Book 1 of Empire's Legacy, Silver Medal, Historical Fantasy Book of the Year 2019
(Box Set), Coffee Pot Book Club Awards


'Fans of Guy Gavriel Kay will love Thorpe's work.' Anya Pavelle, author of The Moon Hunters.
Once there was an Eastern Empire of grandeur and beauty and learning. Then it disappeared, leaving only snatches of story and faint memories in a little sea-bordered land far to the west, where invasion from both north and south now threatens. Could the Eastern Empire still exist - and if it does, if it can be found, will it come to the aid of its long-forgotten province?


In the first book of the award-winning Empire's Legacy trilogy, Leste, an island nation, grows short of food. Raiding a nearby land, rich in grain and livestock, while its army is occupied on its northern frontier, will be simple and quick. But they haven't counted on spies among them.


Lena, a young fisherwoman, is inspired by her Emperor's message: to defend their land against this invasion, women must learn to fight. Answering his call separates Lena from her lover, the first sacrifice in what becomes a deadly battle for her land, not just with Leste, but with unexpected enemies from within. Caught up in the intrigues of the Emperor, watching the world she has known since childhood change irretrievably, can Lena reconcile the village girl she was with the soldier she has become?