Tusk Love

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* 
 
__________ 
 
“Spicy, heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny” KATEE ROBERT 
“The perfect grumpy meets sunshine swashbuckling romantasy” NADIA EL-FASSI 
“Thea Guanzon can convert me to any fandom” JULIE SOTO 
 
__________ 
 
This gorgeous hardcover edition features beautiful designed endpapers and a reversible jacket with in-world fan art by Jester Lavorre. Available while stocks last! 
 
__________ 
 
 
A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars. 
 
As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure. 
 
Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack. 
 
Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down – even if the spark between them sizzles with promise. 
 
Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance. 
 
Written by Sunday Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life. 
 
__________ 
 
 
“Spice so hot, you look over your shoulder to make sure no one else is looking” ELAYNA R. GALLEA 
“Will have you giggling and kicking your feet” XIRAN JAY ZHAO 
“I would die for Guinevere. And Oskar. And Thea too. Her writing puts me in a chokehold every time.” NISHA J. TULI 
 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, July 2025

Guanzon's mesmerizing prose delivers a magical, exhilarating experience, featuring a hilarious yet heartwarming dynamic between Guinevere, the wayward lady with a fiery secret, and Oskar, the half-orc hunk with a soft side (who deserves to be climbed like a tree). Tusk Love will have you giggling and kicking your feet when it isn't ripping your heart out.

Xiran Jay Zhao, bestselling author of Iron Widow

A true delight of a book! Spicy and heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny - this one is a winner all around!

Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author of Neon Gods

Spicy, captivating, and enthralling from the first page to the last. It’s full of laugh out loud moments, banter, and spice so hot, you look over your shoulder to make sure no one else is looking. Cannot recommend enough!

Elayna R. Gallea, bestselling author of Tethered

Deliciously witty and utterly irresistible, this is the perfect grumpy meets sunshine swashbuckling romantasy and I devoured it in one sitting. No wonder Jester loves the book so much.

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! A delightful mix of spicy and sweet, this fresh take on romantasy had me swooning. Tusk Love has so much heart, and I fell just as hard for Guinevere and Oskar as they did for each other.

Jenna Wolfhart, bestselling author of the Falling for Fables series

Tusk Love is the most fun I’ve had in ages! Thea Guanzon can convert me to any fandom.

Julie Soto, USA Today bestselling author of Forget Me Not

This book had no business being so utterly adorable and sweet but also hot at the same time. It was the very reason the phrase ‘kicking your feet with glee’ was invented. I would die for Guinevere. And Oskar. And Thea too. Her writing puts me in a chokehold every time.

Nisha J. Tuli, international bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

Delightful, delicious, and devilishly hot, Tusk Love is everything I've ever wanted from a fantasy romance. Impales you right in the heart.

Sam Maggs, New York Times bestselling author of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins–Jester Lavorre

Guanzon’s fun and witty interpretation of Exandria’s spiciest romance is not only the perfect gift to any Critter, but a clever romantic fantasy romp in its own right. A delicious treat of a book.

A. J. Hackwith, author of Toto and the Hell’s Library series

Thea Guanzon (Author) 
Thea Guanzon is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Hurricane Wars series. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, with a specialization in International Politics and Peace Studies. Aside from being a writer, she is an avid traveler, an enthusiastic fangirl, a Dungeon Master, and an iced coffee junkie. Born and raised in the Philippines, she currently resides in Metro Manila. 
 
Cast of Critical Role (Author) 
Critical Role features seven popular voiceover actors diving into epic fantasy RPG adventures, led by veteran game master Matthew Mercer. What began in 2012 as a bunch of friends playing in each other's living rooms has evolved into a multi-platform entertainment sensation, attracting nearly a million viewers every week.

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* 
 
__________ 
 
“Spicy, heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny” KATEE ROBERT 
“The perfect grumpy meets sunshine swashbuckling romantasy” NADIA EL-FASSI 
“Thea Guanzon can convert me to any fandom” JULIE SOTO 
 
__________ 
 
This gorgeous hardcover edition features beautiful designed endpapers and a reversible jacket with in-world fan art by Jester Lavorre. Available while stocks last! 
 
__________ 
 
 
A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars. 
 
As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure. 
 
Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack. 
 
Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down – even if the spark between them sizzles with promise. 
 
Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance. 
 
Written by Sunday Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life. 
 
__________ 
 
 
“Spice so hot, you look over your shoulder to make sure no one else is looking” ELAYNA R. GALLEA 
“Will have you giggling and kicking your feet” XIRAN JAY ZHAO 
“I would die for Guinevere. And Oskar. And Thea too. Her writing puts me in a chokehold every time.” NISHA J. TULI

Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin

Cast of Critical Role (Author) 
 Critical Role features seven popular voiceover actors diving into epic fantasy RPG adventures, led by veteran game master Matthew Mercer. What began in 2012 as a bunch of friends playing in each other's living rooms has evolved into a multi-platform entertainment sensation, attracting nearly a million viewers every week. 
 
Marieke Nijkamp (Author) 
 Marieke Nijkamp is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of YA novels, graphic novels, and comics, including This Is Where It Ends, Before I Let Go, Even If We Break, and The Oracle Code. Her short stories can be found in several anthologies. She also edited the anthology Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens. Marieke is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and geek. Before pursuing her lifelong passion for writing, she majored in philosophy and medieval history. She loves to go on adventures, roll dice, and daydream. She lives and writes in Small Town, The Netherlands.

Explore the past of Critical Role's daring half-elf twins, Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan, in this original prequel novel to their adventures with Vox Machina. 
 
Vex and Vax have always been outsiders. A harsh childhood in the elite elven city of Syngorn quickly taught them not to rely on others. Now, freed from the expectations of their exacting father and the scornful eyes of Syngorn's elves, the cunning hunter and the conning thief have made their own way in the world of Exandria. 
 
The twins have traveled far and experienced great hardship. But with the help of Vex's quick wit and Vax's quicker dagger, they've always kept ahead of trouble. Now, unknown perils await them in the bustling city of Westruun, where the twins become entangled in a web spun by the thieves' guild known to many as the Clasp. Trapped by a hasty deal, Vex and Vax (along with Vex's faithful bear companion, Trinket) set out into the wilds to fulfill their debt to the infamous crime syndicate. 
 
As the situation grows more complicated than they ever could have imagined, for the first time Vex and Vax find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that threatens the home they have carried with each other for years. 
 
Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp, Critical Role: Vox Machina-Kith &amp; Kin follows a brand-new adventure that delves into the twin's unexplored history, and returns to some of the iconic moments that forged Vox Machina's most unbreakable bond.

The History Behind the Epic Fantasy

The World of Critical Role

Liz Marsham (Author) Liz Marsham began her storytelling career as an editor for DC and Disney Publishing. She loves fantasy, sci-fi, knitting, games (video, tabletop, and otherwise), weird stories about true things, and people working to make the world better. Also tea. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her son, a cat who thinks she is a princess, and a cat who thinks he is a dog. Cast of Critical Role (Author) Critical Role features seven popular voiceover actors diving into epic fantasy RPG adventures, led by veteran game master Matthew Mercer. What began in 2012 as a bunch of friends playing in each other's living rooms has evolved into a multi-platform entertainment sensation, attracting nearly a million viewers every week.

Dive deep into the history of the world's most popular fantasy RPG livestream with the cast of Critical Role in this definitive guide featuring never-before-seen illustrations and photos. 
 
From its unassuming beginnings as a casual home game between friends to the role-playing phenomenon it is today, Critical Role has become the stuff of legend. These pages chronicle how a circle of friends who all happen to be talented voice actors built the most-watched tabletop role-playing livestream of all time. 
 
Discover dazzling new illustrations and richly written insights into the locations, characters, and adventures featured in the hundreds of episodes across Critical Role's two campaigns, Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein. Go behind the scenes with archival photos and exclusive interviews with Dungeon Master Matt Mercer and the entire Critical Role cast as they explore their characters' most triumphant moments and darkest hours. And celebrate the massive community of Critters who support and expand the show's world through a highlighted tour of the crafts, cosplay, and art they create every day. 
 
Featuring a foreword from the cast, lush illustrations, and the inside story you won't find anywhere else, this book is your indispensable guide to Critical Role. 
 
The adventure begins!

Cast of Critical Role

Jess Barber

Martin Cahill

Rebecca Coffindaffer

Aabria Iyengar

Sam Maggs

Sarah Glenn Marsh

Rory Power

Nibedita Sen

Izzy Wasserstein

Kendra Wells

Liam O'Brien

In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the most memorable characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina. 
 
Within its pages: 
• Shaun Gilmore reflects on the life he has chosen, as told by Aabria Iyengar. 
• Raishan, racked by a pestilent curse, plots to release the Cinder King from his fiery prison, as told by Rory Power. 
• Trinket the Wonder Bear accompanies the next generation of Vox Machina on their first adventure, as told by Sarah Glenn Marsh. 
• Plus seven more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Kaylie, Doty, Kevdak, and more! 
 
The adventure began in 2015 with a group of friends sitting down in front of a camera to roll some dice, bring their characters to life, and tell a story that would become immortalized in their livestream tabletop roleplaying game: Critical Role. What started as a humble home game eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon that has touched countless people with its poignant, larger-than-life storytelling – and in that same vein, this collection celebrates the characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina but whose stories are yet to be told. 
 
Contributors: Foreword by Liam O’Brien • Jess Barber Martin Cahill • Rebecca Coffindaffer • Aabria Iyengar • Sam Maggs • Sarah Glenn Marsh • Rory Power • Nibedita Sen • Izzy Wasserstein • Kendra Wells

Cast of Critical Role

Books by Cast of Critical Role

Series by Cast of Critical Role

Critical Role

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter