A Light So Blinding
Astrid has survived her entire life by staying silent. As a veiled priestess, she advises a nobleman who makes every decision for her. But when a letter arrives claiming her long-lost sister is alive and captured by the trolls, Astrid is ready to risk everything.
What she didn’t expect? Her nobleman is in debt. And he’s decided to pay it with her body.
Traded to the gladiator pits beneath the kingdom, Astrid is handed to a brutal troll warrior known only as the Bull. Massive. Silent. Deadly. He’s everything she’s been taught to fear, and the only one who might help her escape.
Bjorn has spent years shackled, forced to fight for human entertainment. But when a fragile human woman is gifted to him, begging for help, something ancient stirs in his blood. Honor. Purpose. Rage.
He breaks his chains for her.
Now they’re on the run through ancient wilds, cursed lands, and Bjorn’s broken homeland. But Astrid is hiding more than secrets behind her veil. Magic pulses beneath her skin. And Bjorn? He might not be the monster she was taught to fear... but the man fate never meant her to love.
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Emma Hamm
Emma Hamm is a storyteller whose fantasy worlds feel as ancient as the myths they’re drawn from. Her writing, deeply woven with elements of romance, magic, and mythology, has found a dedicated following, earning her a place among readers who crave complex characters and emotional depth.
Born with a natural love for stories, Emma grew up in a small town where she often found herself lost in the worlds of books, surrounded by nature and fueled by a deep curiosity about the unknown. Whether it was playing with mythical creatures in her imagination or diving into the folklore that intrigued her, it was clear early on that Emma’s creative path would lead her to writing.
The Kingdom Below
Beneath the surface of familiar fairy tales lies a shadowed world, steeped in forgotten bargains and the echoes of ancient magic. In this richly woven fantasy series, Emma Hamm reimagines the folklore we think we know—giving voice to the monsters beneath and the mortals who dare to love them.
The story unfolds in an underworld shaped by both beauty and ruin, where creatures born of myth and curse guard their secrets fiercely. At its heart is a romance that defies kingdoms and curses, told with lyrical prose and an atmospheric pull that lingers long after the final page. There’s a haunting stillness to the world Hamm creates—a place where every whispered promise might come true, and every truth demands a price.
The Kingdom Below consists of two books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

