** 2023 NAUTILUS AWARD WINNER ** "Who do you think you are?" For Ashling, safety has always been found in pretending to be what others wanted her to be. But pretending is no longer an option. The people await the arrival of the Eariss, and Ash must discover what it means to bear that title. As an unlikely band of exiles from the unrest gather around her, Ash finds her confidence and comfort in discovering what it means to be herself . . . though the prophetic scroll stubbornly refuses to reveal anything about the all-powerful weapon the Eariss will draw on to save the land. But time is not on Ash's side. As the world crumbles around her, and the fires burn closer to home and those she loves best, Ash must choose between staying safe and comfortable in the world she's built; and donning the mantle of leadership to save the people she was born to serve. In an adventure that challenges her mind, body, and soul in search of the elusive weapon that only she can use, Ash is confronted with a terrible realization; either she wields this new weapon and trusts in her destiny, or she fails; ushering in the torturous destruction of all she loves. "This was a devastatingly beautiful book.... what moves me so deeply is the way the author has of storytelling around concepts like trauma, wounding, dysfunctional emotional patterns, and healing. She takes extremely complex ideas and makes them so simple and clear through the use of story and metaphor." - Amazon Review