J Collette Smith

Ruin of Gods J Collette Smith

Adelind, future queen and reluctant heir, dreams of becoming a member of the King's Guard: a rank no other woman has held. But when her father declares he's leaving on a secret mission and abdicating his throne to her in his absence, her dream shatters. During a surprise attack at her Name Day celebration, Adelind witnesses the brutal murder of her parents and the loss of her kingdom at the hands of a secret sect of soldiers. After she narrowly escapes, she soon learns she's a descendent of the fallen god, Vaas, and responsible for protecting all the kingdoms, but the soldiers who killed her parents are hunting for her. Worse, there are others marked by the remaining gods and their very existence hangs in the balance if these soldiers succeed. Determined to save the kingdoms from being taken over by this lethal group, Adelind enlists the help of a guardsman who survived the attack and a prince from a neighboring kingdom. They set off to stop the murdering of her kind and soon discover the sect has acquired the only weapon that can kill a god. If one god dies, they all will cease to exist. Knowing Vaas' death will end Adelind and the others, rendering all the kingdoms defenseless, the soldiers shift course, going after him instead. As Adelind races to find Vaas first, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies tainting the kingdoms' history, including the discovery that the gods who created her world are the ones who want her dead. Plagued by multiple betrayals where alliances break, friendships falter, and the line between allies and enemies blurs, Adelind must decide whom to trust and whether rescuing a fallen god will save the kingdoms or destroy them all.