Men of the North

Elin Peer presents Book 0.5 in the Men of the North series. Contains mature themes.

Christina Sanders, an archeologist and professor in history, is fascinated with the past. As a modern woman of year 2437 she knows that women are better off without men, but longing for an adventure, she makes a spontaneous decision and volunteers for a job no one else wants. Now she's going to lead an archeological excavation in the Northlands, the most secluded place on earth where the mythical males live who are rumored to be as brutal and dangerous as the men Christina has read about in her history books. What will happen when Christina crosses into the men's territory?

Four hundred years in the future, women control the world but Khan Aurelius, ruler of the last free men, is determined to take back the power that has been denied men for centuries. Outnumbered by far, he knows that women need to give up their power willingly and with one of their councilwomen as a hostage, he's certain he can influence her with his superior male intellect. She is just a soft woman, after all. Councilwoman Pearl has sacrificed herself to save an innocent priestess. Trapped in the Northlands, her soft voice and sugar-coated view of the world doesn't impress Khan.

Everyone knows NOT to discuss how to raise children. The Men of the North have been living in exile for centuries, raising their boys without the influence of women. Now an experiment will bring girls and boys together in a new school with children and teachers from each side of the border. But how can two teachers work together when they don't agree on anything? Sparks fly in this clash of cultures when Archer Rex objects to Kya Rae's meditation "shit" that will surely turn his boys into wusses. He wants the kids to learn how to hunt and fight instead. Contains mature themes.

Chosen to be a priestess from childhood, Athena knows everything about aligning her energy with the universe and spreading hope, healing, and wisdom to people. But her inner balance is disturbed when Finn shows up on her doorstep. The large, annoyingly flirtatious man kept her imprisoned in the past, and now demands she lift the spell she cast on him. Rather than explain to him that the spell wasn't real, Athena sees her chance of teaching him a lesson in karma and makes demands of her own.

Six months ago, Laura was Magni's sweet and submissive young wife. Tempted to experience the independence of women in the Motherlands and to learn martial arts, she ran away. Now, she's back, stronger and more confident than before, determined not to let a man dominate her, not even the one she once fell in love with and married.

With three degrees and the highest measured IQ in the Motherlands, Shelly Summers knows that she's socially awkward. It doesn't bother her since as the head engineer for Advances Technologies she has little time for social interactions anyway. When she learns that one of the testers for the sex-bots her company manufactures is her old crush, Marco, she's curious to see if he'll recognize her now that she's 10 years older and no longer has bushy eyebrows and a bad case of acne. A normal person would have said something when Marco doesn't recognize her from his past.

I was 12 when I promised Solo that I would one day marry him. Maybe I would have if he hadn't gotten impatient and ruined everything that summer when I was 15. For the last seven years I've replaced the love I once felt for him with anger over his almost getting me killed. Willow, a talented Motlander dancer, goes on tour in the Northlands. What should have been a chance for a new beginning brings her face to face with her traumatic past when Solo, a mountain of a man and the fiercest warrior of his generation, is put in charge of her safety against her will.

When Hunter Hercules, the biggest soccer star in the Northlands, is transferred to play in the Motherlands, he's mad as hell. Not only is their style of soccer different, but they have mixed teams, and his female captain, Emanuela, calls him unsophisticated and claims that she's a better player than him. The whole thing is ridiculous and infuriating to Hunter. That's why when the soccer club sends all the players on a team-building trip, Hunter shows up determined to put the little woman in her place. It should have been easy, but Emanuela isn't someone he can push around.

I've lived half of my life on each side of the border. I know what greatness women are capable of and how amazing men can be. For those Nmen who think I can't be a police officer because I'm a "fragile female," I have only one thing to say; watch me! Raven is a force of nature who won't take no for an answer. She uses her humor and feistiness to blaze through every obstacle, and right now the biggest one is her rigid boss Leo Da Vinci.

Mila, a sweet pacifist born in the Motherlands, has avoided conflicts all her life. Now, living in the Northlands with the ruling family who adopted her, she's under pressure to follow the traditions of the North and let fierce warriors fight for her hand in marriage. But how can she marry if it means giving up on her friendship with Jonah, the first male councilman in the Motherlands and her closest friend? Every night they talk, laugh, and share their darkest secrets.

I've watched Belle grow up over these past 10 years. She is as pure and sweet as her art, and even though I can never have her, the thought of her alone and scared in the woods makes me want to kill someone. I'm going to save her life, even if it costs me my own!

Men are blinded by Aubri's beauty, charm, and social status. Yet, at 27, no one has succeeded in making her his wife. Starving for adventure, she volunteered for the dangerous work as an Explorer in Old Europe. It's crazy and the mortality rate alone should've made her think twice. But that's the trouble with my friend; she thinks she's immortal. My hardest job right now is protecting her from herself.

Everyone in my culture knows emotions are dangerous. In Old Europe, we learn how to suppress romantic feelings and follow the rules of no commitment. Now that I'm working in the Northlands, I'm preparing Nmen for a life in France, teaching them how to flirt, have sex, and move on. The part that bothers me is watching the men practice their flirting skills on my fellow instructor, Sparrow.

When Thor disappears to get away from the intense pressure of being the heir to the Northlands, his father asks Linea to use her tracking skills and deliver an ultimatum to his heir. Linea knows Thor will be furious and blame her as the messenger. She'll have to face him anyway and prove to herself that she's no longer a young, infatuated girl, but a strong and unapologetic woman who owns the quirkiness he once ridiculed her for. Problem is that the last time she saw the large and angry Nman, Thor threatened to spank her if she came back. He wouldn't, though . . . or would he?

It's a red flag to Victor when the only women to get his brief interest are those who look like Freya Aurelius. When did he develop a fetish for the most frustrating and unattainable woman in the world? Is his plan to work closely with Freya for the next five weeks a matter of masochism or the final proof that there's a fine line between genius and insanity?