FROM THE BEST OF BOOKTOK AUTHORS OF RIFTBORNE AND DUSKBOUND. Enter deadly trials where only the ruthless survive and vengeance demands everything. ARE YOU READY TO brave the darkest corner of the Sundered Realms?
THE ASCENDED
Revenge demands the ultimate sacrifice. When twins Thais and Thatcher are thrust into the deadly Trials of Ascension, they'll navigate brutal competitions and forbidden desires, discovering some secrets are worth dying for—and others are worth killing for.
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In a world where divine power bleeds into the mortal realm, Thais Morvaren has mastered the art of deception. To her seaside village, she's just a fisherman's daughter, serving oysters to summer tourists. In secret, she hides her ability to forge starlight—a power that would force her into the deadly Trials of Ascension.
But when a priest's ritual exposes her powers, Thais is seized and conscripted into the trials against her will. Now trapped in a competition she never wanted to enter, she transforms her fear into purpose: to kill the King of the Gods.
To take down one of the Aesymar, she must become one, even if it costs her everything.
What she doesn't expect is her twin brother's powers suddenly manifesting, forcing him into the trials alongside her—leaving Thais to protect more than just herself.
Worse still, the selection ceremony binds her to a mentor: Xül. A necromancer prince with blood-soaked hands, a sharp tongue, and dark secrets of his own. From the moment they meet, sparks fly. He's insufferably arrogant, she's stubborn to the bone, and neither has any intention of yielding to the other... or to the heat between them.
Each trial survived brings her closer to godhood, but beneath the spectacle of competition, something ancient and malevolent stalks the shadows of the divine realm—a darkness that threatens to unravel the heavens themselves.
The cost of godhood is rising.
Because some stars aren't meant to be weapons.
Some stars are meant to fall. -
The Ascended is a fantasy narrative set in a world of divine beings, celestial power, and dangerous trials, where mortals with special abilities are forced to compete for godhood. It includes elements depicting graphic violence, execution, blood and bleeding, self-harm (blood rituals), death of loved ones (including parental death), animal death (in the form of hunting), grief, mild self-recrimination, imprisonment, torture, intense and graphic injuries, gore, life-threatening situations, sexual assault (off page, but discussed), forced sedation, suicidal ideation, self-sacrifice, betrayal, psychological manipulation, religious trauma, forced separation from family, political intrigue, power dynamics, sexually explicit scenes shown on the page, sub/dom dynamics, restraints, alcohol consumption, drug use, and graphic language. The story contains scenes of community rejection, public humiliation, and characters being hunted by authority figures. Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please be aware.
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Series: Aesymarean, Book 1
Genres: Fantasy Romance, Romance
Age Range: Adult, 18+
ASIN: Coming soon
ISBN: Coming soon -
Thais - THAY-iss
Xül - ZOOL
Thatcher - THATCH-er
Aelix - AY-lix
Aella - AY-el-lah
Aesymar - AY-seh-mar
Asteria - as-TEER-ee-ah
Axora - ax-OR-ah
Bellarium - bell-AIR-ee-um
Chavore - shah-VORE
Davina - dah-VEE-nah
Drakor - DRAY-kor
Draknavor - DRAK-nah-vor
Elysia - eh-LIS-ee-ah
Hydrathis - hy-DRATH-us
Kavik - KAH-vik
Kyren - KYE-ren
Lyralei - LAY-rah-lee
Marx - MARKS
Miria - MEER-ee-ah
Moros - MOR-ros
Morthus - MOR-thus
Morvaren - MOR-vah-ren
Novalie - no-VAH-lee
Nyvora - neh-VOR-ah
Olinthar - OH-lin-thar
Osythe - OH-sigh-thee
Pyralia - pie-RAH-lee-ah
Pyros - PIE-ros
Sev’anarath - SEV-ah-nuh-rath
Sulien - SOO-lee-en
Sundralis - sun-DRAH-lis
Sylphia - SIL-fee-ah
Syrena - sigh-REE-nah
Syrenari - seer-eh-NAR-ee
Terralith - TAIR-ah-lith
Thalor - THAH-lor
Thorne - THORN
Verdara - ver-DAHR-uh
Vesper - VES-per
Vivros - VIV-ros
Vorinar - VOR-ih-nar
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Main Characters
Thais Morvaren
26-year-old protagonist from the coastal village of Saltcrest
Thatcher Morvaren
Thais's twin brother
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The Divine Hierarchy
Primordials
The first beings, creators of existence and the Aesymarean & mortal races. Extinct.
The Twelve
The most powerful of the Aesymar, now the rulers of the Divine and Mortal realms (Voldaris and Elaren).
The Aesymar
The rest of the original Aesymarean pantheon.
Legends
Those born of the original Aesymarean bloodlines AS WELL AS the blessed mortals who ascended to godhood through the trials.
(All Legends are Aesymar, but not all Aesymar are Legends.)
Blessed Mortals
Mortals who developed gifts or powers.
Mortals
The inhabitants of Elaren, the Mortal realm.
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The Two Realms
Voldaris
The Divine Realm
Elaren
The Mortal Realm
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The Twelve Aesymar
Olinthar
King of the Aesymar; god of Light and Order
Morthus
God of the Death
Davina
Goddess of Nature and Earth
Pyralia
Goddess of Fire and Passion
Terralith
God of Travel and Wealth
Thalor
God of Oceans and Emotions
Sylphia
Goddess of Wind and Secrets
Vorinar
God of Time and Fate
Syrena
Goddess of Dreams and Illusions
Aella
Goddess of Chaos and Change
Thorne
God of Artifice and Alchemy
Axora
Goddess of War and Justice
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Domains of Voldaris
Sundralis
Domain of light and order; ruled by Olinthar
Draknavor
Domain of death and souls; ruled by Morthus
Verdara
Domain of nature and renewal; ruled by Davina
Chronos
Domain of time and fate; ruled by Vorinar
Pyros
Domain of fire and passion; ruled by Pyralia
Terramor
Domain of earth and wealth; ruled by Terralith
Hydrathis
Domain of oceans and emotion; ruled by Thalor
Zephyria
Domain of wind and secrets; ruled by Sylphia
Asteria
Domain of dreams and illusions; ruled by Syrena
Pandemonium
Domain of chaos and change; ruled by Aella
Arcanium
Domain of artifice and alchemy; ruled by Thorne
Bellarium
Domain of war and justice; ruled by Axora
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The Legends
Xül
Warden of the Damned, Necromancer; son of Morthus
Chavore
Aesymar of Strategy and War; son of Olinthar
Miria
Aesymar of Healing
Kavik
Aesymar of the Wildfires
Elysia
Aesymar of Beauty
Drakor
Aesymar of Shadows
Aelix
Aesymar of Blood Curses
Nyvora
Aesymar of Fauna and Predation; daughter of Davina
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Other Important Characters
Osythe
Morthus's “mortal” wife; mother of Xül
Lyralei
Lead Dreamweaver and stylist
Novalie
Dreamweaver specializing in beauty
Vesper
Dreamweaver specializing in wardrobe
Marx
Fellow contestant with curse manipulation abilities
Kyren
Fellow contestant with metal manipulation abilities
Sulien Morvaren
The man who raised Thais and Thatcher
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The Trials of Ascension
The Trials
Brutal competition held every ten years where mortals with divine powers compete to potentially become gods
The Proving
Preliminary trial where contestants must demonstrate their powers
The Choosing
When the Legends select their contestant to mentor throughout the trials.
The Blessed
Mortals who possess divine powers and are required to participate in the trials
Contestants
Those competing in the trials
Mentors
Legends who guide contestants through the trials
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The Primordials
The Primordials
Ancient elemental beings who ruled before the Aesymar
Vivros
Ancient Primordial known as "Cataclysm Incarnate"; possessed dominion over living matter
Moros
Ancient Primordial known as “Corruption Incarnate”; possessed dominion over corruption
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Types of Divine Servants
Dreamweavers
Servants of Syrena who specialize in fashion, beauty, and presentation; have ethereal appearances with star-filled eyes
Lightbringers
Light-beings who serve Olinthar; translucent humanoids who glow with inner light
Shadowkin
Elegant servants of Morthus who handle soul management and bureaucracy; can blend with darkness and communicate with spirits
Forgeborn
Metallic beings who serve as guards and enforcers; have bronze skin with geometric patterns and clockwork eyes
Syrenari
Warrior beings that Serve Bellarium and Axora
Elementals
Humanoid embodiments of their respective elements who serve the elemental gods (Pyralia, Terralith, Thalor, Sylphia)