The Serpentine Throne Series

A murdered empress. A missing emperor. Mairynne Evangale called them Mother, Father. The country mourns while rumors of unrest stir. The sorcery castes struggle for power and the casteless riot in the streets. Conflict hadn't escalated this rapidly in Nantai since the Ryū Wars more than five ages past. The people need a new imperial leader. Mairynne's soul yearns for many things, but she never wished for the duty her Father assigned. She carries two soul stones, one cold and the other hot. They came to her with the loss of each parent. They call to her, beckoning her to leave home. They reinforce her convictions . . . Her father lives. He will return to his seat upon the Serpentine Throne. But first, she must answer the call. If you enjoy upper YA/NA epic fantasy somewhere between N.K. Jemisin, Jacqueline Carey, and a little Sarah J. Maas, this is the series for you.

A witch. Small Folk. The casteless. Too many of Nantai’s children, Mairynne had never met. Decreeing that her aunt should ascend, she flees from Arashi and the Serpentine Throne. For the first time, she faces the hardship of those without the comforts of the elite caste. Gensui Thalaj Northerngale, her only companion and protector, travels at her side. Through the Yubar Forest, across the Central Grasslands, into trading towns, and beyond, the journey winds through Mairynne’s country. The stones she wears draw her onward. The people she meets guide her forward. Prophesies are told, and she makes unlikely friends. But someone or something follows. Her search leads her to the City by the Sea, demands she leave Nantai’s shores and sail into the true unknown across Syrensea. Another step and another still . . . Mairynne seeks something far more important than duty. Family.

A ship ne’er returns from o’er the Syrensea. The dragons have resurfaced in Nantai, the Cloud Courtiers are playing dangerous games, and the empire is crumbling. The caste leaders are posturing for power; the price imposed by the Stone Singer leader Sarangarel tell as much. The sum cannot be unpaid, and a blizzard Mairynne cannot see her way through now rages inside Thalaj. Captain Asahi and his crew sail the Swell Mistress westward, ferrying Mairynne and her party into the unknown in search of the island nation Ise. New adventures on the high seas ensue, but are the storied sea creatures real or lore? A new land comes into view, but is it the island for which they search? Separation from her friends, captivity, a journey through the jungle, and entrance into other-worldly realms await. Has she reached Ise? The songs of the stones are waning. Is this where she will find her father? How far must she trek inland? And will she be able to make amends with Thalaj before her time runs out?

Mairynne has loved, lost, and found. And now. . . she returns. Nantai is no longer as Mairynne remembers. Her journey to find her father took too long. The City by the Sea is no more than ash, and there is only one explanation: dragon fire. In Ise, Mairynne fulfilled her destiny and accepted a companion from the Fey Queen. Now, the great pearlescent dragon is now bound to her soul. Although her dragon is innocent, what will returning mean for them? And if another dragon is burning cities, will putting her father back upon the Serpentine Throne be enough? As she retraces her steps, she sees Nantai from a new perspective. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends, and she no longer has the strongest person she’s ever known to rely upon. Her father at her side reassures her, but she also fears his judgment when he learns of her dragon. How will she handle the new state of her beloved country?

The heart and soul of her beloved country has been shattered. The devastation across Nantai deepens. Against all she wishes to believe, Mairynne is convinced her sister has fallen victim to the dragon terrorizing Nantai. And now, she must leave her father once again to beg her people to stand up for the country she loves. When Mairynne and her dragon fly north to recruit the people of the Iced Plains of Nantai, they find more cities in ruin, they meet the great beast of the north, and they must fight for their lives to pursue their cause. The Nantai people have grown bitter. Mairynne and her dragon must face their fury. Will she sway their views and convince them to help her take back the Serpentine Throne? The epic conclusion to the series flys the reader to the coldest reaches of Nantai, brings them home to the jewel city of Arashi, and weaves together all the castes the final fight for the future of Nantai. Through all this, can Mairynne find a way to heal a country’s heart and soul. . .or her own?