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A Bond of Blood and Stone
Drawing on the rich but troubled histories of Appalachia and Ancient Rome, A Bond of Blood and Stone is a steamy romantasy about star-crossed lovers, queer desire, and the birth of a revolution.
The last thing Titus Orestes wants is to govern the exploited colony known as the Province, the only source of the valuable mineral known as Ore. Nevertheless, when a family oath gone awry presents him with the chance to do some good for its oppressed people, he can’t turn away, even when faced with the animosity of the brooding, handsome Aemon Smelter.
Aemon Smelter hardly knew his father, yet thanks to his mother he’s now bound to avenge his death by assassinating Titus Orestes. However, when he starts falling in love with the kind, sensitive Patrician, he quickly learns that even the most powerful family oaths can’t truly bind the human heart.
As the Province hurtles toward rebellion and the Dominion tightens its grip, Aemon and Titus will find shelter in one another’s arms, even as the world around them begins to burn.
The last thing Titus Orestes wants is to govern the exploited colony known as the Province, the only source of the valuable mineral known as Ore. Nevertheless, when a family oath gone awry presents him with the chance to do some good for its oppressed people, he can’t turn away, even when faced with the animosity of the brooding, handsome Aemon Smelter.
Aemon Smelter hardly knew his father, yet thanks to his mother he’s now bound to avenge his death by assassinating Titus Orestes. However, when he starts falling in love with the kind, sensitive Patrician, he quickly learns that even the most powerful family oaths can’t truly bind the human heart.
As the Province hurtles toward rebellion and the Dominion tightens its grip, Aemon and Titus will find shelter in one another’s arms, even as the world around them begins to burn.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2025
15 people want to read
About the author
TJ West
2 books18 followersThe proud son and grandson of farmers and coal miners, TJ West is a queer writer and culture critic. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marshall University and a Master’s and Doctorate from Syracuse University. Though he is based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore–where he lives with his partner and their cat–the Mountain State will always have a piece of his heart.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 15, 2026
full disclosure: I am friends with the author lol
With that being said, I had a really fun time reading this! I loved how TJ mixed traditional Appalachian influences with the fantasy world. I'm really interested to see where the story goes from here!
With that being said, I had a really fun time reading this! I loved how TJ mixed traditional Appalachian influences with the fantasy world. I'm really interested to see where the story goes from here!
Displaying 1 of 1 review