Kaila Desjardins
Romantic Fantasy Author

Writing fierce* women & the cinnamon rolls who love them

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Welcome!

To the lovers of fairytales, romance, and myths.

*Fierce, adjective: Furiously active or determined.

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Shadow Sword

Defending those they swore to protect might cost more than they bargained for.Sellsword Morrígan wants nothing more than to defend innocent people. So when Dàibhid, the king of Cunlaran, offers her and her friends the opportunity, she can hardly say no. But working for Dàibhid could expose her secret—she’s not only a princess but Dàibhid’s childhood ex-best friend. If he ever realizes who he has in his castle, Morrígan’s life will come crashing down. The problem is, it’s more difficult keeping her distance than it should be.Dàibhid is desperate to protect his subjects against an invading enemy intent on stealing his throne. Cautious with lives and hoping to avoid war, Dàibhid hires sellswords to gather information undercover. But when the mission goes sideways and people get hurt, Dàibhid’s fear of failing his subjects worsens. The only effective balm seems to be spending time with one of his new hires . . .As the pair grows closer, enemy attacks turn deadlier and the team’s mission becomes paramount. With secrets and lives on the line, Morrígan and Dàibhid must ask themselves what they’re willing to risk before everything they’ve worked for is lost.

Genre and Spice Level
New Adult Romantasy (18+)
Inspired by Irish mythology and The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Bridge Kingdom & Dance of Thieves vibes
While Shadow Sword only contains kissing, future books in the series will contain descriptive, on-page intimacy

Tropes
Childhood ex-best friends to lovers
Badass sellsword FMC and cinnamon roll king MMC
Found family
Hidden royalty
Slow-burn romance
Forced proximity
Power-hungry villain
Characters inspired by Irish gods

Content Warnings
Moderate to intense: Blood, death,
injury, violence
Moderate: Anxious thoughts, cursing
Mild: Alcohol/intoxication
Off page: Death of a child, fire/fire injury, homophobia, kidnapping
Remembered: Death of parents

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Phantom Princess

Who would you become if your worst fears came to pass?Morrígan Feighlí is lost. With her closest friends refusing to acknowledge her, she leans heavily on her new relationship with King Dàibhid and on her purpose as a sellsword. But even her purpose is fragile as her old life looms closer. And if it finds her, it won’t let her out of its sight again.With his subjects scared, displaced, and held hostage, Dàibhid blames himself for the damage his country has sustained. But before he can enact plans to reclaim Cunlaran from the Exiles—and fix his mistakes—a familiar face from his and Morrígan’s pasts arrives at the Stone Fortress. While they could be Dàibhid’s salvation, he fears they are certain to be Morrígan’s downfall.With the odds stacked against them, more traitors rise. If Morrígan and Dàibhid can’t learn to reconcile their fears with their hopes, neither Cunlaran nor their hearts will survive.

Genre and Spice Level
New Adult Romantasy (18+)
Inspired by Irish mythology and The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Bridge Kingdom & Remnant Universe vibes
Spice level: 3-3.5 (Spice Meter)

Tropes
Slow-burn romance ignites
Badass sellsword FMC and cinnamon roll king MMC
Found family
Fairytale vibes
Emotional turmoil
Mutual saving
“I’ll always fight for you”
Characters inspired by Irish gods

Content Warnings
Sexual content (two consensual, descriptive scenes between a cisgender woman and a cisgender man)
Moderate to intense: Blood,
injury/recovery details, violence
Moderate: Alcohol, anxious thoughts, cursing, death, injury, symptoms of situational depression, war
Mild: Animal death, near-drowning, vomit
Off page: Homophobia, torture
Remembered: Death of parents

About the Author

Kaila Desjardins is a writer and freelance editor from Ontario, Canada. Having never grown out of fairytale magic, she adores stories with epic loves, enchanting worlds, and sword fighting princesses. When not working on a book or editing for a client, she’s likely reading, watching Disney, or wishing Starfleet was real.

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