The Path of Flames

The Ascendant Empire stands on the edge of a war driven by forbidden sorcery. The Agerastian heretics wield black fire and carry a deep hatred of the empire. Their aim is to cut the ancient portals that link its lands together, which would bring the whole realm down.

Asho is a squire with a reviled past. His liege, the Lady Kyferin, is banished with a small force to an infamous ruin, far from any real support. There they face tragedy and betrayal, demons, and an army on its way toward them.

The Kyferins' chances of survival are very thin. Asho comes to see that their only hope may be buried deep inside him, in a secret tied to his own scarred soul. If he can use it, it could turn their fortunes around and expose the truth behind the war.

This is epic fantasy, and the first book in a series. The pace is fast and the plot turns unpredictably, with a large cast of characters and a dark, threatening mood built around demons and forbidden magic.