Lunar princess Lunelle Aurellis has spent thirty years adhering to the expectations of the crown—a role she willingly takes on as she prepares to ascend to the Lunar throne. 

Most of the time. 

As court alliances shift and whispers of war grow louder, the Plutonian Court finds themselves ousted by the Solar King and at the mercy of the Inner Courts and their Lunar leadership. At her mother’s insistence, Lunelle leaves home for the first time and joins the regents of the Inner Courts in the Plutonian Court to discuss what their prince, Arcas, has to offer. 

Unfortunately for his ego, Lunelle finds him lackluster at best, but like any good leader, she’s happy to bite her tongue and play the game for the sake of her court. Luckily, her sister’s fiance, the Mercurian king, is easy enough to confide in and seems willing to help guide the foolish prince toward wiser choices. 

However, Lunelle isn’t sure the same could be said for her as she clings to her rapidly fading resolve to put her politics before her own desires.

Tensions abound both in and outside of the Plutonian palace walls, where Nova Rebels aim to take advantage of the regal presence and convince as many monarchs to join the revolution against the gods themselves as possible. Lunelle finds herself caught between doing what she’s told and doing what she desperately wants as her eye is drawn to new, unexpected places.

Out of her element and far from her trusted sister’s confidence, Lunelle must carve her own path and decide if content will ever be enough. Allegiances will forge and fall apart, often in the same breath, as she explores what her innermost desires can teach her about the benefits of usurping tradition and expectation. 

Courting Death & Desire is the first installment of The Living Courts, a series of interconnected standalones following the side plots that thicken during the events of its sister series, The Courts Between. Follow Astra’s older sister, Lunelle, on this steamy, why choose adventure through the Plutonian Court as she navigates forbidden love and confronts the god of death.