Cirrus@Austlit

'Enter the realm of Scardia, where magic, love and betrayal are all too real.

• A kingdom cast into darkness.
• A hidden princess, running for her life.
• A boy with dreams of becoming a knight.
• A devoted guard with secret intentions.

'Aged seven, Princess Nina Fiordlasher made a wish. Within twenty-four hours her world was changed irrevocably, her parents murdered, her kingdom stolen and her status changed from royal to fugitive. Now, as Nina approaches her eighteenth birthday, she has the right to reclaim her throne. However, her parents’ killer, the Usurper, still hunts for her and so she plans to reunite with her mother’s long-lost family. Accompanied by a devoted companion, Keely, and a young boy Erik, Nina has to overcome her fears and navigate the many hazards in her path. For merely being the Heir to the Ice Flame does not guarantee she can claim her rightful destiny.' (Publication summary)

'"The Winter Spirit told me that I had been blessed with powers I needed to master, but she also warned that those, like me, blessed by the Gods, were instruments of change - whether for good or bad. I don't know which side of the coin I will be on, but I know that the fight for my kingdom is coming, and I must do whatever I can to be ready."

'Princess Nina Fiordlasher might have stopped running from her past, but she is still heartbroken, danger lurks closer than she realises, and her resistance forces are not yet strong enough to help her reclaim the throne.

'Should she accept the offer of help from the fearsome Dark Elves who dwell in the Underdark? Can she ever hope to control such allies of night and shadow and in a realm of betrayal and lies, will love and trust melt a heart of ice?' (Publication summary)

'“From my position high above, I saw the embers on the Hoarfrost fade into smoke and noted the joy spread across the Usurper’s features. If I could have felt anything I might have been scared, but instead I was floating away, hearing his words echo out across the throne room and then being shouted from the rooftops. 

'Dead. The Heir to the Ice Flame is dead.”

'Princess Nina Fiordlasher lies dead, and her country is sliding into turmoil. Her allies are devastated, and her Resistance fighters are desperate to avenge their fallen princess as the Usurper prepares for his coronation. When the Winter Spirit offers Erik a quest to save Nina from the Land Beyond, he is all too eager to accept.

'But will he succeed when traitors lurk closer than he thinks?

'Will the Ice Flame burn again or will the Usurper reign triumphant?' (Publication summary)