Sheila Masterson
Author
THE LOST GOD,
THE MEMORY CURSE,
& THE STORM KING
are available now at your favorite online retailer.
THE GODLESS KINGDOM
coming June 3, 2024
Two kingdoms vying for an ancient power. One witch on the verge of releasing it. But all magic requires an exchange.
Memory Witch, Cecilia, is used to sacrificing for power. She’s exchanged her blood for memories, her pride for respect at court, and her forbidden and unrequited love for her guardian, Rainer, for the sake of her duty. It will all be worth it if she can complete the Gauntlet and release the power of the Lost God.
But when the god of war attacks, sending the two kingdoms from simmering tension to open war, Cecilia and Rainer set out on one final perilous journey. They venture deeper into enemy territory than ever before, aided by a charming hunter who offers Cecilia a glimpse of the adventure and romance she’s always wanted.
As the trio encounters vicious memory-stealing hunters, enchanted illusion forests, and meddling gods who speak in riddles, they draw ever closer to the pinnacle of the Gauntlet, and the sacrifice that Cecilia has been dreading. When faced with the most important magical exchange of her life, Cecilia must choose between her kingdom, and her heart, knowing one will be left irreparably broken.
Content Warnings: This story includes self-harm for magic (cutting of a hand), fertility issues, parental death, violence, and explicit sex. Please proceed with caution.
*SPOILERS BELOW: Skip the description of THE MEMORY CURSE if you haven't read THE LOST GOD yet.*
A woman afraid of her magic. A prince without a kingdom. A guardian with an immortal charge.
Cecilia is mired in grief. Haunted by the lives she took when fighting the god of war and the price she paid to take them, Cecilia knows winning one battle has only postponed the greater war.
A terrifying new power burns through her blood. Rainer’s heart-wrenching confession has her torn between old love for him and new love for Xander. Meanwhile, the enemy is regrouping with the enigmatic trickster god, Cato, at the helm—and Cecilia owes him a favor.
When the Argarian Army attacks and Cato kidnaps Xander, Cecilia turns to her godly half-siblings for aid. But the gods seem more interested in playing games than saving the realm. To rescue Xander, Cecilia must root out Cato’s weakness by diving deep into the gods’ world of favors, completing their tasks, and untangling their riddles before Cato collects on the debt he’s owed.
Content Warnings: This story includes references to grief, anxiety, depression, fertility issues, parental death, profanity, violence, and explicit sex. Please proceed with caution.
Get the Memory Curse Bonus ChaPter-
Evan and Sylvie’s Meet Cute
*SPOILERS BELOW: Skip the description of THE STORM KING if you haven't read THE MEMORY CURSE yet.*
“On a cold winter day, high in the mountains, a baby was born in the heart of a storm.”
Xander Savero is reeling from the loss of his family and the love of his life, but there’s no time for his broken heart when his kingdom is in peril. His cruel cousin is chipping away at Argaria’s borders, leaving a trail of violence in his wake.
The enemies at the borders are just the beginning. The fiercest opposition comes from within Xander’s own court, where nobles speculate about his parentage, commoners think he’s an outsider, and assassins wait poised for the moment he drops his guard. Xander strives to put an end to the upheaval by marrying a princess from a stronger, more established kingdom. His decision plunges the Argarian court into a chaotic three-week festival, at the end of which he will choose a bride.
But more new faces at court mean more threats to Xander’s life, compelling him to call in reinforcements from old friends. Cecilia’s arrival is more hindrance than help, putting him face to face with the woman who shattered his heart, while he’s still picking up the pieces. Together, Xander, Cecilia, and their friends must fight against a series of ancient spells, a spy in their midst, and their own haunted pasts to take down their faceless enemy before Xander and the kingdom both fall.
Content Warnings: grief, depression, suicide ideation, post-traumatic stress, panic attacks, anxiety, fertility issues, loss of a parent (historical), violence, torture, and threat of sexual violence.
*SPOILERS BELOW: Skip the description of THE GODLESS KINGDOM if you haven't read the first three books in the series.
A king ripped from his throne. An imposter wearing the crown. A court balanced on a knife’s edge.
In the wake of a violent rebellion, Cecilia and Xander are trapped behind enemy lines under the thumb of a cruel tyrant. It’s impossible to know who to trust with the culture of fear Vincent has instilled in the Argarian court. Clawing back the power he stole requires slow and careful progress. The vicious king needs them both alive for now, but one wrong move will land them in tower jails or worse.
Outside the castle walls, Evan enlists his network of spies to help his friends escape. But moving through town freely and accessing the castle grounds requires accepting help from an unexpected ally.
In the heart of Vincent’s court, Rainer is rendered from an aching past he can’t remember and is desperate for the glorious future he’s been chasing his whole life. Torn between his duty, his honor, and his heart, Rainer must decide what he wants most and what price he’s willing to pay for it.
They all walk a perilous line and one misstep will cost them their lives and the chance at the happily ever after they’ve fought so hard for.
Content Warnings: grief, depression, suicide ideation, post-traumatic stress, panic attacks, anxiety, fertility issues, loss of a parent (historical), violence, torture, and threat of sexual violence.
Praise for THE LOST GOD
"The way this book has ROCKETSPEED SHUTTLED me DIRECTLY into the depths of despair and book hangoverdom in the best, most satisfying, most ‘this is why i read romance books’ kind of way.
i am EPICALLY hungover. i feel like i’ve been through the world’s fastest spin cycle, in a washing machine strapped into one of those scrambly rides at the fair that makes you scream with joy (and a little bit of nausea, for fun).
this was so, so, so, so, SO GOOD.
i read so much fantasy romance, and while i’m an Enthusiastic Fan In General (insert ‘when someone is just a casual fan of something and you’re deranged’ meme), it’s rare that a SINGLE BOOK (not even the whole series yet!!!) puts me through the full spectrum of human emotion. this has more twists than the spinniest, scariest rollercoaster you know. it is SUPERB."
- Silvy, Goodreads
"Guzzled? Inhaled? Mainlined, maybe? I’m not sure what verb I did to this book, or if there’s an existing word with the fervor I want to convey. I finished this book in 36 hours and it only took me that long because I have an obligation to feed, bathe, and keep my child alive.
There is so much tension I had to stop mid-chapter almost constantly to put it down. My husband had to ask me if I was okay because he found me after I finished and I was staring at the wall. (Honestly, I don’t know, I need to think about this for a week.)
Sheila’s writing is beautiful and poetic and so efficient. She makes so much happen in such a small space. By 50%, I had reached the point in the book that I expected to be the ending and somehow it didn’t feel rushed.
Excited for November."
- Kay, Goodreads
“… she realized that true intimacy, like all magic, required an exchange. She couldn’t access the full breadth of it if she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her pride and be vulnerable”
I loved and completely devoured this book in 3 days. The Lost God follows memory witch Cecelia and her bonded guardian Rainer as they work to complete a magical gauntlet to release the power of a lost god to help save their kingdom from an impending war. The novel taps into themes of reclaiming agency in life, desire, love, and grief in painfully relatable ways.
I absolutely loved the writing and world building, immediately feeling so familiar and comfortable in Cece’s mind and the universe of this novel. I cannot wait for book 2!"
- Steph WZ, Goodreads
About Sheila...
Though she's not a memory witch, Sheila is a professional tarot reader. When she's not at her desk writing fantasy romance, you can find her shuffling through her many tarot decks, curled up with a good book, or practicing yoga. She lives outside Philadelphia with her fiance and way too many houseplants.