Fire made her strong. Ice made her sharp. Compassion made her whole.
When Mayari is eight, her mother tells her something that will define her life: one day, you’re going to crush molten lava between your fists.
On the frozen continent of Schenlen—where volcanic fire burns beneath endless tundra—Mayari is raised in a warrior culture where women hunt, fight, and endure. From adolescence to adulthood, girls are trained to withstand frost and flame alike, and taught that softness breeds weakness. The final proof is the Path of the Burning Soul: a trial few survive, and fewer return from unchanged. To pass, a warrior must close her hands around molten lava—and live.
When Mayari’s moment finally comes, she doesn’t fail the trial… she’s pushed into the dark by an act of treachery.
She wakes on the shores of a distant jungle continent with no memory of her name, her people, or the life she was forged for. Taken in by the Zanat—who live by community, ceremony, and compassion—Mayari begins to heal, and to fear what she’ll become when her past catches up.
Because Schenlen made her into a weapon.
And if she ever wants the truth—or justice—she’ll have to return to the fire.
