To my incredible readers who have joined me on this journey across genres and writing styles—your willingness to follow wherever the stories lead has given me the courage to explore new worlds. Thank you for trusting me with your precious reading time and for embracing this creative evolution with such open hearts.

And finally, to you, holding this book now—whether you've been with me from the first romance or you’re discovering my words for the first time in this fantasy realm—thank you for stepping into this world with me. The magic truly begins with you turning the page.

A NOTE FROM PENELOPE

Those of you who are familiar with me are probably wondering… “what the heck, Penelope?”

But as random as this expansion into romantasy may seem at first glance, it has felt like something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time.

I absolutely love the fantasy genre as a reader and I can never seem to get enough. The problem has been building up the courage (or recklessness) to take the creative leap. Those who know me probably think of me as that romance author who can make them laugh from time to time. It’s not exactly a foundation you would say speaks strongly to my ability to write a book with such an epic scope.

So I was rightfully terrified to give this a try. In part, I was scared the blend of fantasy and romance would be too close to my heart—that it would be impossible for me to ever feel like it was good enough. I worried I’d endlessly edit, tweak, revise, rework, and the book would never see the light of day.

I won't lie—it was terrifying to build an entire magical world from scratch, to create new rules of reality, and to see how it felt to combine romance and fantasy like this on such a large scale. There were moments of doubt where I wondered if I knew what the hell I was doing, but I tried my best to embrace the unfamiliarity. In the end, the characters just wouldn’t let me go. It felt like I wouldn’t be happy unless I told their story, and I wound up falling deeply in love with the world, the characters, and the process of putting it all down on the page.

The book you've just finished is only the beginning. This series will span multiple books. The next installment is called Unveiled, because Nessa’s secret is starting to slip and people are beginning to understand she’s more than she seems.

You can flip ahead and actually read the first chapter right now. If you’re excited for the second book or just want to show your support, you can even pre-order it!