{"title":"Emily Dexter","description":"\u003cp\u003eEmily Dexter crafts romance novels that entwine passion with intricate storytelling, inviting readers into worlds where love is both a refuge and a powerful force. Her narratives often explore complex characters caught in intense emotional landscapes, drawing readers deeply into their journeys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a flair for blending historical settings and compelling drama, Emily Dexter’s works, such as \u003cem\u003eLocusta\u003c\/em\u003e from \u003cstrong\u003eThe Poisoned Empire Duology\u003c\/strong\u003e, balance intrigue and heartfelt connection, making her stories resonate long after the final page is turned.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"locusta-the-poisoned-empire-duology-book-1-by-emily-dexter-9798318606076","title":"Locusta (The Poisoned Empire Duology, Book 1)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCirce\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eThe Lost Apothecary\u003c\/em\u003e in this sapphic romantasy duology featuring Ancient Rome's most infamous poisoner who changed the course of history to save the woman she loved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in the ancient region of Gaul, Locusta is the last of her kind—a Druid whose communion with the spirit world grants her the dangerous gift of identifying and wielding deadly substances. When Roman soldiers attack her home and slaughter her mother, Locusta is captured and enslaved, taken to the heart of the empire where political plots abound and death commands a high price. Guided by Arawn, the god of death, she must learn to survive within the brutal, glittering world of ancient Rome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer strange talents soon catch the attention of the Roman elite, and she becomes ensnared in a double life—poisoner by night for the cunning Domina Decima, and lady-in-waiting by day to Livia, the Emperor's ambitious niece. As Locusta plants the seeds of revenge against those who destroyed her home, her connection with Livia deepens into a passionate, forbidden romance that threatens them both. Surrounded by danger and deceit, Locusta's poisons become their only protection against the increasingly unstable Emperor Caligula and the enemies lurking in every shadow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA sweeping historical romantasy, \u003cem\u003eLocusta\u003c\/em\u003e reimagines the rise of one of history's most complex women through a lens of myth, power, and feminine rage. Rich with ruthless twists, deadly magic, and a sapphic love story that burns from sweet to spicy, this is a story of survival, defiance, and the dangerous alchemy of love and death in a world ruled by men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47754371858668,"sku":"9798318606076","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9798318606076-locusta-the-poisoned-empire-duology-book-1.jpg?v=1781662663"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/emily-dexter.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}