The Puzzle Box Trilogy Series

Libby is a high school senior who should be preparing for graduation. Instead, she's been bedridden for six months with valley fever, stuck on her father's farm in California's central valley. When the beekeepers arrive in February, bringing their bees to pollinate the almond crop, one of them looks like a vampire, acts like a vampire, says his name is Malevolent, and tries to murder Libby's lousy boyfriend. Yet he offers her honey that dramatically improves her illness, and his bees sing words that she can understand. Mal took up beekeeping in order to preserve the last remnants of his humanity. What started as a simple trip to California quickly turns into something far more complicated, as he meets a lovely girl who is deathly ill, infected by Mal's own brother. Feeling guilty and responsible, Mal sets out to heal her with his precious, magic-infused honey, and with each passing day, comes closer to breaking his personal creed: Befriend Many, Serve Some, Trust Few, Love None. Once healed, Libby has the strength to break up with her boyfriend--touching off a war between Mal and his brother. This escalates into a realm of awful magic Libby has never dreamed of, where she is both pawn and prize in the battle against a Necromancer. In the end, Libby must face her growing feelings for Mal, and decide whether to destroy him--or rescue him from his soulless existence.

Six months after the events of MALEVOLENT, Mal and Libby are struggling with the side effects of having two souls combined in one body...and the uncomfortable intimacy it brings.  When Mal captures a hive of killer bees, they inform him of a new threat from the Necromancer. Dark barriers and dangerous sigils are mounted around the valley. At the same time, Libby begins training with the Marchers, who will instruct her in the use of life and death motes. But the Marchers are on a relentless hunt for the Lich Prince and his hidden soul – which she now carries inside of her.  Now Mal and Libby must find a way to extract Mal’s soul before they are caught by the Marchers - killed by the Necromancer - or destroyed by the slow subsumption of their souls. 

After the events of Malevolent and Malcontent, Libby and Mal are reeling from their soul separation. Libby has learned to use life motes in new, amazing ways. Mal has regained his humanity, yet is crushed under the weight of the devouring power laid upon him. Despite this, their devotion to each other has grown into passionate adoration. When a new type of undead appears, Mal tries to stop the revenant's insane misuse of magic. The revenant is aided by a terrible monster called the Hunger. Not even the Marchers can stand before them. Now Mal and Libby must discover their own deepest secrets to end the zombie apocalypse and defeat the revenant and the Hunger, or lose everything they hold dear.

Bedridden for six months with Valley Fever, high schooler Libby creeps out of bed to see the beekeepers arrive on her father's farm. One of the beekeepers is a lich named Mal whose bees collect magic as well as honey. While his honey can cure her illness, Mal is embroiled in his own problems. He's trying to regain his humanity and avoid the Necromancer, who is determined that Mal will follow in his footsteps. But as Mal and Libby delve into what is required to restore Mal's soul to his body, they run afoul of the Marchers, a group of magic users who protect civilization from evil creatures. The Marchers see Mal only as a monster to be slain, even as they hold the keys to helping him regain his soul. However, attempting this unleashes the Hunger, a vicious monster intent on devouring the living. As Mal and Libby's mutual affection grows, so does the danger enveloping them. Will they succeed in restoring Mal's humanity, or will they bring about the zombie apocalypse?