Piatkus Entice Stocking Filler – Anna Boatman
Piatkus Senior Editor Anna Boatman is ready for some Christmas reading! So what does she hope to find in her stocking?
Only THREE DAYS to go till Christmas! This means lots of things, such as that I’m beginning to panic about my total lack of Christmas presents purchased (three days is loads of time though. 72 hours. Loads of time), and that I’m getting incredibly excited about drinking far too much and playing board games for a few hours straight until we’ve all fallen out over the rules (our family are cool like that . . .). But most of all, it means it is time for me to write about my perfect stocking stuffer!
I’m going with a slightly older book, one of the first I bought when I joined Piatkus, and that we published in 2013. It’s by Lindsey Piper and is called Caged Warrior, the first in a fantastic series called the Dragon Kings. From the very first moment that I started reading I was completely hooked.
The premise is brilliant: the Dragon Kings are an ancient race who humans once worshipped as gods (they have pretty amazing powers). Now, however, they face extinction at the hands of cruel humanity and the curse of increasing infertility. Those remaining healthy are being slowly captured by ruthless cartels, and forced to fight as gladiators in cages for the pleasure of their human masters. If they win their battles, they’re allowed the chance to choose a mate. We follow the story of infamous cage warrior Leto, as he is forced to train up a new ‘recruit’, Nynn, who committed the ultimate sin of falling in love with a human. As he tries his best to break her, forcing her to face up to the past she escaped from and embrace the warrior inside, he starts to release her incredible powers. Soon the heat between them goes nuclear . . . and the fall out will change the fate of the Dragon Kings forever.
It’s gripping, sexy, incredibly addictive stuff and anyone who loves JR Ward should pick up Caged Warrior straight away, particularly because it’s only £1.99 until the 5th January! Auntie Edna pretending she’s gluten intolerant when last year it was ‘diabetes’? Granny’s accidentally poured away the gravy while trying to help? Brother grumpy because his stocking wasn’t as good as yours? It’s all ok. Take a deep breath and pick up Lindsey Piper.
Caged Warrior
by Lindsey Piper
Banished for falling in love with a human, Nynn of Clan Tigony has been living quietly as a wife and mother. But when she and her son are kidnapped and Nynn is sent to the Cages, she must face her true warrior nature - and the magical birthright she has tried to ignore...
Leto of Clan Garnis is a Cage warrior, using his superhuman speed and reflexes to destroy all challengers. Within the Cages, he has had no equal...until he is forced to train Nynn.
Nynn sees proud Leto as no better than a slave, whereas he considers her a traitor. Forced to be allies, tormented by lust, the sparks between them threaten to explode as they learn the high price of honour in their violent underground domain.