Sixteen-year-old Emily is new to Darson's Ford. Its rows of shacks on stilts above smooth, silky water enchant visitors and make it the most famous village in the Empire. The men's blue light-spheres only men can produce and only women can extinguish-reflects in the Ford's waters like nowhere else. To Emily, though, the best thing about the Ford is that Adam is there. He's her closest friend, barely old enough to be her father, gentle enough to make her feel safe for once. Whatever he is to her, all she knows is that she can never lose him.

But the gongs have sounded. Their warning keens send birds flying from trees and announce that the impossible has happened: After being banished from existence for more than 800 years, fire is back. Yes, the same fire that the church says will mean the end of times.

No one is sure what cult ignited the flame, but many suspect it's the Brotherhood of Rain and Cinder. As long as Emily has Adam, she knows she'll be okay.

Unless, of course, Adam has more to do with fire's return than she thought.

Rich with excitement, lore, and romance-thanks to a young, achingly handsome Darvic swordsman-this first installment in the Brotherhood Trilogy is written with lean, ethereal prose and will captivate lovers of fantasy of all ages.