Maxim Pierce

The Emperor of Vesteria is dead, struck down by an assassin's bolt during a royal hunt in the frozen Blackwood. Before his final breath, he leaves Lord Kaelen Vance with a secret that could destroy the realm: the royal heirs may not be royal at all. Hidden ledgers, burned evidence, and whispered betrayals point toward a conspiracy buried inside the Citadel of Ash, where every noble smile hides a blade and every oath can become a death sentence. Forced into the role of Hand in a court that already wants him gone, Kaelen must navigate a deadly struggle between queens, spies, bastards, soldiers, and ancient magic.
As succession fractures and armies gather, the fate of the Sunken Throne rests on a man who understands war far better than politics-but in Vesteria, politics is war. The Bloodline of Ash is an epic political fantasy of assassination, royal secrets, northern honor, bloodline betrayal, and a realm sliding toward civil war.