Damsel to the Rescue (The Darkhorse Saga Book 1)

Terrilyn Darkhorse descends from a long line of successful, prince-rescuing damsels. Now that she’s sixteen, she’s expected to uphold the family tradition. But Terri would rather remain at home, tending her garden, perfecting her plant magic, and staying far away from the highly competitive world of damsels.

Then the local prince is kidnapped and Terri’s mother makes her an offer: If she rescues the prince, Terri can have the family’s second estate, Trellis, to turn into her own gardens. Terri has wanted Trellis since she was a little girl, so she sets out with her best friend Rune as her official sidekick, hoping to avoid the other damsels altogether.

Which would be easier if they didn’t have to keep rescuing rival damsels from basilisks and man-eating trees. But Terri can’t justify abandoning them, because the monsters are being controlled and directed at her and the other damsels—a feat only a Dark Lord could accomplish. Terri’s magic improves with every challenge she faces, but she knows it’s not enough. If she wants to succeed, she’ll need to break the rules and recruit her rivals to help her defeat the most powerful Dark Lord the world has seen in five-hundred years.