With the realm on the brink of war, the once-celebrated blades have become an easy target for the rage of its devastated citizens. The nightblade warrior Asa’s lifelong quest for vengeance is over, but now she finds herself on the run from the people she sought to protect. As Asa forges a new course of action in an uncertain world, her path crosses with that of a young noblewoman.

Mari knows that great opportunity lies in the heart of chaos. If the Kingdom is to rise again, Mari will need support, and she can think of no group better than the nightblades. But the nightblades have been betrayed before, and gaining their trust will not be easy.

Mari wants to save the Kingdom. Asa wants to save the people. Both are willing to risk everything. But do their quests make them allies…or enemies?

A broken warrior. A hunted thief. The courage to save an empire.

As one of the empire's most skilled soldiers, Brandt is no stranger to combat. After he and his fellow wolfblades fight a merciless warrior armed with impossible magic, Brandt is left shattered. Searching for answers, Brandt stumbles upon a secret war, fought by a very few, that threatens the land he calls home.

Alena is a gifted student studying for university exams. She moonlights as a thief and spy, searching for a purpose beyond the walls of her small town. When she steals a powerful artifact she becomes the most wanted thief in the empire, sending her fleeing across the continent for safety.

Their quest for answers uncovers lies buried for generations.

Lies at the heart of their empire.

As a mysterious and powerful enemy prepares their assault, Brandt and Alena must race to find the truth and save their home.

Before the Gate Beyond Oblivion summons them both.

When Bai, a young seamstress, wakes up unharmed in the middle of a disaster, her life is destroyed. She has no memory of the event that destroyed her town, but the survivors believe she is to blame. On a quest to prove her innocence, she discovers a secret that threatens not just her life, but the entire empire.

On the other side of the empire, a monk named Delun ruthlessly hunts those who seek to destroy the monasteries he calls home. When he stumbles upon a plot that threatens all that he is sworn to protect, he must choose between his two masters: the monasteries and the empire.

As a conspiracy draws both into its tangled web, Delun and Bai must fight to discover the truth behind the lies. Doing so will require courage, determination, and strong allies.

If they fall, so does the empire

Heart of Defiance is a standalone fantasy novel, set in the same world as Relentless Souls.