First published 2021
Minister Shea Ashcroft faces a choice that will destroy his career. The queen orders him to gas peaceful protesters. He refuses. Riots tear through the capital, and the queen banishes him to the remote borderlands. His punishment becomes his mission: oversee construction of the largest anti-airship defense tower ever built. The tower uses alien technology that makes every day dangerous. Local officials work against him at every turn. Shea must navigate their schemes while keeping the massive project on track. Assassins target him. He falls in love despite the chaos. Buried memories surface to torment him. An ancient legend walks into his life. His journey takes him to the birthplace of an entire species. Through each trial, Shea holds to his principles. The same moral code that cost him everything now guides his fight to reclaim his place in the world. But the path back to power demands compromises he never expected.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, action, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, moral-dilemma
Setting: Capital, Borderlands
Period: Present Day
218 pages · Paperback · Vestige
Content warnings: violence