An orphaned princess, a mad goddess, and a world on the precipice of war. Twenty years ago, during the last war between the country Lithonia and its neighbor, the king’s brother died in battle. Thanks to the magical link that connected him and his wife, she went into labor, dying minutes before their daughter Lena was born. Princess Lena, raised at the court of her dying uncle, is third to inherit the throne. Her insane cousin, obsessed with Lena and first in line to the throne, wants to force a marriage between them after his father dies. To save her, and secure an alliance against their country’s neighbor, the king instead arranges a marriage to the prince of a foreign kingdom. Forced to leave her homeland, Lena must secure the loyalty of her new husband, a stranger who is still grieving the death of his previous fiancée. Now tied together by the same magical link that destroyed both her parents, their fates are intertwined. Lena finds herself alone in a strange land, not knowing who to trust and who is waiting in the shadows to stab her in the back. Author Kristina Gruell debuts with a dark, high-stakes political fantasy, where every new face hides a potential threat. Pick up From the Ashes and discover the shadow games that will determine the fate of Redolan.