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Works
Set in a world inspired by Brazil’s lush rainforests, where boulder-sized macaws pull carriages and ancient indigenous tribes guard secrets of powerful magic, FORGED BY SHADOWS invites readers into a breathtaking realm of danger, wielders of six elements, old Spirits, and forbidden love.
Shackled among a menagerie of wielders, Ary survives by concealing her water and fire abilities, pretending to be only half their kind. If anyone discovered she’s fully gifted, they would kill her. Upon being sold to another master, she seizes her only chance at freedom, landing at Ascencia Academy, a supposed haven for wielders. But the academy has become a ruthless institution, where fading powers push the weak to their limits, and failure means death. When secrets bind Ary to a hidden tribe and a nearly extinct element awakens within her, she must conceal her new power or risk attracting those who would exploit her to control the wielders’ world.
Two men may be her only allies: Kael, whose pull she can’t resist, and Tayr, who might be bound to her very soul. But trusting the headmasters stepsons is dangerous. Yet as they train together, sparring on the mats and wielding elements deep within the lush, wild jungle, sparks ignite, blurring the line between friendship and desire. With the bonding ceremony approaching, a ritual that binds wielders’ souls for greater power, Ary faces an impossible choice between the two brothers.
But when the ancient Spirits reveal the ceremony has been corrupted, and is instead draining wielders’ power, Ary must risk everything to save herself, the men she’s tied to, and the entire wielding community. Even if it means giving up the magic she so desperately fought for.
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Laysa was raised in the shadow of dragon attacks, knowing only fire and death. When a dragon spared her life as a child, her king saw an opportunity. She became his weapon, sharpened and reforged to destroy the Fae demons of the neighboring lands and their dragons. Laysa will do whatever it takes to prove she belongs, earn their trust, and fulfill the mission she was raised for: infiltrate their kingdom, assassinate their leaders, and end the war destroying her people.
When she’s captured behind enemy lines, the impossible happens. That same dragon that spared her, now chooses her as its rider. Marked as one of them, Laysa is forced to pose as the lover of an infuriatingly handsome Fae prince, Aiden, to survive, while tying her life to his. Through deadly competitions and ritualistic parties, Laysa’s forced proximity to Aiden does things to her heart. Things she absolutely cannot feel.
Accomplishing her mission may be harder than she expected as she finds herself in a court where most Fae despise humans, where the dragon she was meant to kill insists on bonding with her, and where Aiden keeps getting dangerously close to her secrets. But she refuses to fail her people, even if it means betraying everything she’s ever known and pretending to fall in love with Aiden to gain his trust and secure her freedom.
ABOUT ROBY
Brazilian-born, Roby Marcondes moved to the United States at fifteen and devoured enough fantasy romance novels to dream of writing her own. Yet in all the worlds she explored, she never found one that captured the magic she felt while growing up in Brazil, immersed in folklore and the lush flora, fauna, and diverse cultural traditions that continue to inspire her fantastical worlds.
After moving to the U.S., she earned a bachelor’s in Film & TV and a master’s in Media Management, working across production, development, and distribution. Her experience spans scriptwriting, shaping commercially viable projects, and licensing content to broadcasters as a sales agent. She’s also worked at a publicity agency and an indie publisher with a direct distribution deal with PRH. Despite a career in the film and TV industry, her true passion has always been creating worlds of her own.
When she’s not writing with a small dog on her lap, she participates in a weekly author group, produces BookTok and Bookstagram content, or acts as a personal audiobook for her husband—who, yes, gets every romantasy scene, spice included.
Artwork
Forged by Shadows
Crown of Ashen Wings
