In this final spine-chilling chapter of Assassin, war is on the horizon. Mistrust shatters whatever peace was left amongst the four kingdoms. Back in Astodia, Adalia feverishly struggles to keep things steady, balancing the hysteria of villages being set ablaze while dealing with an injury that threatens to destroy her hard-earned reputation. As the light at the end of the tunnel seems to darken, Queen Lorelle presents Adalia with her very own a girl with the spirit of a phoenix rising from the ashes. She is skilled and brave, but not nearly as experienced as Adalia. To make matters worse, rumors circulate that a monster, one which only ever lived in the pages of children's storybooks—the weapon of an ancient king—has risen. As alliances amongst the kingdoms crumble, it seems as if only Adalia has the power to return peace or let it slip through the cracks of a crumbling empire forever. Will Adalia be able to uncover the secrets of the ancient king in time, or will she finally lose everyone she ever came to love?
Maryam Durrani is a young author from Virginia, USA. She wrote her first novel, Assassin, at age 13, publishing it a few years later, and then the sequel, Ascendant, at 17. At 18, she followed it up with the final book in the trilogy, Apprentice.
She is well known online where she writes for young readers, her work reaching over two million reads.