the United Highlands of Ashridge Huntress

Book One of The United Highlands TrilogyStone Valley has always stood in the shadow of Kingston Hall.When the elites announce a new set of political "games" to decide the fate of the villages, twenty-two-year-old Lottie Vailery is chosen to represent Stone Valley. Serious, sharp-tongued, and scarred by fire and betrayal, Lottie would rather face dragons than step foot in Kingston Hall. But survival is not just about her anymore. If she loses, her entire home will fall under the nobles' control.Forced to form a team, Lottie chooses two unlikely allies: Elias Heartwell, the blacksmith she cannot stand, whose mocking smile hides secrets as heavy as iron, and Lilly Valentine, the baker's daughter underestimated by everyone but stubborn enough to prove them wrong. Together, the trio is thrown into a brutal gauntlet of shifting labyrinths, raging rivers, monstrous beasts, and deadly trials while Kingston's favorites scheme to ensure no commoner team leaves alive.As trust is tested and unspoken bonds form, Lottie learns that survival will demand more than strength. It will demand sacrifice. And when one of her team pays the ultimate price, Lottie's victory is won in ashes and blood, leaving Stone Valley safe for now.But beneath the cold smiles of Kingston's court, whispers stir of something darker, something greater than games. And as grief carves new scars, Lottie must face a truth she cannot yet see. This was only the beginning.