Runes She Sang

In this atmospheric gothic fantasy debut inspired by Norse myth and runic lore, an exiled witch marked by forbidden magic must uncover the truth of the night that destroyed her life—or risk being consumed by the power it awakened.Thorun was not supposed to survive the ritual.When fire consumes an abandoned witch's house and leaves a young man she trusted dead beneath the ruins, Thorun escapes with only one impossible proof of what happened: a black mark spreading across her hand like roots beneath her skin. She is exiled through the town gates as a witch and a murderer and left to the mercy of the old forest beyond—where ancient creatures stalk the dark and every path seems hungry for the lost.Hidden within the forest is Danford Castle, a sanctuary for outcast witches, each carrying wounds and powers of their own. There, Thorun wants only to survive, understand the mark, and find a way to live with the life she has lost. And then there is Dante: distant, watchful, and far too easy to trust for a man who keeps so much hidden.But the castle keeps secrets as carefully as it shelters them. As Thorun searches for answers, the mark begins to wake. Something watches from the dark spaces of sleep. Pain, forgotten symbols, and old runes pull her toward a truth no one in the castle fully understands—and a power that must be given voice. The more she learns about the magic that branded her, the more she fears something came out of the fire with her.If Thorun cannot uncover the truth of that night, exile may become the least of her punishments.The Runes She Sang is a gothic fantasy tale of resilience, soul-deep transformation, and slow-burn romantic tension, where power misunderstood can destroy a life—or remake it.