A Spark So Bright
She hides from the world. He’s the monster who refuses to let her vanish.
Rose has spent her life running. From hunger, from pain, from anyone who dared to care for her. Once a street thief, then a reluctant priestess, then a prize in a gladiator’s arena, she’s learned that safety only comes from silence. From disappearing into dreams and a false reality that has always kept her safe.
Until Gunnar finds her.
The troll warrior with eyes like storm clouds and hands that could shatter stone. The moment he sees her, he knows she’s his, and that claiming her will take more than brute strength. It will take patience. Trust. The slow, dangerous surrender of her heart.
But the realm is changing. Humans are flooding into the troll kingdom, and the king has declared bridal games—a brutal contest to bind humans and trolls in marriage. Rose is fragile, untrained, and has no wish to compete. Gunnar can’t bear to see her offered to another.
So he enters the games himself. To fight for her. To prove his worth. Even if it means pretending he could ever want anyone but her.
Because monsters may not dream, but for Rose, Gunnar will tear apart the waking world itself.
Readers also enjoyed
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 three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
