The Ascended (The Aesymarean Duet Book 1)

✨ Editor’s Crush — Reasons You’ll Love It

• Deadly trials, god-killing stakes, twin POV
  In a world where divine power leaks into the mortal realm, twins Thais and Thatcher are forced into the brutal Trials of Ascension—contests so lethal that survival, revenge, and the price of godhood are all tangled together.
• A heroine who forges weapons from starlight
  Thais is no chosen-one cliché; she’s a fisherman's daughter secretly crafting blades from starlight, suddenly exposed as the daughter of the God-King whose touch killed her mother. Her new purpose? Climb the trials and bring a god to his knees.
• Enemies-to-lovers with a necromancer prince
  She’s stubborn and furious; Xül, her assigned mentor, is a sharp-tongued necromancer prince with blood on his hands and far too many secrets. Their reluctant alliance, constant bickering and explosive chemistry scratch that grumpy, morally-gray hero itch perfectly.
• Dark, epic fantasy romance you can sink into
  Tagged as dark, adventurous fantasy romance with sci-fi tinges, forbidden love, vengeance, survival, praise kink, possessive/grumpy hero, and explicit open-door steam (4/5), this is a chunky, 700+ page “lose-a-weekend-to-this-book” kind of read.
• Perfect if you love trials, morally gray gods & high emotion
  Each trial pulls Thais closer to godhood while an ancient darkness creeps behind the spectacle, threatening the heavens themselves—ideal for readers who want tournament vibes, found dangers instead of found family, and a romance that burns as hot as the magic.