Halfa Schoona knows how to survive. Raised in the Dock Ward of Grayspire with no name and no past, he's been many things: a bruiser, an errand boy, a weapon. But when he walks through fire to save a child and comes out unburned, everything changes. The rare magic that saved a life may now cost him his own. Even Gronk, the closest thing he has to family, begins to look at him differently. Seeking shelter in the Temple of Thessira, Halfa finds something he never expected: peace. The temple is a sanctuary devoted to joy and defiance, and in its rituals, its laughter, and a woman named Marin, Halfa discovers the beginnings of a life he wants to protect.

But the streets are watching. The Blackjaw Syndicate, led by Halfa's former friend Gronk and the ruthless Valka Thorne, want the temple under their control, and Halfa back in line. When the fire returns, it does not come gently. As tensions boil over, Halfa must decide who he is willing to become. If joy is worth fighting for, it may also be worth burning for. But some choices leave scars, and not every light can be carried forward.

© 2025 Hal Rowan (Audiobook): 9781764082228

Release date

Audiobook: 4 September 2025