Ancient Dreams

A prequel to the Ancient Dreams trilogy, best read after the other volumes. The story of Marin, the High Mage who uncovered the true nature of magic and ushered in a new era of understanding — and of her only student, Emonael, who completed the research with her at great personal cost. Also includes the novella Into the Eternal Wood, a story about Sistina Constella of the Kingdom of Everium.

Sistina awakens after millennia of dormancy with her memories in tatters, reborn in the ruins of an ancient city. Rescuing a princess from slavery pulls her into a war between elven nations and the slaver kingdom of Kelvanis. Her domain holds forgotten knowledge — and within it, she becomes dungeon, stronghold, and the first fragile hope of love.

Having driven off an assault and freed captives of Kelvanis, Sistina begins fortifying her halls. But true freedom for those she protects remains out of reach. To give her beloved princess a real future, Sistina must excavate who she once was and wield every scrap of recovered magic — even as Kelvanis escalates its plans.

Sistina's display of high magic — believed lost to the world — has revealed her power at last. As full-scale war erupts between Sifaren and Kelvanis, Phynis Constella seeks allies while Sistina faces threats that may surpass her limits. The final chapter of the Ancient Dreams Trilogy.

Reconciling two divergent faiths to a single goddess is difficult enough — it becomes harder when the conference opens with an assassination attempt. Tyria finds her hands tied by divine law while wrestling with who she is and why her memories have gaps. Her mortal followers, meanwhile, find themselves in a war with deep roots that could reshape the future in ways no one anticipated.