Portrait of Fire

The Empire of the Nine was not built on justice. It was built on ash. Forged in the fiery cataclysm of the Ash Fall, the Empire of the Nine rose from ruin. Groomed from birth to inherit the empire, Warwick Hieronymus has trained his whole life to rule. But when the emperor falls ill and the court descends into chaos, claiming the crown won't be so simple. The crown isn't hereditary. There are nine lords. Nine votes. One crown. As rivals flood the capital, dangerous whispers spread through the court. Even Warwick's own twin brother may be the better choice. To secure the throne and save the realm, Warwick must be ready to fight for his inheritance and his life. Lords conspire, lovers fracture, and poison slips into words and wine. The empire teeters on the brink of civil war, and Warwick must decide whether he will become the fire that reforges it or the spark that begins its ruin. But the struggle for the crown is only the beginning. Beyond the capital, the world is already burning. In the south, a slave named Jae ignites a rebellion of human and beastfolk, their eyes set on their oppressors. On the Isle of Flaímir, Laewyn raises an army to reclaim her homeland from House Hieronymus. And in the east, Josephina, the daughter of a witch, wields an ancient draconic artifact powerful enough to bathe the world in fire. Each of their choices pushes the empire, and Warwick, closer to ruin. As brothers betray and cousins conspire, long-dormant powers awaken. The Empire of the Nine was forged in the cataclysm of the Ash Fall-and if the House of the Phoenix falls, the embers of apocalypse will rise to burn the world once more.