The Emerald Storm

Hadrian Blackwater, a former mercenary, takes to the sea to look for the true heir of Novron. The voyage drags him back into a past he had hoped to leave behind.

Royce Melborn sails with him on what is meant to be their last job together. Their target is Merrick Marius, a master assassin and spy whose work keeps the Imperialists supplied with help.

A second search runs alongside. Princess Arista is also hunting for the heir, and her trail takes her into the newly formed Novronian Empire. That young state is under attack from outside, and at home its leaders struggle to keep control of a half-mad ruler who is only a puppet.

This is the fourth book of the Riyria Revelations, an epic fantasy series, and it opens shortly after the events of Nyphron Rising. It follows two storylines, one at sea and one inside the empire, and it is best read in series order.