Rejected by their own kind for bearing the mark of the Shadow Monarch, the Iron Elves chose instead to serve with the human armies of the Calahrian Empire, hoping through their dedication and discipline to wipe out the stain of their birth. Their reputation is legendary -- until their commander, Konowa Swiftdragon, takes it upon himself -- for the best of reasons -- to assassinate the Viceroy. Court-martialled and exiled to the forest he despises, his beloved regiment disgraced, dishonoured and disbanded, Konowa finds himself suddenly recalled and ordered to re-form the Iron Elves for one last reconnaissance mission. But the new Iron Elves are not at all the same as they were before, and the mission is a suicidal one, with more at stake than Konowa could possibly have imagined. For the Shadow Monarch and her allies have harnessed destructive forces with the power to tear worlds apart -- and those who bear her mark have a destiny greater than they know. So begins an heroic journey in the company of a motley band of misfits, rebels and outcasts, with a central character whose engaging, brilliantly realised blend of cynicism, dry humour, duty and anguish make him unlike any other in fantasy fiction.

We do not fear the flame, though it burns us, We do not fear the fire, though it consumes us, And we do not fear its light, Though it reveals the darkness of our souls, For therein lies our power. -- Blood Oath of the Iron Elves First in a stunning debut series, A Darkness Forged in Fire introduces an unforgiving world of musket and cannon...bow and arrow...magic, diplomacy, and oaths -- each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war. In this world, Konowa Swift Dragon, former commander of the Empire's elite Iron Elves, is looked upon as anything but ordinary. He's murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished in disgrace to the one place he despises the most -- the forest. Now, all he wants is to be left alone with his misery...but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple. The mysterious and alluring Visyna Tekoy, the highborn daughter of an elfkynan governor, seeks him out in the dangerous wild with a royal decree that he resume his commission as an officer in Her Majesty's Imperial Army, effective immediately. For in the east, a falling Red Star heralds the return of a magic long vanished from the earth. Rebellion grows within the Empire as a frantic race to reach the Star unfolds. It is a chance for Konowa to redeem himself -- even if the entire affair appears doomed to be a suicide mission... and that the soldiers recruited for the task are not at all what he expects. And worse, his key adversary in the perilous race for the Star is the dreaded Shadow Monarch -- a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine....

When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and tragedy strikes. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her abusive father. Gerald finds success on the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, and Angel develops her talents as a dancer, despite the trouble that still haunts them.

"Bones jutted from the sand at angles--not odd angles, though, for that would suggest that there were ways bones could protrude that made sense--and the eyes of those still living stared and saw nothing. Amidst a scene of carnage on a desert battlefield blanketed in metallic snow, Major Konowa Swift Dragon sees his future, and it is one drenched in shadow and blood. Never mind that he has won a grand victory for the Calahrian Empire. He came here in search of his lost regiment of elves, while the Imperial Prince came looking for the treasures of a mystical library, and both ventures have failed. But Konowa knows, as do the Iron Elves--both living and dead--that another, far more important battle now looms before them. The campaign in the desert was only the latest obstacle on the twisted, darkening path leading inexorably to the Hyntaland, and the final confrontation with the dreaded Shadow Monarch"--Publisher description.

"Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse will flock to this new series." --Booklist Games of Thrones meets Shadow and Bone in this action-packed fantasy from the internationally bestselling author of the Nightshade series. Ara has always known the legend of the Loresmith: the blacksmith who served alongside the kings and queens of Saetlund, forging legendary weapons to arm warriors and protect the kingdom. She's been told it's her fate to inherit the title and become the next Loresmith. But since the monarchy's downfall in a vicious conquest years before, Ara has never truly believed she would be able to take up her duty. But when the lost Princess Nimhea and Prince Eamon steal Ara from her quiet life with a mission to retake the throne and return Ara to her place as the Loresmith--Ara's whole world turns upside down. Suddenly, Ara must leave her small mountain village and embark on a dangerous adventure where she will uncover new truths about her family's legacy, and even face the gods themselves. With a mysterious thief as an unexpected companion, and dark forces following their every move, Ara must use all her skills to forge the right path forward--for herself, her kingdom, and her heart. From internationally bestselling author Andrea Roberston comes a gorgeously written new fantasy series perfect for readers of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone or Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series. Praise for Forged in Fire and Stars: "An epic and classic fantasy." --School Library Journal "Epic fantasy isn't usually my thing, but Forged in Fire and Stars made me a believer." --TOR.com

Konowa Swift Dragon was once commander of the Iron Elves, the legendary Elven regiment of the human army of the Calahrian Empire. Now recalled from exile and disgrace, he is second-in-command of the reconstituted regiment -- a motley band of misfits who are elves in name alone. Konowa's destiny is to stand against the looming threat of the Shadow Monarch, whose destructive ambitions have called down an alien power from the stars and riven the land with all manner of ancient evils. The same Shadow Monarch whose tainted mark he bears... His quest leads Konowa deep into the desert wastes: the burning lands to which the original Iron Elves were banished. There he and his current companions must face trials beyond their imagining, to learn how to defeat the Shadow Monarch for all time.

Recovering from the recent suicide of her ex-boyfriend, senior class president Keisha Montgomery finds herself attracted to a dangerous, older man.