Ash and Sand

Kings of Paradise opens the Ash and Sand trilogy with two protagonists on opposite ends of the world. In the frozen Ascom, Ruka — born malformed, called a demon, spared only by his mother's love — is consumed by vengeance and a genius that sets him apart from everyone around him. In the paradise of Sri Kon, Kale, youngest and most disappointing son of the Sorcerer King, is forced into military service and must find a way to become the man he's supposed to be.

Winner of the 2018 IRDA for fantasy and a Reader's Favorite Gold Medalist, this is a stunning indie debut: complex dual-protagonist structure, richly textured world-building, and grimdark emotional honesty that draws inevitable comparisons to Game of Thrones while remaining unmistakably original.

Kings of Ash continues Ruka's long bloody journey through the Pyu islands and the Ascom's frozen wastes, and charts the return of Kale — now the so-called Sorcerer-Prince — as his strange powers multiply in ways no one anticipated. Ancient connections between the two men's histories begin to surface, and the price of the path each has chosen rises dramatically.

The second book deepens the trilogy's scope while tightening its emotional core, revealing shocking historical secrets, escalating political intrigue, and the terrible costs of power as both protagonists move inexorably toward each other and toward the world-altering confrontation the first book promised.

Kings of Heaven brings the Ash and Sand trilogy to a beloved and emotionally devastating conclusion. Ruka faces the emperor of the world, but even victory may not save his people — and Kale, now haunting Ruka's mind as a ghostly presence within his once-peaceful Grove, grows stronger every moment and promises revenge. Meanwhile the Pyu isles burn with chaos, and the army Ruka needs is scattered across three peoples who have every reason not to unite.

Praised as one of indie fantasy's finest finales, Kings of Heaven delivers on every thread laid across the previous two books — an ending that is heartbreaking, courageous, and deeply satisfying for readers who have made the full journey with Ruka and Kale.