Blood of the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart

War draws ever closer, and no one can be trusted. Taegan and Zorvut have each other, but will that be enough?

It’s been several weeks since the warlord Hrul Bonebreaker violated the peace treaty that first brought the elven prince Taegan and his half-orc husband Zorvut together, and orc armies march upon the elves once more. Zorvut has discovered his latent magical ability, but none of the warlocks in Aefraya have succeeded in teaching him anything beyond his first spark of power. So with the elven king’s blessing, they flee the elven capital in the night and travel toward human lands, following a rumor in hopes of finding the man who is really Zorvut’s father: Tomlin Whitmore, a retired bard.

Will the human be able to help train Zorvut at all? And if he can, would he even want to? Taegan has his own doubts about Zorvut’s optimistic plan, but the thought of being apart is unbearable, so they make the journey through wilderness and rural villages to the beachside town where the bard was last spotted. To his surprise, when they find him, Tom is shocked but eager to help, and it seems like their luck has finally changed for the better.

But even though they’re further from the war front, danger proves difficult to outrun, and discerning friend from foe is far less simple while surrounded by unfamiliar people in unfamiliar lands. After all, wars aren’t ended so easily, and betrayal can lurk unseen until it’s too late.