silver Book Award for June 2019.
The Fate of Wolves was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award in December 2019
The Dreams of Demons was awarded Literary Titan's Silver Book Award in August 2020
The Souls of Witches was awarded Literary Titan's Siver book Award in February 2021
Bound Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for July 2019.
Kept Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for August 2019.
Surrendered Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for August 2019.
Resurrected Darkly was awarded Literary Titan's Gold Book Award for August 2019.
All the Darkly Books and Short Stories are now available in on Complete Boxed Set! This is a great way to get all five books and three short stories at once. This complete set is only offered in ebook format.
Her newest series, the Legends of the Pale books, currently include 4 books but is still growing with book 5 likely to be released before Christmas of 2021.
Tarrant Smith also has a collection of Poetry and Poetic Prose available in both paperback and ebook formats. Love, Sex & Witchery is her first poetry book. A second collection has a likely January 2022 release date.
Website: https://tarrantsmith.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarrantSmith
Substack: https://tarrant.substack.com/
Medium: https://medium.com/@starrantsmith
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legendsofthe...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/starrants/t...
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_HC...
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 1, 2012
I'm not a huge fan of fantasy, but I was very surprised at how well Ms. Smith immerses readers into a world that is perfectly plausible. Her descriptions are well-wrought and rendered; her characters fleshed out and profound. I don't usually follow serials, but this is another world I would be glad to revisit. Congratulations to Ms. Smith for a tale well told!!
July 5, 2011
ok..this was my 1st Tarrant Smith book..and the 3rd books in the Darkly Series. I love that Ms. Smith provides the reader with a flow chart in the book on the characters/Fae Courts and how they're related, and a glossary of common terminology in the back. Especially helpful for the reader like me who jumped into the middle of a series and don't already know the characters.
Anyone who enjoys stories of the Fae and understands how politically ruthless they can be will thoroughly enjoy this book. Our focal character is Riona, princess and bastard daughter of the Unseelie King (a very wicked man) from whom she hides. Sel, Captain of the Guard of the Seelie Queen, Gwen (forced mate to the Unseelie King)has been contracted by the Queen to be the mate of Sel. The Queen's motives are self-motivated in this match, but being a seer, she also believes it to be a good match for both.
Without giving away any spoilers, the story evolves around Sel and Riona growing to trust and love one another, while venturing into the Underworld on a mission for the Queen in finding her true mate, the Absent King, Arthur, and avoiding become once again a pawn to her evil father, the Unseelie King.
The book was good enough that I'll purchase books 1 & 2 in the series, as well as subsequent ones as released. Ms. Smith also says that there are more erotic tales concerning the Darkly Series available to those who wish to read them. 3.8 stars of 5 for Kept Darkly.
Anyone who enjoys stories of the Fae and understands how politically ruthless they can be will thoroughly enjoy this book. Our focal character is Riona, princess and bastard daughter of the Unseelie King (a very wicked man) from whom she hides. Sel, Captain of the Guard of the Seelie Queen, Gwen (forced mate to the Unseelie King)has been contracted by the Queen to be the mate of Sel. The Queen's motives are self-motivated in this match, but being a seer, she also believes it to be a good match for both.
Without giving away any spoilers, the story evolves around Sel and Riona growing to trust and love one another, while venturing into the Underworld on a mission for the Queen in finding her true mate, the Absent King, Arthur, and avoiding become once again a pawn to her evil father, the Unseelie King.
The book was good enough that I'll purchase books 1 & 2 in the series, as well as subsequent ones as released. Ms. Smith also says that there are more erotic tales concerning the Darkly Series available to those who wish to read them. 3.8 stars of 5 for Kept Darkly.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews