Crown of Ashes and Desire by Maya Basol

I always knew my wedding day would end in blood.
I just didn’t expect it to be my groom’s.

Hakan was supposed to be dead—the boy I loved who chose shadow magic over me five years ago. Instead, he crashes my wedding, rips out my betrothed’s heart, and drags me to the altar as his bride.
Now I’m bound to the Shadow Prince. Owned. Caged. His sacrifice for a ritual that will drain my light and leave me hollow.
He says I mean nothing to him. Just a vessel for power. But his shadows burn when he touches me, and I can feel his hunger through our bond—raw, desperate, unhinged.
I swore I’d kill him for what he did to me. Instead, I’m arching beneath his touch in midnight gardens, begging him not to stop.
Because monsters like Hakan don’t make love. They consume. And he wants to devour every piece of me until nothing remains but ash and shadow.
The winter solstice is coming. My execution date. But I have secrets he doesn’t know—a daughter with his eyes, and a power growing stronger each day.
The problem? Every kiss makes me remember why I loved him. And I’m terrified I might let him win.

This is a dark romantasy story and the first book in the Kingdom of Light trilogy. Set in the same universe as the Kingdom of Shadow series (Crown of Light and Ashes), this story takes place approximately 400 years later. While both series can be read independently, reading the Kingdom of Shadow series first is recommended for the fullest experience. Both series feature dark romantasy with cliffhanger endings.