"The Sword flirts with thoughts of treachery, restless for its once and final end. And don’t think for a blink that the Four are done—those holy ghosts never howl in vain. As for the Skull...it should have been destroyed when they had the chance. There won’t be another and He will rise again.

"But never underestimate the fears and cravings of desperate men. Not gods or ancient things of power, just men. That, my pet, is more likely to doom us than the sum of all the rest."

– The Fortune Teller

The Crucible Tree continues the story begun in Bane of All Things (which is available now). Morality and necessity clash as Ryn and Josalind contend with conflicting forces that would either use them, kill them, or venerate them as lost gods returned.

Sample early draft chapters under the READ tab

To avoid dropping annoying spoilers for Bane of All Things, I haven’t uploaded the first three chapters of The Crucible Tree. Instead, I have uploaded three chapters that each stand on their own without the other two and keep the bean-spilling to a minimum.

In these chapters, you will be introduced to:

Uthnar – This tortured soul has forgotten himself, despite, or perhaps because of, the ancient power that burns in his veins.

Ember – Or is it Abram? Perception is such an easy thing to twist with a little help from the spirits, even perception of gender.

Jemias – What we suffer in childhood can scar us forever. To what lengths will he go to quiet the demons inside?

Ryn’s family – Ryn has been estranged from them for seven years, but that doesn’t mean they’re beyond reach of his enemies.