THE SHIELD OF ASHES

THE SHIELD OF ASHES Some legends are born in fire. Others return to face it. Cherie Loxley was a nurse, a mother, and a woman who believed she understood the battles worth fighting. Then she found herself drawn into Eryndor, a world where ancient magic is failing, kingdoms are built on buried secrets, and the shadows of a forgotten war are stirring once more. The wards that have protected the realm for generations are crumbling. Something ancient is waking. And at the heart of it all lies the Shield-Maiden - a role Cherie never expected to reclaim, in a world that may have been waiting for her all along. With her daughters, Elara and Lysette, depending on her, Cherie must navigate a dangerous court where truth is a weapon and loyalty can be deadlier than betrayal. The disgraced commander Kael Thorne may be her strongest ally, but trust does not come easily when the past has been rewritten and the fate of an entire realm hangs in the balance. As the truth behind the War of Ashes emerges, Cherie discovers that the Shield's power was never what the old stories claimed. Its strength lies not in one chosen warrior, but in the bonds people willingly forge to protect one another. To save Eryndor, she must challenge the powers that shaped its history, confront the Ash King, and decide what she is willing to sacrifice for the people she loves. But some secrets were buried for a reason. And the greatest mystery may lie not in Eryndor's past, but in what was waiting for her daughters long before they ever arrived. The Shield of Ashes is an epic romantic fantasy of ancient magic, political intrigue, fierce motherhood, slow-burning romance, and the courage to challenge a destiny written by others. When the old world burns, the strongest shield may be the one no warrior can raise alone.