This is a fictional book series I made up for my Pathfinder group (a tabletop role playing game based on Dungeons and Dragons). In our fictional world, romance novels seem to always include stories of epic adventure. This series is very popular within our world and the author is a mystery.
I created this using as many over-the-top tropes from both fantasy and romance genres (my two favorite genres) as I could. While this is intended to be humorous, it is the exaggerated tropes that are intended to be funny, not the genres themselves. Fantasy and romance genres are often looked down on or considered less valuable, and that is not my intent here. If this series was real, I bet these six books would be a great read, and I would totally read them.
Love’s Captive Book 1: Valiant Seduction
The kind-hearted thief, Lissa, gets captured by Tevaga, the valiant captain of the guard. Lissa escapes, but her heart will forever be captive. As Lissa sets about courting Tevaga with good deeds, a mysterious occultist comes to the city. Can Lissa unravel the web of secrets in time to save the noble Tevaga from a fate worse that death?
Love’s Captive Book 2: Ardent Fall
Lissa has left her life of crime behind, but, because her role in defeating the fiendish occultist has had to remain secret, she has no protection from the harsh edicts of the new seneschal. As her past catches up to her, she is forced to leave her home and Captain Tevaga behind. Now, on the road through the Eastern Desert, Lissa is captured by Harsk, the handsome bandit king, who is captivated by her beauty. Using her wits, Lissa quickly wins a place his band. The roguish Harsk is used to getting what he wants, but Lissa teaches him a lesson as she resists his advances. However, Lissa is surprised to find herself tempted by Harks’s rough charm. Tensions soon rise between different factions within the band and Lissa is pressured to take sides. As Dolgrim, Harsk’s treacherous second in command, offers Lissa her freedom in exchange for joining his side, Harsk confesses his love for her. Is his love real, or merely lust? Can Lissa find out the truth before it is too late?
Love’s Captive Book 3: Burning Redemption
In the wake of the bandit civil war, the noble Tevaga returns, leading the soldiers tasked with restoring order to the Eastern Desert. Even worse, the treacherous Dolgrim has returned as an agent of the kingdom to the south. Lissa desperately tries to keep Harsk and Tevaga separate, but when battle breaks out between Tevaga’s soldiers and Dolgrim’s forces, Harsk takes the opportunity to capture Tevaga. Now Lissa must make a choice between the roguish Harsk and her rekindled passion for the noble Tevaga. Can Lissa find a way to save Tevaga without betraying Harsk?
Love’s Captive Book 4: Tender Service
Still saddened by Harsk’s noble sacrifice, Lissa and Tevaga stumble over a strange cult and uncover a plot to assassinate the queen. They rush to the capital, but when Tevaga is framed for a crime she didn’t commit, she is unable to deliver her news to the queen. With Tevaga discredited and imprisoned, it is up to Lissa to deliver her fiancé’s message, but things get even more complicated when Lissa’s former lover Rilla arrives and offers her help freeing Tevaga, at a price. Can Lissa save Tevaga and warn the queen in time?
Love’s Captive Book 5: Passion Unfurled
Now a knight of the realm, Lissa sets sail with Tevaga to deliver an important message to an ally overseas. On their way, their ship is attacked by pirates. Lissa nobly sacrifices herself so that Tevaga and their ship can escape. Now the captive of the brooding pirate captain Marra, Lissa finds herself temped in a whole new way. As the ships of the sinister shadow wraiths appear on the horizon, can Lissa resist Marra’s allure or will she be seduced back into a life of crime?
Love’s Captive: Desire Unchained
(Our characters found a half finished manuscript for this. In it the plot takes a darker turn than is usual for the series. Our characters are trying to determine if this is genuine or fanfic.)
As Lissa and Tevaga lead the queen’s navy to aid Marra’s pirate fleet in the war against the shadow wraiths and their demon hordes, Harsk returns as an agent of the mysterious Coven of Elders. Captured upon suspicion of treason, Harsk is brought before Lissa to be questioned. Lissa is overjoyed to see him alive, but Tevaga is suspicious. But, before the interrogation can be completed, battle breaks out. Harsk uses the powerful Fan of All Winds to save the day and wins a spot in their crew. However, the shadow wraths have their own mysterious magic and Lissa and Tevaga soon discover that this war is not what it seems. Shocked by the Queen’s treachery, Lissa, Tevaga, and Harsk find sanctuary with their former foes. Freed from the constraints of past oaths, Lissa soon finds herself consumed with desire for her former lover. And Tevaga too finds herself powerfully attracted to the rakish Harsk. As events builds to a final, epic confrontation, the three of them find that the dangers of war have brought them all closer together, and that desires long chained are ready to be freed…
[Image description: Photo of a hazy yellow sunset with a large golden sun behind wispy clouds. Silhouetted against the sun is the outline of Le Mont Saint Michel, a small, mountainous island covered with medieval fortifications and buildings. The foreground is indistinct, dark grass or waves. Overall the image is intended to have a dramatic, epic fantasy feeling.]
Image: from schroederhund on pixabay (https://pixabay.com/en/mont-st-michel-evening-sky-sunset-1644526/)
Notice how every book includes someone literally becoming a captive?