The Poison and the Paladin — Sarah M. Cradit

He's the calm in her storm.Disappear into this entrancing tale of the forbidden love between a young poison mistress and her brother's best friend.Edriss Blackwood has always been alone. Neglected. Abandoned. She converts this angst into action, wielding her vibrant imagination as both sword and shield, slashing through the malevolence slowly destroying her homeland.Her one light in the darkness is her steadfast protector, Lorcan James.It all began by a riverbank a decade ago when he found his best friend's little sister, broken and alone. What started as a matter of honor blossomed into an unshakeable bond between two passionate souls, forged in love, trust, and fierce loyalty.There was only rule: don't fall in love. Too bad hearts don't play by the rules.But the very thing that brought them together-honor-is what will tear them apart. Their friend Arwenna, extorted by the men waging war against Edriss's family, convinces a reluctant Lorcan to secretly pretend to be her lover, an elaborate, twisted ruse she claims is the only way to keep Edriss safe. The truth, however, is much more sinister.Edriss licks the wounds of her shattered heart by wading deeper into the war tearing the Westerlands apart. Reckless, and with nothing left to lose, there's no limit to what she'll do to bring down the men responsible.But one young woman alone cannot stand against pure evil.If Lorcan can't find a way to win back her faith, both Edriss and the Westerlands will be irrevocably consumed by the flames.__The Book of All Things is a series of standalone fantasy romance tales set in the vibrant, epic world first introduced by USA Today Bestselling Author Sarah M. Cradit in the Kingdom of the White Sea trilogy.The Poison and the Paladin is a brother's best friend, forbidden love romance featuring Edriss and Lorcan, characters first introduced in The Raven and the Rush. It is the second story in the Blackwood Cycle of The Book of All Things, but can also be enjoyed as a standalone.The Blackwood Cycle:Forbidden love, second chances, found family, and the Rise of House Blackwood (low heat)The Raven and the RushThe Poison and the Paladin