Young Aurelia Kim Murray is in Europe seeking information on her family's past. Her grandmother has become mysteriously mute and unresponsive after saying "Your mother is too gentle, I cannot ask her to seal the breach." Driven by an unexplainable urgency, she is following the few clues her family provided when she meets a handsome stranger who seems to recognize her... and awakes the next morning locked in a train compartment.

Kim draws deeply on her bravery and stubborn nature as she confronts the family her grandmother left behind. The danger increases the closer she comes to the answers she seeks. In order to find the truth, she must adjust her view of the world to accept a new reality and open her heart to love.

Not your standard urban fantasy, CORONETS AND STEEL is mostly based in the mundane world until Kim enters the country of her ancestors. In Dobrenia, magic lives side-by -side with religion, ancient ceremony blends with modern amenities, and roses are grown to defend against vampires.

Sherwood Smith skillfully builds tension almost imperceptibly, and keeps the reader off balance and guessing until the final page.

Book Summary