The Midsummer Bride

The Dead Lands

By: Kati Wilde

Narrated by: Ashford MacNab

A Barbarian Who Must Lie

When a prideful queen comes to his prison cell with an unbelievable proposal of marriage, Warrick of the Dead Lands is quick to accept. Because he recognizes the powerful jewels the queen wears—jewels pilfered from the temple of a goddess, who unleashed her wrath upon a kingdom. His plan? Pretend to go along with Queen Elina until he can steal the jewels back, then use them to lift the goddess's curse.

Except the queen isn't who Warrick assumes she is at first glance, and his deception might cost him everything . . .

A Queen Who Must Die

Elina has spent years searching for the warrior prophesied to overthrow the sorcerer who stole her throne . . . and Warrick is the one. She doesn't want to marry a barbarian, but she's running out of time—the sickness ravaging her body means she'll be dead long before she sees home. Only the enchanted jewels she wears give her the strength to continue on . . . and her new husband's touch offers the only pleasure she's ever known.

But after a life spent running from those who betrayed her, Elina doesn't know whether to trust Warrick with her kingdom . . . or her heart.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Kati Wilde (P)2025 Tantor Media

Really unique story and solid performance

I really like this very unique fantasy story. I love this world KW has built and each story is very hard to predict, which is so unusual for me.

The love story is heart warming

I started out and couldn’t really get into the book. I started it twice. But on the third try, it finally stuck and I’m so glad I pushed through because the story and the characters are lovely. The betrayal you feel along with the Queen, the love you know the King feels for his wife are genuine. And there are some clever plot developments I didn’t see coming that made the book not the predictable linear storyline.

The tangled web we weave…

“You would move mountains for me?”
“I will!”
Curses and deception make for great entertainment and greater romance. Compared to the others in this series, this one has a better developed adventure to go with the naughty nooky. The way Warrick and Elina end up fighting for their people and their love tugged on the heart strings.