Ruin of Salt & Bone

She was born to the Shallows.

Her heart will drag her into The Deep.

Centuries after the Great Deluge, the privileged Sovereign rule from their Highland cities while the Eliri toil in the Shallows below—diving for lost treasures to barter for fresh water. Liora Dawn has never coveted the world above. Everything she wants is here: the people she loves and a future with Caleb Marr, her best friend and the boy she dreams of marrying.

Then Sovereign forces raid her village and execute her mother.

Captured and taken to the Twilight City at the heart of the Sovereign empire, Liora clings to her hatred—and to the life she means to reclaim. Slade Thorne is the last man who should make her question either. He belongs to the people who took everything from her. Wanting him feels like a betrayal.

Yet every encounter leaves her longing for another. Every glimpse beneath his defenses makes it harder to see only her enemy. And in a court where she can trust no one, the man she should fear becomes the one she most wants to trust.

But a shocking revelation about her mother threatens everything Liora believes. As Sovereign and Eliri edge toward war, surrendering to Slade could cost her the allegiance of her own people—and loving him may demand more than either of them is prepared to lose.

Perfect for readers who love:

– Slow-burn enemies-to-lovers with forbidden desire

– A heroine torn between loyalty and love

– High-stakes court intrigue and warring classes

– Dark gothic worlds with iron dragons and reimagined vampires

– Steampunk and gaslamp vibes