Elodie and the Dark Lord (Pre-Order March 16th 2027)

Elodie and the Dark Lord by Ashley Poston (Pre-Order March 16th 2027)

A magicless librarian. A cursed Dark Lord. A missing brother. And a magical academy hiding dangerous secrets.

Elodie Kess has always lived a quiet life as a librarian in a remote seaside town, where studying magic is far more exciting than practicing it. As a scholar afflicted with a strange condition that deadens any spell she touches, Elodie has resigned herself to experiencing magic from the safety of a book.

Until her brother disappears.

Emmerick, a respected professor at the prestigious High Arcanum Conservatory, vanishes along with his groundbreaking research, leaving Elodie convinced that something far more sinister is at work. Determined to find him, she infiltrates the magical academy disguised as a graduate student—and quickly sets her sights on the school's most infamous professor: a centuries-old Dark Lord who has been cursed to live as a cat.

But when Elodie's strange affliction unexpectedly breaks his curse, she discovers that the legendary villain is actually a dangerously charming man. Forced to work together to uncover the truth behind Emmerick's disappearance, Elodie begins to realize that the Dark Lord may not be the monster history claims him to be.

As their investigation draws them deeper into the Conservatory's secrets, Elodie finds herself caught between the truth she thought she knew and the man she's beginning to trust. Because every legend has a grain of truth—and the Dark Lord was cursed for a reason.

From New York Times bestselling author Ashley Poston comes a spellbinding new fantasy duology filled with magical academia, forbidden secrets, a reluctant alliance, and a slow-burn romance between a librarian and the Dark Lord.

Perfect for readers who love: magical academies, fantasy romance, cursed heroes, enemies-to-allies romance, mysterious disappearances, dark academia, and stories where the villain isn't quite what he seems.