The Depths

By: Penelope Barsetti

Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo, Ramona Master

Orphaned far too young and the only child of the King and Queen Barclay, I was destined to take the throne upon my twenty-second birthday. But no woman has ever ruled my kingdom, especially one who is unwed.

Just when I decide to step back and let the crown be decided by the first-ever election, a man who has been like an uncle to me intervenes.

I give him my trust...and it's the greatest mistake of my life.

Before I know it, he sends me to my death in the Depths.

I survive the fall and meet Morco—the chief of the obsidians. He doesn’t trust me and I have to prove myself to earn his protection.

The only light in the dark chasm comes from a root system that shines through a large bud called the apricum. Instead of it being a source of life, it's a source of violence...because everyone fights to the death for it. And it changes throughout the Depths without a moment's notice, making all the inhabitants chase it and leave a bloodbath in their wake.

I quickly come to care for these people who fight to survive every single day in this dark hell. And even more quickly, I come to care for the man who leads them.

And he for me.

© 2026 by Penelope Barsetti. ℗ 2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

This is new and refreshing!

The way this story is written really makes you feel like you are part of it. The world is very unique and the main male character is a true, “touch her and die” kind of character. I have enjoyed the storyline and twists/turns it has taken. I tends on a cliff hanger of sorts, so that sucks, since the next book hasn’t been released yet. I most definitely will continue onto the next book when it is released.