The last Aturan King is dying, and as his strength fades so does his hold on sa and ka. Control of this power is a deadly lure; the Emperor stirs in his Forbidden City to the East, while deep in the Seared Lands, the whispering voices of Eth bring secret death. Eight men and women take their first steps along the paths to war, barely realizing that their world will soon face a much greater threat; at the heart of the world, the Dragon stirs in her sleep. A warrior would become Queen, a Queen would become a monster, and a young boy plays his bird-skull flute to keep the shadows of death at bay.

Jian begins a brutal climb up the ranks of the Daechen as the Emperor's long plans near fruition. Sulema is initiated into the ways of Atualon and the power of Atulfah, and finds that her father's city is built on a foundation of terrible secrets. Hafsa Azeina treks down paths stranger and more dangerous than even she could have imagined. And the Zeeranim must face not only their traditional, external enemies, but treachery and betrayal from within.

The Seared Lands (The Dragon's Legacy Book 3) by Deborah A. Wolf This book, while following the previous stories, focuses a great deal on the Illindrist, Aasah, and his apprentice Yaela, strange people with stranger powers who come from a land of salt and fire. In the days of the Sundering, Quarabala—the Seared Lands—were cursed by Akari Sun Dragon and scorched beyond all recognition. Now a cruel place inhabited by nightmare beasts, the Seared Lands are home to a desperate few; and as fears of a second Sundering grow, these people look to greener lands. If no place is found for them, they will seize new lands from the soft hands of Those Who Dwell Above. They have nowhere else to go, they have nothing to lose... And this time, they are not alone.