The lives of your friends are bound to your own — can you do what it takes to free them and ensure the survival of your world? A dark shadow looms over Caldara as Iellieth Amastacia and her companions travel north. Hidden within the elegant marble halls of the Hadvarian Court, an ancient artifact waits to be discovered, but haunting spectres of the past guard the prize. Deep in the Shadowlands, Lucien plots to capture Iellieth and extinguish any resistance to Alessandra before the flame spreads. Across Azuria, foul forces await his bidding, ready to deliver the druid into his hands. Unfortunately for Lucien’s pack of werewolves, Briseras Ravisthinia delights in making them her prey. With the help of an over-eager folklorist and a driven, if mysterious, witch, Briseras intends to destroy not only the werewolves, but also the more sinister creature who lurks just beyond her grasp. On the opposite side of the world, Genevieve Vendanges stalks after the man who bears her conclave’s sacred dagger. Aboard the Amber Queen, she has a chance to uncover what he knows about the destruction of her conclave and all she held dear. But the passenger holds secrets for other crew members as well, namely the ship’s captain, Teodric Adhemar. What guarded information from Teodric’s past might emerge to interrupt his return to the powerful Admiral Syleste? Even further west, foreboding visions drive Persephonie Arelle to the ancient walls of Andel-ce Hevra. To protect her mother, she must confront hostile guards hunting practitioners of natural magic and subvert the dangerous machinations of Aylin, her mother’s partner. But Persephonie does not fight alone. A mischievous fox and handsome captain of the guard stand ready to help her combat the clashing urban forces. Will it be enough? In book two of the Age of Azuria high fantasy series, Iellieth, Briseras, Teodric, Genevieve, and Persephonie must summon the strength to withstand the pull of the darkness surrounding them, a tide whose time, whose destruction, has finally come.

As the Festival of Renewal approaches, Iellieth must choose: Stay with her distant mother and abusive stepfather or accept an arranged marriage to a cruel, power-hungry nobleman from another kingdom. But just as she faces the consequences of her decision, her father’s amulet whisks her away to a snow-covered mountainside. Hidden within is an ancient warrior waiting to be awakened—waiting for her. He holds the key to the life of adventure she’s always wanted and—most importantly of all—to her destiny. And that’s only the beginning. Prove yourself, find where you belong, and step into the person you were meant to be in this gripping, first-in-series epic fantasy novel by Beth Ball, author of Phoenix Rising.

Among the many truths they hold close to heart, story-weavers know: Across all eras, Love and Loss rest on either side of the turning wheel of fate. Azurian legends tell such a story, of love found and lost in the early days of the worlds. Katarina Starsend, a story-hunter and scholar, dedicates her life to tracking down these tales and finding their new iterations in the world. She’s in luck. A legendary fae has been reborn—and her incarnation is only a day’s ride away. Within the walls of Io Keep, a storm gathers as the callous Duke Amastacia sets his plans in motion. Soon enough, he’ll be rid of his stepdaughter, Iellieth Amastacia. Seeing what lies ahead, Teodric Adhemar faces a choice—does he warn Iellieth or allow her to hold tight her illusion of freedom? And can Iellieth out-plot the duke? Find out in this prequel novella perfect for current fans and new readers of the Age of Azuria high fantasy series!

The story of how it all began... Dorric Themear has experienced the giddy flutterings of new love before. But not like this. Behind the sapphire eyes of Lady Emelyee Amastacia lies a long-awaited destiny that neither of them can sense or stop. However, forces darker than Emelyee’s husband are prepared to stand in their way. Ridel, one of Lucien’s most trusted servants, is less than enthused about her assignment to watch the lovers. If only her master had been visionary enough to see that a child cannot result if the parents are dead. She’ll do her best to comply with his orders to watch and to wait—at least for now. High in the Frostmaw Mountains, Yvayne has seen the signs of a turning of the age before. Perhaps this time, with the proper intervention, she and the druids can make a play for Azuria after all.

Savior. Sacrifice. Survivor. The fates determined Rowan’s destiny before she was born. Her father said this made her special. But after he died, her conclave’s council made it clear—her fate made her nothing more than a tool. A fallen guardian appears and offers a way out. It will involve surrendering one prison for another, but what else can a chosen one expect? There is, of course, a final option, one that will require Rowan to take her fate into her own hands and seize her power for herself for the first time. Embrace your destiny and unleash your magic in this first-in-series epic fantasy novel set in the immersive, high-magic world of Eldura.

Cassandra, the goddess of fate, has often gifted her Chosen with prophetic visions, tellings of what is, was, and could yet be.Each Chosen must chart her own course through these tales, slowly coming to understand the narrative behind her Sight, what is for her to interpret and what is merely for her to See. The goddess of fate keeps her own counsel. She alone can tell why some, by their innate nature, change the weave of fate, while others simply follow the course of their own thread. But those of us who chart signs such as these have found a single strand running through the disparate patterns of the fate-weave—above all others, Cassandra chooses storytellers. It is they she favors with the ability to See. And among the saudad, people of story and legend, when one of their own takes the threads of fate into her hands, there is no telling what new narrative she may weave. Inside these pages, those who seek Sight will find story, and those who seek story, Sight. This is the way it ever has been and ever will be. Persephonie Arelle is not yet a Chosen of Cassandra, and the story of her becoming so may not ever come to be. However, I think you will agree with me in this—her story is much more than that of one who can See. This novella begins at the end of Buried Heroes, Age of Azuria book one, and parallels the action of book two. However, readers will find it most enjoyable to finish reading Hadvarian Heist first before embarking on the journey tucked between these pages.

Power in all its forms will find its way to you, Soul Shepherd. You must be ready when it does. Danger blossoms beneath Iellieth Amastacia’s every step as she searches for the sixth seal piece. With Marcon and Quindythias by her side, the druid sets sail across the Infinite Ocean. Ancient evils lurk beneath the crashing waves, but other forces prove just as treacherous, threatening to drag the druid underwater. Submerged beneath the weight of her choices and the revelation of her soul’s true nature, can Iellieth weather the swelling storm? Eager for vengeance, Briseras Ravisthina hunts the vampire Nassarq across a shadow-cloaked realm. Some enemies are familiar—spirits churn in the whorls of mist around her feet, foolhardy challengers thrust themselves into her path—but surprises lurk in the gathering fog. Allies shoulder their way to stand at Briseras’s side, and the ruling vampire lord seeks her audience. Where blood runs as water under the earth, the huntress prepares to claim her destiny. Fate swirls around Persephonie Arelle like curling smoke, beckoning her and Rennear to escape the city and travel north to the sanctuary of the snowy peaks. But the storied mountain range offers tales more varied, a fortune more complex, than the simple refuge the saudad and her companions seek. Harpies haunt the highlands, and werewolf agents of Andel-ce Hevra roam free. More unpredictable still are those whom fate has bid her to find. The life of the pirate queen Syleste’s trusted informant, Darcy, hangs in the balance as Teodric Adhemar guides his crew across the Infinite Ocean to an ancient island forest. Once there, Genevieve Vendanges can perform the ritual that will save Darcy, the one responsible for the assault against her conclave. However, her ancestors’ magic, preserved in the roots of the towering trees, has intentions all its own. Conflicting desires war within Genevieve’s heart. And on the island, they are not alone. In book three of the Age of Azuria epic fantasy series, Iellieth, Briseras, Persephonie, Genevieve, and Teodric confront the true cost of their journeys. But the question remains: Are they prepared to pay? Find out in this action-packed sequel to Buried Heroes and Hadvarian Heist!