ONC 2023 Shortlist
Astrid, the Princess of Eurovea, a country existing several centuries in the future, had led a happy and sheltered life in the castle ruled by Regent Arcturus, her uncle.
Only on reaching the age of ascension when, according to an ancient tradition, all future queens must face a trial, she realised that there were great gaps in her knowledge of the world around her, her uncle, and even the people she thought she knew well.
In a world where love doesn't exist, a young girl who understands old novels better than her reality is sent on a dangerous quest to save her country from creatures who, just like love, were not supposed to be true...
Mystery, romance, adventure, and magic combine in this tale, in which a young princess who had grown up surrounded by an impenetrable web of lies, has to find her true identity, and free her kingdom from suffering.
A young-adult, dystopian, paranormal fantasy-romance.
The wonderful cover created by @Wake抖阴社区Wrath
This is the story of a girl called Astrid, and it starts with a prophecy.
A prophecy of a life that is not hers but one that will be forced upon her nonetheless.But prophecy are always up to those you believed them, and Astrid didn't think further of the this one told then it being a bedtime story.
Instead her focus is on the only friends she has ever had, the Mikaelson siblings. But friendship turns to love as she starts to feel something more for the four older Mikaelson brothers.
As Astrid's affection for the Mikaelson brothers deepened, so did the complexity of their relationship. Each brother had a distinct charm that captivated her in a different way, making it impossible for her to choose just one. But with this love came a heavy burden, for that love would be the reason for her whole life to be irrevocably changed.
As their love leads to a tragic turn, transforming the brothers into immortal vampires and Astrid into something that no one has ever seen.
After being hidden away for a millennium, Astrid awakens to a twisted plan orchestrated by Esther. She finds herself reunited with the Mikaelson brothers she once loved, but they are not the same men she once knew. Astrid can see it in their eyes - a hunger that cannot be satisfied, an emptiness that cannot be filled and a sadness that she wishes to erase.
As Astrid navigates this newly reunited world with the Mikaelson brothers, she finds herself drawn into a web of secrets and lies. The more she uncovers, the more she realizes that there is something greater at play than what she can see.
With every revelation of the brothers' past and ones that claims to be from hers, Astrid's determination to save the family that she has created for herself all those years ago only grows stronger
With the new and unfamiliar realities she faces, she must make a choice. Will she fight for the loves of her life or be stuck in a world that no longer seems to have a place for her?
TWs (Trigger Warnings) inside.