Book of Arden Series by Gena Showalter – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Book of Arden Series by Gena Showalter – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:08:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Book of Arden Series by Gena Showalter – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Kingdom of Today (Book of Arden #2) Read Online Gena Showalter http://www.books2020.com/kingdom-of-today-book-of-arden-2-read-online-gena-showalter Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:08:07 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/kingdom-of-today-book-of-arden-2-read-online-gena-showalter Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal Authors: Gena Showalter Series: Book of Arden Series by Gena Showalter
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Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)

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From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a hauntingly beautiful dystopian fantasy, where ancient powers rise and a fearless young woman must choose between the ruthless prince who tempts her heart—and a destiny that could cost her soul.

When Arden Roosa returns to Fort Bala Royal Academy, nothing is as it was. No longer just a lady-in-training, she’s now the infamous girlfriend of High Prince Cyrus Dolion—and the woman who brought down a king. Her reward? Round-the-clock guards and the attention of a royal executioner with secrets. But Arden has secrets too. As a double agent slipping between worlds to decode forbidden prophecy, she knows what’s coming. Sleeping gods are stirring, and a war igniting. With only a spark, everyone will burn.

But nothing goes according to plan. Grueling trials consume her days, and dangerous questions stalk her nights. Worse, Cyrus—the fierce, unshakable warrior she might love—is unraveling, losing pieces of himself, becoming a stranger right before her eyes. Desperate to save him, Arden strikes a life-altering alliance…and everything spirals. Now the gods are no longer dreaming. They’re hunting. Time is running out, the end closer than anyone dares to admit. Unless Arden can stop what’s coming, Cyrus will open the door to true evil—and she’ll lose him forever

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

A grinning Cyrus clutches two scarlet-stained daggers.

We stand in a stalemate, the battlefield between us a nightmare of lifeless bodies and scattered limbs bathed in the unflinching light of Theirland’s twin suns. Lavender and gold streak the sky, casting an eerie glow over the blood-soaked earth, where rivers of crimson carve fresh paths through the flatland. Overhead, a restless flock of scavenger birds circles, their shrill cries piercing the thick, heavy silence as they await their feast.

A fresh wave of CURED soldiers floods in, surging from behind the former high prince and hurrying to kill the array of glowers trapped around me. Men and women I admire. Many more will die today if I don’t stop Cyrus. But how do I strike down the man I love?

Is he still the man I love, though?

In the morning’s brightness, I notice his missing facial brand. No sign of it remains, and my guts twist. More evidence of the monster he’s becoming.

“It doesn’t have to end this way, Arden,” he calls.

“You’re right.” I huff and puff my breaths. “Walk away now, and I’ll spare you.”

His grin turns wry as he spreads his arms. Thin, snakelike shadows seep from his fingertips, coil up, and band around his neck. “I admit, your new confidence is adorable.”

“Isn’t it?” I rock on my heels and white-knuckle my sword hilt as I scrutinize my newest enemy. Cyrus is a god of a man in more ways than one. Beautiful, tall, and powerfully built, with features somehow both surprisingly soft and far too harsh. The contradiction fits. He’s always been a paradox. Demanding yet indulgent. Mysterious but open. Perfect in his imperfections. An opponent feared by the world and yet my greatest ally. From the first moment I laid eyes on him, he fascinated me. And now here we are, soldiers on opposite sides of a war I only just realized I’ve been fighting my entire life.

A chorus of grunts, groans, clinking metal, and gunfire rises as his army attacks my allies.

“You won’t kill me.” Urgency whips at my back. “But I will hurt you if you continue on this path.”

He tsks. “You give me too little credit and yourself too much. I will do whatever proves necessary to secure my rule.” A promise he made at the start of this journey. “Join my team. Merciful leader that I am, I’ll give you one more chance. Refuse, and my desire for you will no longer factor into my decisions.”

There is no need to ponder my response. I lift my sword. “I will never help you destroy Soal.”

Cyrus shrugs. “That’s disappointing but not shocking. Just know you chose this, sweetness.”

I jut my chin. “No, sweetie. You chose it.”

He draws in a deep breath, then releases a short, sharp exhalation. “Let’s get to it, then.”

“Yes. Let’s.” Heart a war drum, I run at him.

He runs at me.

We meet in the middle . . .

—The Book of Arden, volume 20, section 18, paragraph 3, verses 5–26

Chapter One

The past cannot be undone, but you can begin again right where you are.

—The Book of Soal 1.23.43.18

“I won’t do it.” The words echoed in the empty train cart as it rattled along a winding track. I stood with my back pressed against a cold metal pole, its unforgiving chill seeping through my shirt. High Prince Cyrus Dolion occupied the space just in front of me, his massive frame a tower of strength. He gripped the bar just above my head, his arms forming an unbreakable cage around me.

“Yes, kitten. You will.” Each gravelly syllable contained the full authority inherent in his title. He searched my eyes, intense to the max, before leaning closer to set his mouth near my ear. “We both know I didn’t issue a request, but a demand.”

My pulse jumped wildly until I felt a heartbeat in every part of my body. “You aren’t the boss of me?” A breathless question when it should have been a firm statement.

“I am indeed the boss of you.” He recaptured my gaze. “I outrank you by miles.”

An undeniable fact. “Fine.” I exaggerated a put-upon sigh. “You’ve convinced me. I’ll do it. I’ll obey the oh-so-important order of a superior officer.” Gliding my palms up his powerful torso to toy with the ends of his silken hair, I confessed, “I will miss you today.”

“You had better, because I’ll be missing you.” He brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “Thinking about you. Craving you.”

The air between us crackled, filling my nostrils with his intoxicating, ambrosial scent. There was no man more striking than Cyrus Dolion, especially when he cranked up his smolder like this. From the dark shadow dusting his firm jaw, to the large handprint branded on the side of his face, to his heavily lashed eyes, aquiline nose, and soft lips, he exuded pure confidence. But then, he was a warrior to his core. Absolute control radiated from every inch of his lean, muscular form, now decked out in fatigues.

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Advertisement Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1) Read Online Gena Showalter http://www.books2020.com/kingdom-of-tomorrow-book-of-arden-1-read-online-gena-showalter Sat, 16 Aug 2025 22:26:40 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/kingdom-of-tomorrow-book-of-arden-1-read-online-gena-showalter Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Gena Showalter Series: Book of Arden Series by Gena Showalter
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Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)

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From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a fusion of modern and fantastical worlds, where a young woman must navigate a secret society, uncover a shocking enemy…and resist an undeniable attraction.

Twenty-year-old Arden Roosa knows only Ourland. Two worlds split and stitched together, with broken pieces from each, statues of fallen gods, and heavenly artifacts that are worshipped…or feared.

But nothing is more fearsome than the night.

A strange madness haunts the darkest hours, turning innocents into gleeful killers. Arden does her best to stay safe, until she reads a book written about her life―The Book of Arden―and everything changes.

Forced to join Fort Bala Royal Academy, Arden is paired with the ruthless High Prince Cyrus Dolion. But while he trains her for combat against a mystical adversary, she can’t deny the sparks burning between them.

If her panic attacks and war games aren’t enough, Arden is also tapped to join the Tome Society, rumored guardians of an invisible library with books that foretell the future. But the more she learns about the society, the less she understands about Ourland, the gods…and the person she’s destined to be

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

A multitude of people, and yet a solitude.

—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Prologue

To: Tagin Dolion

From: Baracas Heta

Subject: A potential problem

Your Highness,

The following is an encrypted exchange between the Soalian known as Sparrow and an unknown associate referred to as “Unicorn.” How would you like me to proceed?

Begin Exchange

Sparrow: You’re ready for your first mission. Agreed?

Unicorn: Considering I submitted a formal request eight months ago, yes. Agreed.

Sparrow: You weren’t ready then. You’re barely ready now.

Unicorn: Have you even read my file? I’m the best of the best.

Sparrow: We’ll find out soon enough. You will recruit Arden Roosa.

Unicorn: Seriously, read my file. The best of the best—in battle. Recruiting isn’t my thing.

Sparrow: Recruiting is every Soalian’s thing. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of introductions.

Unicorn: Why do you want her? Who is she?

Sparrow: She’s the one you will recruit, as previously stated.

Unicorn: Stop being stubborn. Why should I risk my life for hers?

Sparrow: The Book of Soal. Why else?

Unicorn: The Book is your answer for everything. But why seek Arden Roosa specifically? (See? I can be stubborn too.)

Sparrow: Perhaps you need a reminder of law 2.1.5.44. Book of Soal, volume 2, section 1, paragraph 5, verse 44: Whenever it is within your power, aid the maddened.

Sparrow: You were once maddened, yet I risked my life to recruit You, a snot-nosed kid whose issues had issues.

Unicorn: Fine. I’ll do it. But you may not like my methods.

Sparrow: What, are you going to use your “signature charm?”

Unicorn: . . .

Unicorn: . . .

Unicorn: Maybe.

Sparrow: Soal help us all.

End of Exchange

To: Baracas Heta

From: Tagin Dolion

Subject: re: A potential problem

This is a job for the High Prince. My son lacks charm, but he never fails.

Chapter One

Fear isn’t an emotion but a force; it starts with a spark and grows until it torches your entire life.

—The Book of Soal 1.18.3.25

249 AR (After Rebuild)

The waiting room smelled of clashing perfumes, nervous sweat, and old sandwiches. Too many people crammed inside the circular space, turning the midlevel of the high-rise silo into a pressure cooker.

Conversations crested and crashed with varying degrees of irritation as men, women, and children arrived and departed through a central bank of elevators. I shifted in the world’s most uncomfortable chair and studied my surroundings for the thousandth time. Green-and-gold posters decorated the drab, windowless walls.

Be Our Eyes and Ears.

All Before One.

We Are Cured.

The same images hung in most buildings throughout the province. Comforting reminders that we weren’t alone. We had help against the Madness.

I stiffened with familiar tension as the most feared word in existence echoed inside my head. Madness, Madness, Madness. Perspiration dampened my skin, and I darted my gaze, searching for any signs of infection in the people around me. No one was exhibiting telltale symptoms. Still. The air seemed to thicken, making breathing more difficult for me. Stop! The others were fine; I was fine. There was no need to panic. Please don’t panic. Not today.

Inhale. Exhale. I lifted my hair, welcoming a fresh draft to my nape. But the hem of my dress inched up my thighs, and I hurried to smooth the soft but worn buttercup yellow material into place. Call my name. Please.

A baby cried, launching a new cycle of grumbles from the old woman at my left. I’d heard the nerve-shredding chorus for three hours straight and wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

I brushed my gaze over a guy across the room—someone who hadn’t been there minutes before. My attention zoomed back to him. He was peering at me thoughtfully. Didn’t hurt that he was super cute, with deep-set eyes, chiseled cheekbones, and a clean-shaven jaw.

He offered me a stunning grin, and my brain blipped, deleting my newest litany of complaints. I waved. What? I was single, and outside of panic attacks, I tended to fixate on random things.

He made a funny face, inspiring an unexpected smile. I couldn’t help but make a funny face right back.

Barking a charming laugh, he drew the attention of half the room’s occupants. Even as he ducked in his seat, his cheeks flushing, he presented me with another stunner.

“Arden Roosa,” a harried voice announced over the intercom.

Heart leaping, I jumped to my feet. “Present!” Embarrassment scorched me as soon as I comprehended what I’d done. I’d been waiting long enough to learn the drill. Hear your name, take the elevator up, and discover if your dreams were forever crushed.

My legs quaked as I trudged to the bank and stepped into an open stall. Mr. Smiles rose and started forward, erasing the distance between us. Anticipation sparked. Maybe, just maybe, I was about to score a date and celebrate a lifelong goal today. Fitting rewards for controlling my anxiety the past four hours.

“I’m—” he began, but the doors closed, cutting him off.

Or not.

My shoulders rolled in. Forget the boy. The entire fabric of my life hinged on the coming verdict. Inhale. Exhale. In, out.

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