I have always been fascinated by the kind of hero who would rather destroy the thing he wants than admit he wants it. That is Merrick. And starting today, the cursed king finally has the hardback he deserves.
King of the Unblessed, Book 1 of my Realm Immortal trilogy, is out now in a brand new hardback edition from Pan Macmillan’s Tor Bramble. This story first found readers years ago, and watching it get a whole new life in a hardback you can hold on a shelf is a full circle moment I am still not over.
So let me introduce you to the man at the center of it.
Merrick is the dark elfin King of Valdis. He was once heir to everything good, a prince of happiness and pleasure, and now he is cursed as the king of necessary evil. He is the winter his whole immortal world hates and cannot survive without. His kingdom is a beautiful nightmare. The plants are withered but cannot die, the walls grow into a thorn labyrinth no trespasser ever escapes, and the only flowers that bloom there are blood red and bloom only for him.
And he has a problem. He keeps flying to the mortal world disguised as a falcon so he can watch a human woman, night after night, telling himself he is only looking for a flaw that will make him stop. He never finds one. So he decides the safest thing is to offer her a choice. Come with him, or die. And he genuinely hopes she chooses death, because then he can finally stop wanting her.
That is the man I wanted to write. Not a villain who needs fixing. A king who is terrified of the one soft thing left in him.
Then there is Lady Juliana of Bellemare. She spends her days telling village children outrageous stories and daydreaming out loud about slaying dragons for her weight in gold, right up until her wish for adventure turns real and merciless. Her betrothed is murdered, the children of her village vanish, and the search drags her across the veil into Merrick’s realm. She does not soften him by being good. She challenges him by refusing to break. And the most dangerous thing that happens in this entire book is that the king falls first.
If I had to shelve it, I would put it right between Labyrinth and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Morally gray king, enemies to lovers, gothic and atmospheric, and yes, it runs scorching hot. If you read Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, or Laura Thalassa, Merrick is about to ruin you for nicer men.
A few things readers always want to know. This is a complete romance with a real happily ever after. It is the first book of a trilogy, so the immortal realm continues. The heat level is Spicy Scorching. Consider yourself warned, and welcome.
Get King of the Unblessed in hardback:
Prefer ebook or audiobook? The ebook is available everywhere, and the brand new audiobook is narrated by the incredible Lauren Fortgang as Tillie Hooper. Full buy links live on the book page.
If you read it and love it, the single best thing you can do for me is tell another reader and leave a review. Even a quick one genuinely helps more than you know, and it helps the next person find Merrick too. Pillow Fighters, this is exactly the kind of book worth screaming about in the Fan Club.
Now go meet Merrick. Just do not say I did not warn you.
Love, Michelle 💕
PS Book two, Faery Queen, gets her own hardback in September, and Stone Queen follows in January. The realm is only getting started. 🖤
Realm Immortal Series
Book 1: King of the Unblessed
Are you looking for an adult version of Labyrinth with a much better ending? Then Merrick is waiting for you.
He was once heir to everything good. Now he rules as the king of necessary evil, trapped between the Blessed kingdom of his estranged brother and the ruthless King Lucien of the Damned who wants his soul. Before darkness wins, he craves one last taste of happiness, and then a mortal woman wanders into his world and becomes an obsession he cannot control.
Lady Juliana of Bellemare wanted adventure. She did not expect the shadows to answer. When her fiancé is murdered and the village children vanish, she crosses into an immortal realm ruled by a dangerous, seductive king who offers her a bargain she cannot refuse.
Surrender to him — or die.
King of the Unblessed is enemies-to-lovers at its absolute finest, wrapped in lush high fantasy with morally gray heroes, trickster kings, fated mates, and a heroine who refuses to be anyone’s prize without a fight. Readers have called it a must-read and come back to it again and again. I believe them because I wrote Merrick, and I still think about him.
Perfect for fans of: Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Laura Thalassa, Labyrinth, morally gray kings, dark high fantasy romance, enemies-to-lovers romantasy, goblin king romance, spicy fantasy romance.
Hardback releases June 16, 2026.
Audio May 14, 2026.
Ebook available now.
Get King of the Unblessed →
Book 2: Faery Queen
Hell hath no fury like a faery queen scorned. And Queen Tania is absolutely done waiting.
She knew from the moment she saw Hugh that he was her destined love. Then he swore to return and never came back. A year of heartbreak has darkened her once-bright spirit and her silver palace has started to tarnish. Tania wants revenge. She is going to get it. Even if it means making a very dangerous bargain with the demon king.
Hugh never stopped thinking about her. Convinced she only ever saw him as a passing amusement, he fights to forget. But then, the demon king drags him back into Tania’s world whether he likes it or not.
Publishers Weekly called this one a jam-packed dark romance with expansive world-building, and they were not wrong. Faery Queen brings a vengeful fae queen front and center, and she absolutely steals the show. This is the book for readers who want their heroine to be the dangerous one.
Perfect for fans of: A Court of Mist and Fury, The Bargainer series, vengeful fae queens, dark fantasy romance, enemies-to-lovers, dangerous bargains, spicy paranormal romance, faery romance.
Hardback releases September 8, 2026.
Audio May 14, 2026.
Ebook available now.
Get Faery Queen →
Book 3: Stone Queen
Juliana never imagined becoming Queen of the Unblessed would cost this much.
Her powers are growing darker. War is coming. And when she turns to forbidden magic to protect her people, she ends up cursed, trapped in a prison of living stone.
Merrick believed love could soften his darkness. He believed Juliana knew his heart even when he couldn’t say the words. And now she is gone, sealed in stone, and his world has crumbled. To save her, he will confront ancient enemies, forge impossible alliances, and face the one choice he has been avoiding: protect his throne or risk absolutely everything.
Stone Queen is the payoff readers have been waiting for and it delivers. Tragic love, impossible stakes, a king fighting his own darkness to save the woman who made him worth saving. Romantic Times called it full of drama, intrigue, and unique characters. LASR gave it five stars. I cried writing it. That’s all I will say.
Perfect for fans of: A Court of Frost and Starlight, The Black Jewels Trilogy, Sarah J. Maas, Laura Thalassa, tragic romance, dark fantasy, powerful queens, morally complex heroes, spicy romantasy.
Audio May 14, 2026.
Hardback January 19, 2027.
Ebook available now.
Get Stone Queen →
Is the Realm Immortal series spicy?
Yes. All three books are rated Spicy Carnal and contain adult content, graphic violence, and are intended for mature readers. If you love epic romantasy with genuine heat, emotional depth, and morally complex heroes who are absolutely not safe but completely worth it, this series was written for you.
Ready to start the series?
Start with King of the Unblessed, Book 1. The series builds across all three books and is best enjoyed in order. All three audiobooks narrated by TIllie Hooper release May 14, 2026 from Pan Macmillan’s Tor Bramble UK. Hardbacks begin rolling out June 2026 with King of the Unblessed, followed by Faery Queen in September 2026. Ebooks are independently published and available now at all major retailers.
Find the full series, reading order, and all buy links:
Realm Immortal Series:
King of the Unblessed
Faery Queen
Stone Queen
Come find me on social media too. I love talking about these books and I will absolutely enable your new obsession.
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Michelle M. Pillow is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of dark fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and romantasy. Her Realm Immortal series is available in ebook now and in stunning new hardback and audio editions from Pan Macmillan’s Tor Bramble UK. Find her full reading order at MichellePillow.com.
Narrated by the amazingly talented Lauren Fortgang as Tillie Hooper, known for her work on the super popular Deliciously Dark Fairytales series by K.F. Breene, the Fantasyland series by Kristen Ashley, and others by Shannon Mayer. As Lauren Fortgang, she’s narrated the super popular Bridge Kingdom series, the Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo and others by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
