When a renegade priest prophesies an imminent apocalypse, a conflict is sparked which will tip a continent into war. Prince Kendryk is young, handsome and popular, his kingdom prosperous and peaceful. But in the face of the prophesied apocalypse, he must choose between conscience and power. If he chooses the side of faith, he must defy the ruthless Empress Teodora, ruler of a vast empire, imperiling kingdom and family- but if he chooses the side of power, he risks plunging his world into a darkness worse than war. The coming conflict will touch the lives of thousands, among them... Prince Kendryk's adored wife, Gwynneth, the proud daughter of a king, whose ambition may come at great cost... Braeden, a violent mercenary, commander of a legendary winged army, who will find himself in the service of an employer he must defy to protect those he holds dear... And Janna, the merchant's wife, forced to abandon her home and her way of life, ill-prepared to keep herself and her children safe from the ravages of war... An epic fantasy saga drawn from real history, Rise of the Storm is Book One in the compelling new Desolate Empire series.