The Eight Nations of Pyria have known peace for a generation-but peace built on forgotten horrors never lasts. The madness‑plague that once drove the peasants to revolt has faded into legend, its truth buried beneath the rule of High Empress Inkiritva and the enigmatic Iris Radi, Empress of the Uncharted Sea. Together, they forged stability from chaos, and Pyria has thrived. Princess Eskesiadra, Inkiritva's long‑awaited heir, is finally of age. She hungers for glory, purpose, and the return of Xaire Harrow-the young captain‑in‑training who vanished into Iris's ocean after chasing a set of impossible coordinates. When Eskesiadra's father leads a search expedition into the unknown, she remains behind to rule in her mother's place. But what Xaire discovers is far more dangerous than dry land. And he is not the only explorer. The truth rising from the depths threatens to shatter the world's fragile peace, strand entire populations, and pull Eskesiadra-and every rival who vies for the right to rule-into a destiny she never imagined. Old uprisings don't stay buried. Some are waiting to begin again.
