Among the Burning Flowers

This sweeping fantasy set in bestseller Shannon’s Roots of Chaos universe and dramatically illustrated by Cai, fills in the events directly preceding series opener The Priory of the Orange Tree. In the volcanic city of Cárscaro, the ground shakes. Young heir to the throne Donmata Marosa Vetalda, stifled under her father’s protective eye, dreams of escaping to distant Mentendon and her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn. Meanwhile, fan favorite former smuggler Estina Melaugo makes a living slaying draconic creatures, now stirring for the first time in centuries. When an old friend offers her a better life aboard an Inysh warship, she refuses to leave the land of her birth. Then the dragon Fyredel reawakens from a thousand-year sleep, all hell breaks loose, and both women’s hopes for the future go up in flames. After news reaches Mentendon that Cárscaro has fallen and the kingdom of Yscalin has pledged allegiance to draconic power, Aubrecht increasingly fears for Marosa’s life. This prequel installment, a relatively short outing for this doorstopper series, doesn’t pack quite the same punch as the first two books, but devoted fans will be pleased by the depth it adds to beloved side characters and the lore of this lush, meticulously drawn world. For those who can’t get enough of Shannon’s worldbuilding, this will be a treat. (Sept.)