Briannis Iavi, a well-bred lady and accidental assassin, is so close to securing the life of her dreams. All she needs to do is complete one last job: make her way into fae territory, sneak into the enchanted halls of Rosethorn Keep, and kill the king of Faerie. Her plan goes disastrously wrong, and Briannis finds herself a captive at her target’s mercy instead. Cursed to a life of loneliness and slow decay, the monstrous fae king seems hell-bent on revenge—and if he can’t hurt the human rulers who sent her, he’ll amuse himself with her instead. Unable to escape his sentient castle or to disobey his commands, Briannis has no choice but to fall back on her sharpest weapon: her wits. Tricking fae is a dangerous game, however. And miles away from the respectable life she thought she knew, even her knives and poisons may not be enough to protect her heart… _Bridgerton _meets _The Cruel Prince _in this steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling. Featuring a tormented hero, an almost-proper heroine, and a castle that’s just trying to help, _Curse of the Thorn King _is the first in a series of standalone fantasy romances with an overarching plot. Intended for a mature audience.