These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king. Kat doesn’t care about any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique gift: she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. She’ll need every advantage she can get.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best. Then one of them is murdered. We know who did it. We saw it happen. No one else did.

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.

A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic. Ruling families - once protectors of justice and democracy - now plot against one another with sharp words and sharper knives. Blinded by ambition, they remain heedless of the threat posed by the invading armies of the Hadari Empire. Yet as Tressia falls, heroes rise. As war spreads across the Republic, three must set aside their differences in order to save their home. Yet decades of bad blood are not easily set aside.

Markus Wolfe has lost his parents, his girlfriend, and now, his job. He's at his lowest point with nothing left to lose. Or so he thought. But when an apparition appears, promising Markus a mysterious inheritance, he's given the opportunity to discover what he's got to gain: a purpose. Transmigrated into a vast wilderness with no signs of civilization, Markus is forced to rediscover who he is while fighting through confusion, fear of the unknown, and the very real threat of death.