Charm Wars Series

Welcome to Caldon, a land of mages and magic, where the noblesse possess massive political and magical power and destroy anyone who threatens the noblesse way of life—especially the commoners.   Rill Larkin, the son of a commoner blacksmith, has high ambitions. To be a mage, join the exalted ranks of the ruling noblesse, and establish his own noblesse family. Defying both the system and his family, Rill becomes the apprentice of Deuth Estati, a powerful archmage. But appearances deceive. As training progresses, Rill learns of decades-long secrets and manipulations that threaten his dream. And Deuth might not be as benevolent as Rill thought.   Alyse Dejune despises magic, even if she does belong to one of the oldest and most powerful noblesse families in Caldon. The deceits and treacheries of noblesse life and the loveless marriage alliances among the noblesse families disgust her. Her family however has high expectations: that she fulfill her role as a noblesse girl by marrying Troy Estati, an arrogant, selfish noblesse boy she does not love. And Alyse harbors a secret—the potential to become one of the most powerful mages in generations and wield forbidden magic—that, if revealed, could mean her death.   In this deadly game of ever-shifting alliances, where the state wages perpetual war against an ancient enemy, Rill and Alyse are thrown together in a land where magic is failing. And as greedy noblesse families raid surrounding family compounds for powerful charms, Rill and Alyse are left standing at a terrible crossroads.

FLIGHT   PURSUIT   CATASTROPHY   ALYSE DEJUNE FLED Caldon to avoid becoming a pawn in her matriarch's attempt to have the Dejunes remain a powerful First Family among their noblesse allies. She intends to seek refuge at her uncle's legionary camp deep within the forest-covered wilderness of The Marches while he tries to patch things up between her and their matriarch. But even the best of plans can go awry, and Alyse's does when she is captured by brigands. She believes they intend to hold her for ransom but soon learns they have a worse fate in store for her.   RILL LARKIN FINALLY achieved his lifelong goal of becoming a mage even though he alienated his family and his best friend in the process. Now a mage serving the powerful Estati Family, he is part of a search party that intends to find Alyse and bring her back to Caldon—by force, if necessary. But Rill didn't anticipate having to deal with a band of brigands who vastly outnumber his small group of pursuers or with a brigand leader who loathes the Dejunes. Those miscalculation have horrible, life-threatening consequences for Rill.

 Alyse's healing magic saved Rill's life, and now he brings her home in triumph to marry Troy. Alyse, though, only returned with Rill because she was concerned about her cousin Kate's fate. As her family applies more and more pressure to marry Troy—even starving her—Alyse's resistance finally begins to crumble. But more serious events and their consequences await her than an unwanted marriage. Ones that will change her life forever.   Rill's triumphant return with Alyse makes him believe he's in even higher favor with the Estatis. He also sees his dream of becoming a noblesse and starting his own noblesse family beginning to be more than just a hope. Gradually, though, he begins to learn the frightening truth about why Deuth befriended him. That knowledge brings horrible consequences not just for himself but for his family, friends, and neighbors too.   The Estatis finally get their revenge. The question is: will Alyse and Rill survive?