Steel and Fire

Dara Ruminor is a serious young duelist in the mountaintop kingdom of Vertigon, a land of dramatic cliffs and misty peaks where mysterious Fire magic runs through the stones like blood. The secluded kingdom has been peaceful for 100 years. Swords are used for sport, and successful athletes live like kings as long as the crowds love them. Eighteen-year-old Dara needs to find a wealthy patron in order to duel professionally and avoid a lifetime working in her parents' Fire Lantern shop.

Dara Ruminor takes her new position as a castle guard for the King of Vertigon very seriously. She refuses to allow her feelings for Siv to get in the way of atoning for her parents' actions, no matter how hard it is to keep her distance. But she's keeping secrets from her king - and the one involving a fiery newfound ability is getting harder to hide.

Dara and Siv flee through the treacherous snows of Vertigon, injured and defeated, with enemies in pursuit. They don't know when they'll return to the mountain they love. If they make it to safety, they'll have to figure how to challenge the Lantern Maker and retake Siv's throne. But when one of them disappears, the other must travel into the wild on a desperate rescue mission. Dangers abound in the Lands Below, and this journey is only the beginning. As rumors of war spread across the land, Dara and Siv will have to fight to be together again.

Dangerous intrigues and mysterious powers ensnare Dara and Siv in the brutal city of Pendark. Bound to her agreement with Wyla by a magical shackle, Dara helps her study the link between Fire and Watermight. She'll learn more than she bargained for from the cunning Waterworker - if the lessons don't kill her first.

As the Lantern Maker terrorizes the continent with his Fireworker army, Dara struggles to master her new powers in order to stop him. She doesn't know whether she can bring herself to destroy her father, but she's running out of alternatives - and the fiery devastation is getting worse. She'll have to make a final, terrible choice before the end. Meanwhile, Siv musters a fighting force to retake his kingdom. His sister Selivia offers help in an unexpected form, but his new allies may not be as reliable as he thinks.