Book 3 of the Reign of Shadow epic fantasy and gaslamp fantasy young adult series, a prequel to The Dragon's Name. Mylah and her companion elemental dragon journey into the enemy's lair and must choose whether to serve or rebel, risking her community's lives.
Seventeen-year-old Mylah is meant for a life spent in the dragon's mines. At least until she unwittingly becomes her people's Tyrmini champion, destined to save them from a centuries-long curse. But her newfound and unpredictable fire and sand elemental power draws the eye of High King Achyla, and when Tyrmini guards arrive, she's forced to join ranks or forfeit her life.
Mylah's self-doubt and anger feed the flame within, stoking it to levels beyond her control. She'll need to train with Tyrmini guard, Luther, before she can hope to harness her power. As Mylah sinks deeper into her role as a Tyrmini trainee, she experiences the treacherous truth of Tyrmini's existence: many are never offered the opportunity to serve, and it's the Tyrmini guards who exact the alternative. The longer Mylah serves under the High King, the deeper the shadows grow around her. The king possesses a mysterious power that can't be attributed to Tyrmini, and there are whispers that the king isn't the young man who succeeded the throne, but something else entirely. As Mylah begins to uncover the truth, the High King asks the unthinkable of her: to fulfil her duty as a Tyrmini guard and eliminate another Tyrmini. Mylah must choose to serve and survive or rebel and potentially save the lives of young and newly discovered Tyrmini.