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Flamecastercover

Flamecaster is the fifth book in the Seven Realms universe and the first book in a new series, the Shattered Realms, by New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima. It was released on April 5th, 2016 by Harper Collins.

The new book explores what happened to the Seven Realms 20-25 years after the events of The Crimson Crown Showing the Aftermath of King Montaigne launched war against the Fells.

Synopsis[]

20-25 years after the events of the previous series, Gerard Montaigne, the King of Arden's attempts to invade the Fells have failed. Years of war have led to tensions both within the Fells and Arden. The war continues with neither side gaining ground, Arden controlling Delphi and the Fells continuing to defend their borders.

Adrian Sul'Han, better known as Ash, is the second oldest child of the Queen of the Fells and Han Alister. After The death of his sister Hanalea ana 'Raisa, and having witnessed his father's death and escaping his own assassination he flees to Delphi to seek the help of the Voyageur Beaugarde Talison. He then spends the next few years training as a healer at the new Spiritas academy at Oden's Ford, eventually transferring to Mystwork when he becomes of age.

Adrian spends these next few years in hiding as Ash Hanson, learning the art of healing, and of dealing death in the form of poisons. During his summer breaks he roams Arden as a horse healer, killing Ardenine officers and other targets of note.

Eventually, his identity is discovered and a group of Malthian Priests known as the Darian Brothers attempt to cleanse him by drinking his blood and killing him. He is saved Mid Cleansing by Lila Barrowhill, a Wien house Cadet with a history of black market trading and smuggling.

Lila and Ash flee Oden's Ford with Lila intending to return Ash to the Fells in hopes of receiving a reward. Since Lila discovers Ash's true Identity from one of the Darian brothers, Ash drugs her wine and gives her the slip, intending on going to Ardenscourt in order to kill King Gerard Montaigne in an attempt to keep his mother and younger sister safe.

Years earlier a girl named Jenna Bandelow heads to work in the mines with her friends Riley and Maggi. It is during the ride up to the mines that Jenna shows Riley her Magemark, telling him that it means she is powerful and that they will be able to write their own story. Her father, however, has told her all her life that it means she will be a target and should keep it hidden. Before the work day can begin, however, the King and Queen of Arden have come to inspect the mines and to offer "Congratulations" and "Words of encouragement" to the miners for their labor. It is during this visit that someone tosses dung at the King, leading to the deaths of Riley and Maggie and a full blown riot. Jenna is taken by an old miner and from then on is known as Riley Collier, a boy who works and lives in Delphi.

After many years, Jenna is known on the streets as Flamecaster, a saboteur committing acts of rebellion against the King of Arden. She works in the mines during the day and rebels at night. This all changes when the kings' agents led by Destin Karn come looking for a girl with a Magemark. Destin eventually ferrets Jenna out of hiding resulting in her father's death and leading her to try and take her own life before she can be captured.

Arriving at Ardenscourt, Ash seeks to gain entry into the healing service as Adam Freeman but is refused. He then seeks entry into the stables as a healer of horses and gains a job working for the horse master, all the while waiting for his time to strike at the King of Arden. Months pass with no opportunity until a Darian Brother tracks him down and attempts to kill Ash again. Barley escaping by unintentionally setting fire to the kitchens, he demonstrates his healing ability by healing a cook from near fatal burns.

It is during his time as a healer that he runs into Lila again, who is now comfortable at court as the King's supplier of flashcraft - collars, talismans, and amulets. Lilia pulls Ash aside in private and unsuccessfully tries to convince him that he needs to escape from the palace. The two agree that its best that no one know they know each other and that they will stay out of each others' way.

Ash is collared as all mages in Arden are to suppress their attack magic and killing charms. The king then summons him. Answering the summons Ash is surprised to find that the king wants him to heal a girl and to keep it quiet. The girl is Jenna who has been transported from Delphi and is on the verge of death.

Jenna attempted to kill herself with a dagger from the east that a group called the Bloodsworn carry. The dagger is magical in nature and according to Destine, no one has survived a wound from one.

Chained and sick Jenna resists Ash's attempts to heal her, calling him wolf to which Destin tries to get her to elaborate. Ash can tell Jenna wants to die and in attempt to heal her and gain her trust opens a door between their minds. While this connection is open they can see into each others' memories. Cleaning her wounds, Ash finds he can't heal her with his magic and instead attempts to absorb the foreign magic into himself which leads to Jenna recovering.

During the Solstice Celebration someone poisons the drinks resulting in the queen nearly dying. Ash saves her with a potion further cementing himself as a trusted healer.

Later that day Destin comes to interrogate Jenna and ask why she is special and why The Empress of the Northern Islands would be interested in her. He finds that she is resistant to his magic and she shows that she is immune to fire by putting her hand into a torch. Ash enters worried that Karn maybe hurting Jenna and is amazed to find that she has healed so quickly. She allows him to see the Magemark on her neck and they kiss. Ash leaves and Jenna has bizarre dreams about Ash and dragons. Ash returns to tell Jenna that the Empress Celestine has offered to trade an army with Arden for her, revealing why the King of Arden hunted Jenna in the first place.

The king dines with his thanes during a holy holiday when news breaks out that Delphi has fallen to the rebellion aided by the Fells. Angry, one of the Thanes tells the King that he is going home and that 25 years of war is enough. The kings reveals that he has taken the thanes families "to safe locations" in this perilous time of war. The Thane fights his way out and begins to recruit his banner men.

The Empress' Emissaries arrive, and Jenna begins to hear a voice call out for help. They hold a meeting with the King and his advisers which includes Lila, Ash, and Destine. The emissaries are nearly all wizards and are led by a man named Evan Strangward. They negotiate with the king saying they will give him a gift and once the Empress is satisfied that Jenna is the girl that they are looking for, they will bring the army. The gift as it turns out is a young dragon, Evan says it can be trained to fight and be used as a weapon of war for both destruction and intelligence gathering. The Dragon is in poor health, though, chained to the wall and apparently drunk on rum. The King and the Emissary are unable to come to terms with the king demanding that the army be handed over before he gives them Jenna.

After the meeting Lila reveals to Ash that her last name is not Barrowhill and she is infact the youngest daughter to Amon Byrne the captain of the Fellsian royal guard. She was suppose to keep watch over Ash and that Taliesin told Ash's mother he is still alive and in Odens Ford. She also reveals that her position as flash craft supplier to Arden is apart of a three year long plan and that the flash craft doesn't work properly. Lila purposes they kill Jenna so Arden can't form an alliance with the Northern Islands, Ash now in love with Jenna refuses.

Ash Goes to Jenna and tells her whats happened and how Delphi has fallen, they toast and celebrate. Ash tells Jenna about the dragon and she feels like she should remember something about dragons. Jenna decides the best way to stop Arden making an alliance is to die but ash wont accept it. They devise a plan to blow up the ship, free the dragon and blame it on Arden. They kiss and spend awhile together before Ash leaves. Giving Jenna two poison berries before he goes just in case, Jenna responds by giving Ash her fathers pendant.

Ash and Lila head to the Emissaries ship, Lila will set the explosives while ash frees the dragon. The Dragon is wearing a similar collar to ash sucking the Dragon dry of magic. Ash tries to heal the Dragon by feeding him flash and it appears to help. Lilia reappears injured and telling Ash the Darian priests are on board. Lilia produces a key that she uses to free Ash from his collar allowing him to use his full power once again. He uses it to fight off the Darian Brothers and uses the key to free the Dragon so it can help them escape.

Meanwhile Jenna is alone in her cell when Strangward and some of his men arrive, Strangward and Jenna feel like they know each other. Knowing that Arden wont come to terms Stangward reluctant agrees that they need to kill Jenna however its far from what he wants. Jenna fights back is grabbed from behind and the room goes up in flames. Jenna finds her skin to feel numb and that she is covered in scales the same color as her hair.

Ash and the Dragon fight off the priests, Ash then finds someone to care for Lila while he rushes to save Jenna. First he frees the dragon.

The Dragon appears in Jenna's room the ultimate cause of the fire, Tells her that its name is Flamecaster and the two fly to the safety of a beach far away from the city. Meanwhile Ash sees the destruction in Jenna's room and hears tales that a demon caused the destruction. He finds two bodies of Stangwards men but is unable to locate Jenna. While looking over the city below the king shoves him off, Ash just barely able to get a hold of a stone statue. When the king reaches down to burn Ash he stabs him with a poison needle. In the end the Queen pushes the King off the tower and helps Ash up.

Days go by and Ash is unable to find Jenna, assuming she's dead he and Lila begin to head for home. The prince of Arden Jarat ascends to the throne, his mother hopes to guide him away from the evil's ways of his father. Stangward meets with a surviving crew member and learns that one of the collars found on his ship was Ash's. He wonders if the empress will hunt Jenna herself now, and if the Fellsians had a hand in ensuring the deal didn't happen. He assumes that Jenna is dead and thinks that the empress will go back to hunting him.

Characters[]

  • Adrian Sul'Han - Know As Ash, he is the son of the queen of the Fells, a gifted healer turned assassin he aims to kill the king of Arden.
  • Jenna Bandelow - A girl from Delphi with a magemark on her neck. She is being hunted by the Empress Celestine and is a part of a deal that Arden has made with Celestine: Jenna for a mage army. She is the love interest of Ash.
  • Lila Barrowhill - A cadet at Odens ford who is actually the youngest daughter of the Amon Byrne. She is a smuggler, a liar but is protecting Ash from a distance.
  • Destin Karn - Head of Ardenine Intelligence and son of Marin Karn, the Commander of the Ardenine Army. He is a mage who found Jenna and brought her back to Ardenscourt.
  • Han, Raisa, Gerard Montaigne, Queen of Arden
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