The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride

The Dead Lands

De: Kati Wilde

Narrado por: Ashford MacNab

Some might call Princess Anja of Ivermere brave for offering herself up as a bride to Kael the Conqueror, a barbarian warlord who'd won his crown by the bloodied edge of his sword. It was not courage that drove Anja from her magic-wielding family's enchanted palace, however, but a desperate attempt to secure a kingdom of her own—even if she has to kill the Conqueror to do it. She expects pain beneath his brutal touch as she awaits her chance. She expects death if he discovers the truth of her intentions.

She didn't expect Kael to reject her and send her back to Ivermere.

Raised in the ashes of the Dead Lands, Kael fears nothing—certainly not the beautiful sorceress who arrives at his mountain stronghold. But no matter how painful his need for her, Kael has no use for a bride who would only tolerate his kiss. Yet the more of Anja's secrets he uncovers during their journey to return her home, the more determined he becomes to win the princess's wary heart.

And Kael the Conqueror has never been defeated . . .

Contains mature themes.

©2017 Kati Wilde (P)2024 Tantor Media

Swords, giant spiders, and horseback sex

I love this book even more on reread than I did the first time through. It has a lot to say about guilt and agency, shame, and the (not at all cheesy) power of love. Also, swords, giant spiders, and somewhat improbable sex on horseback

Great narration and story!

This was an overall wonderful story that was fast paced, beautiful and hot. I loved the narration and I can’t wait for the rest of them to come out! Kael and Anja were just two cute and the way he automatically had a soft spot for her made me love it all the more.

Warrior on the street; marshmallow in the sheets

This is a low angst, high squee erotic fairy tale with an entirely honorable barbarian king that thanks kids for giving him wilted flowers and ushers a little crawler safely out of the room instead of smashing it.

The first half ran overlong with them journeying across the land together while prolonging their misconceptions about each other. It was too contrived, with caricature brigands threatening ravishment and them happening upon townsfolk at exactly the right time for Kael to demonstrate his kingly virtues.

The second half was much better, both on the fantasy action side (as they return to Anja’s kingdom to defeat a monstrous, magical threat) and the romance side (when speaking plainly finally allows them to scratch their itch with maximum enthusiasm). High art this was not, but I enjoyed this frothy fantasy
all the same.