Tyrant Queen

All roads lead to Ecbatana, as the trading masters say. This ancient fortress with its multi-colored interlocking walls, vibrant bazaars, and powerful sorcerers who use a mysterious magic called metamorphistry lies in the path of the rag-tag group of refugees from fallen Clairvaux. But as Cimree, Azra, Trinati, and the others soon learn, there is a tradition in Ecbatana both perilous and promising—Ecbatana is periodically ruled by a tyrant queen, chosen to wield absolute power while the scheming nobles react to drastic changes in fortune. Azra wants to bypass Ecbatana and continue to seek shelter deep within the Tirich Mir mountains, where the angel sworn can be safe from the predators unleashed by a fearsome monster bent on destroying all civilization. Or can Ecbatana's sturdy walls and tunnels defend them from the hordes attacking every hamlet and caravan? Should the Ecbatanans at least be warned of the coming threat? One thing is for sure: Cimree, the inexperienced leader of the angel sworn, will be tested in ways she cannot imagine. There is more to Ecbatana than silks, spices, and magical djinn trapped in gems. There are secrets that may reveal the true nature of the monsters pursuing them, and the very magic she has come to depend on.