Chrysathamere Series

"Morgan has written a masterpiece, one that is movie-worthy." Reader's Favorite.com. "Marilia: strong-willed, erudite and fallible. Cole has delivered a heroine so humbly human I found pleasure in reading fantasy again." Kristiana Reed, author of Between the Trees, Poetry and Prose, Reedsy.com. "Marilia is a more sophisticated, more believable version of Mulan. The prose is polished and the world is rich with lush details. Well done!" Karen Azinger, author of the Steel & Silk saga. Marilia, the Warlord is the first part in The Chrysathamere Trilogy, a Game-of-Thrones-style saga of love, war, revenge, and the twists of fate that turned two siblings—once so close they would have died for each other—into the bitterest of enemies, each determined to send the other to the grave. Born the bastard daughter of a painted lady, Marilia was told she would live out her days within the walls of her mother’s brothel, a companion for the rich men of Tyrace. But after a terrible betrayal, ten-year-old Marilia’s world turns upside down. With the help of her twin brother, Annuweth, she flees the only home she’s ever known in search of the one man who can offer her a chance at a better life: one of her deceased father’s friends, the Emperor of Navessea’s greatest general. What follows is a journey spanning years, from the streets of the desert city of Tyracium to the splendor of the emperor’s keep and the wind-swept, wild island of Svartennos. Along the way, Marilia discovers, for the first time, the gift she has for strategy and warfare—a world that is forbidden to girls like her. When the empire is threatened by a foreign invasion, the defense of Navessea is left in the hands of a cruel and arrogant general no match for the empire's foes. With the fate of her new home and the woman she loves hanging in the balance, Marilia—now a young woman—swears to use all her courage and cunning to help repel the enemy. The struggle that follows will test her to her core and lead her back to the past she thought she had escaped. Facing treachery within her own ranks as well as a devious enemy commander, Marilia will need all the help she can get, even if it means doing something her brother may never forgive—making a pact with the man who murdered her father.

What happens when a hero is defeated by her own victory? "It felt like I was consistently pumped with doses of epinephrine...the characters developed perfectly." Reader's Favorite, 5-star review. "I'm an extremely hard reader to please, but I can say wholeheartedly that I truly enjoyed this book. It goes without saying that I'm looking forward to the third book in the series." Reedsy.com, 5-star review. The war with Tyrace is over. It was supposed to be a time of celebration. Of triumph. But for Marilia Sandara, hero of Chrysathamere Pass, the cost was too high. After watching her childhood friends slaughtered before her eyes, all she wants to do is sail back to Svartennos and try to forget the price she had to pay for her victory. But the peace isn’t long to last. First comes the heartbreaking news that the woman Marilia loves may soon be engaged to another. Then, when Emperor Vergana makes a shocking announcement—that he means to disinherit his true-born son, Rufyllys, in favor of his adopted child, Prince Ilruyn—the seeds are sown that will plunge Navessea back into war. This time, Marilia and her twin brother, Annuweth, find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that threatens to undo all they fought for. By the time the dust settles and the killing stops, only one of the children of Karthtag-Kal may be left standing. The second book in the trilogy ups the romance and intrigue, while continuing the journey of Marilia Sandara, the hero of the empire who now stands, in victory, poised to lose everything she holds dear. What readers are saying about Empire of Jackals: "I truly could NOT put this book down. It's well written, tight, no words wasted and a very good story." "An amazing sequel to book one." "The only reason I was OK to put this book down between reading sessions was because it's so much to take in. And my eyes hurt from avidly devouring it." "[T]he character development is truly impressive and exceptionally well conveyed." "I liked this book even more than the first one."

Reader's Favorite Silver Medal Winner A fantastic third entry in an already impressive epic fantasy series. - Reedsy Discovery Rufyllys Vergana, the usurper, has stolen the throne from his adopted brother, Prince Ilruyn, plunging the empire of Navessea into civil war. The very first casualty of that war: Karthtag-Kal Sandaros, Marilia’s father. With the help of Ben Espeleos, Prince of Svartennos, Marilia has sworn to bring the usurper and the rest of her father’s killers to justice...including her own traitorous brother, Annuweth, now serving as the usurper’s right hand. Annuweth has sworn an oath of his own—to protect his wife and their unborn child from the forces who mean to destroy them. To guard Rufyllys Vergana’s reign against its enemies—even if one of those enemies is his own sister. Navessea’s bloody civil war comes to a head in the third and final chapter of the Chrysathamere Trilogy. No one is safe, and no one will be the same. A story of love, loss and redemption, Children of Jade blends the ferocious twists of Game of Thrones at its best with a saga of bitter revenge.