Two princesses set to ruins
One violinist far from home
And a man on the run

Suntower Palace is more than a home. It's a tomb.

Ever since Windkeep’s decree to send all the maidens away from Chaera, Suntower’s twin Princesses Liora and Lark Sulmaane’s lives have never been the same. They’ve returned changed: one deathly ill and the other harboring a deadly secret. Liora, locked away in a remote tower and too weak to stand most days, wants nothing more than to leave the room that binds her. And fleeing into the palace’s dark places is Lark, who seeks to outrun the beast that haunts her every night.

But when Lark overhears a piece of information that could grant freedom to everyone she loves, she follows the spark of hope on a perilous quest to Croastan, leaving her sister behind. Though she doesn't anticipate Gaellen Fitz-Pault, the runaway, climbing through Liora's window in her absence.

Berin Koppeter, a burgeoning violinist from Bremen, Germany, has been given the opportunity of a lifetime. But when one shipwreck in the North Sea leaves him stranded in Croastan, a land of magicked song and never-ending trees, he’s desperate to get back home.

Liora and Lark soon find their hearts entangled. One on the verge of death, the other on the verge of becoming a monster…neither anticipated falling in love nor the sacrifice that would come with it.

In this YA portal fantasy where Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel meet the winter wilds inspired by Russian and Irish folklore, Liora, Lark, Gaellen, and Berin must decide what is worth fighting for—before it’s too late for them all.

Amazon Pre-Order: View on Amazon
Coming soon
November 3, 2026
Where to find this book
External links open a book search at the selected retailer. Availability may vary.
The Chronicles of Chaera

The series

Full series details →
Risingshadow

Anticipation distribution

How reader anticipation is distributed across the 1–10 scale.

100
90
81
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Risingshadow

Don’t miss this book’s release

Add this book to your To Read or Wishlist list and we’ll automatically notify you when it is released.