The Kingdom of Xun has surrendered. Tzu has pulled back and Du remains docile, but no one can say for how long. With Ying growing increasingly disgruntled, the threat of war continues to loom over Sheng Fan.
All the while, the curse of the necromancer grows, threatening to bring the Spirit of Death itself onto the mortal plane to participate in a much larger struggle, one which Xu Liang becomes a greater part of with each decision that he makes.
In the mountains of the Kang Su Province, the Oracle of the East has predicted great change, and the violent rise of a new era for Sheng Fan.
The shadow dragons are on the rise, the mortal dragons are returning, and the elements are choosing sides. In this dark and fragile hour, the future of the Empire will be decided by the fates of three individuals.
T.A. Miles is a being owned by curiosity and fueled by internal magic. She claims to have fallen down a rabbit hole as a child, but in reality seems to be living in a semi-permanent out-of-body experience where she meets fantastical people and magical creatures in lands unknown to earth. She believes her characters are real people, and she publishes for one reason only: to share these people and the experiences they relay in carefully constructed stories unmarred by common human perception. Which sounds very complicated. It's easier to say she prefers to write about exceptionally human experiences.
Let's not try to explain that, actually. It's simpler to read one of her books instead. Remember to read with your head and your soul.