Of Dawn and Embers

The Fireborn Epic, Book 3

He rides a dawnling, a steed of light and glory, destined to restore.

Jakim Ha’Nor will save his people, or so says the prophecy that upended his life and drove his brothers to betray him. Now, he has returned as the dawnrider to fulfill his purpose and reconcile with his brothers—only to find himself embroiled in a war.

Captured in the fallout of a deadly attack, Rafi grapples with the ghosts of the past. His brother is alive but no longer himself, and Rafi will stop at nothing to save him. Farther up the coast, Ceridwen strives to reignite the embers of the rebellion to burn the empire down. When Rafi is sentenced to execution before the imperial court, Ceridwen must rally every spear and steed she can for a blistering strike at the heart of the capital.

But the empire’s schemes are already in motion, and Jakim’s two missions collide when an unexpected encounter with one of his brothers reveals the true threat behind the imperial thirst for ancient secrets. Hidden forces intend to unleash a cataclysmic power, spurring Ceridwen, Rafi, and Jakim to challenge the full, crushing might of the empire for the fate of the world.

Stars weep and ash falls as the tides of battle propel the Fireborn queen, the Sea-Demon prince, and the Dawnrider priest toward a meteoric clash in this thunderous series finale.

©2026 Gillian Bronte Adams (P)2026 Oasis Audio

A thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the trilogy

Wow! This was everything I hoped it would be and so much more.

The three heroes, Ceridwen, Rafi and Jakim are all facing impossible circumstances, and at many points while listening, I felt anger, grief, hope - then hopelessness - then hope again. This doesn't have a neat, Hallmark ending, not should it have. Like life, some who deserve death live, and some who deserve life die - but the events of this book unfold exactly as Ayed intended. (I mean, the author is a well documented LOTR and Tolkien fan, so I had to slip in at least one reference.)

Gillian does such a masterful job of weaving the character's journeys together, knitting all the individual arcs together to create a fine fabric, rich with lore, laughter, and love. The world she created is wholly original and yet familiar. The citizens of Soldinia, the Maw, Nadar, Elyiam, etc. (forgive my spelling) feel real as they live, fight, grieve and celebrate. What I wouldn't give to join them for a bowl of bushka bean stew, saga crisps (only if Safa made them) - or even Ceridwen's favorite bean tea (iykyk).

I can't wait to start over with "Of Fire and Ash" to listen again.

FABULOUS series!!

My daughter introduced me to this series. It is written for YA audience, but I found that it was one of the best fantasy series I’ve read/listened to! So good!