On one side stands the ancient Vashall Empire—a monarchy long-entrenched, proud, and rigid. Once a vast and fearsome power, the Empire’s influence stretched across oceans, dominating faraway lands through might and magic. But that age has passed. The overseas territories, weary of exploitation and the cold grip of undead enforcers, have broken free. Colony after colony slipped the bonds of imperial rule, and the Empire, bloated and rotting from within, began to crack. Now, even the heartland is breaking. The East, having watched and learned from the revolutions abroad, has risen in defiance. These former subjects no longer recognize the Emperor’s crown or the cold mandates of the necromancer-states. They seek to build something new—something alive. In the place of necromantic tradition, they turn to the strange and shimmering science of the future: Alchemy. Still in its infancy, alchemy is raw and unrefined, but it burns with promise. It could be the tool they need to win the war, to challenge the ancient sorceries that have long propped up the throne. Yet for every breakthrough, there are mistakes. Catastrophes. Deaths. This is the crucible in which the East must forge its future. The Empire, meanwhile, rallies what strength remains. Its armies, bolstered by necromantic legions, march to reclaim what was lost. They do not see themselves as villains. To them, they are loyalists—protectors of an ancient order that once held the world in balance. They believe that if the corpse of the Empire can be kept intact just a little longer, then perhaps, after the war, it can be restored. Rebuilt. At the center of it all are people. Fragile, flawed, and tired. Argalia, a soldier of the Empire, isn’t dreaming of glory. She just wants to survive. To make it home. But war rarely leaves the soul untouched, and hers is already burning. State Necromancer Heinrich serves the Empire with grim resolve. Bound by duty and belief, he commands the dead with skill unmatched—but even he feels the weight of what is asked of him. Of what must be sacrificed. And Desmond? He only wants to return home. To feel his husband’s arms around him once more. He doesn’t care whether that reunion happens in life or in undeath—only that it happens.

When Mollie starts to prefer the dreams she's having to the painful reality of life, she's forced to choose between embracing a fantasy or the man she loves. ***** Since she was seven, Mollie Cutright has known two truths: she loves Howard Flynn and her dreams are the most magical part of her life. Each day she suffers at the hands of her abusive parents, but each night she is surrounded by a loving family who call her by a different name. Growing up in 1930's Virginia, no one has patience fo...