Everything Rowan ever dreamed of was taken away the day her father died fighting the skulled-face monsters haunting southern Ithika. When Rowan turned sixteen, she enrolled in the Ithikan Military Academy to become the soldier her father once was. Thinking she could change the world, she runs into her childhood friend Lee, the current captain of the Black Sun Army.

Lee joined the army too young, and he's seen death too early. He is no longer the kind and compassionate boy Rowan grew up with when she visited the army base a decade ago.

Both are different people, no longer the children they once were. Still, they must push aside their differences to find the end to this war that has taken their share of loved ones. Rowan must learn how to control her recklessness, and Lee must keep his head on his shoulders and his feelings at bay to keep the woman he loves safe.

About the Author

Thitiya Astleford is a Thai-American writer who has been writing since she was old enough to pick up a pencil. She went to Western Washington University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English, June of 2023. Her short story "Car Battery" was published in Western Washington University's Literary Magazine Jeopardy in their 59th issue. She was awarded the Don and Elaine Westhoff Award in the fiction category. When she is not writing, you can find her with a mug of coffee drawing up visions of her book characters, bringing them to life.