THESE THREADS ARE SOAKED IN BLOOD.

The Astaris Empire is fracturing, its realm flogged by war and fanaticism. Empress Seline and her Gold Council vie to maintain control, but what is control for a nation built on blood and lies?

In the east, the storied Rhaavi people cling to their independence, but as the ruinous First Legion of the Empire arrives at their walls, hope is decimated. Even so, Yuei, the dragonrider, and Rizu, the shadow guardian, will lay down their lives to protect their home. And Kirana, High Chieftainess of the Rhaavi, vows to lead her people through... no matter the cost.

Elsewhere, the prodigious Hatsun pursues an education at the fabled Great Library of the Awakened. But he quickly learns that curiosity is both a boon and a burden as his studies unveil cataclysmic secrets about the world that could change everything.