Empire of Storms

In the first book of this fun, action-packed fantasy trilogy, a warrior and a thief must come together to stop the forces that threaten their people. Hope's old life ended the night her entire village was massacred by the emperor's forces. Now, trained in secret by a master warrior, her new life is centered on only one goal: vengeance. Red lives by the skin of his teeth and sharpness of his wit. An expert thief and a brilliant con artist, he cares for only one thing: a good time. But when the empire's soldiers start to encroach on his territory, taking down his friends with it, he may have to re-prioritize. Together, they will take down an empire.

A killer adventure fantasy follow-up to HOPE AND RED, set in a fracturing empire spread across savage seas, where two young people from different cultures find common purpose. Red is being trained as a cold-blooded assassin by the biomancers. As he becomes increasingly embroiled in palace politics, he learns that even life among the nobility can be deadly. While terrorizing imperial ships as the pirate Dire Bane, Hope stumbles onto a biomancer plot of such horrifying scope that it makes even the massacre of her childhood village seem small in comparison. With the biomancers tightening their grip of fear over the empire, Hope and Red struggle to fill their new roles and responsibilities, but the cost will be greater than any of them realize. Jon Skovron is the author of several young adult novels and his short stories have appeared in publications such as ChiZine and Baen's Universe. He lives just outside Washington, D.C. with his two sons and two cats. The Empire of Storms is his first adult fantasy series. "The trilogy continues with murder and mayhem written in a captivating style that is breathtaking. Unique appellations and ingenious description add flair and humor to this continuing saga."-RT Book Reviews, Top Pick on Bane and Shadow "Intricate world of military action, magic, and piracy . . . . an emotionally engrossing tale leaves one eagerly awaiting the next book in the series."-Library Journal (starred review) on Bane and Shadow "Hope and Red return in the ingenious second installment of the Empire of Storms trilogy . . . . a tremendously satisfying segment of the journey."-Publishers Weekly on Bane and Shadow "Furious where it needs to be, deceptively tender where it can get away with it, adventurous all around."-Sam Sykes on Hope and Red "Hope and Red is my favorite book of the year. Full of nonstop, irresistible adventure, it captures that wonderful classic epic fantasy feel, while introducing a fantastic pair of memorable new heroes. I can't wait for the sequel!"-Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood

The thrilling conclusion to Jon Skovron's adventure fantasy series, two young people from a fracturing empire spread across savage seas must find a way to keep their nation together. Still reeling from the events at Dawn's Light, Hope struggles to understand what it means to be a warrior who has vowed to never again take up a sword. Red is enjoying his new role as imperial spy. Perhaps a bit too much. But his loyalties will be tested when his employer, Lady Hempist, relents and assigns him the one task he's been begging for all along: recruiting Hope and Brigga Lin to help rid the empire of biomancery once and for all. Fate brought them together; it will tear their empire apart.