Premise
The land of Aphirah is on the brink of something new. Magic is present everywhere now, from the streets of the bright and shining cities to the underbellies of the secret crime circles beneath them. Two of the seven Houses of Government ruling the nation have fallen, leaving the other five scrambling to keep a grip on the reign that they formerly had a stranglehold on. Rebellion is on the rise, trying to chip away at the regime’s struggling iron fist as the world teeters between anarchy and despotism. And there are whisperings of something coming to light again after ages in the dark, something that could tip the balance in either direction and transform Aphirah forever.
Cyrin and Mireya haven’t been a team for very long, but working as mercenaries, mages, and thieves for hire in the depths of the capital’s criminal world has forged them into a force to be reckoned with when they’re together. They can see better than most how delicate the world’s situation is, and how close it is to being changed one way or the other. But they didn’t expect to be the heralds of that change when they bring back news of an ancient and powerful magic artifact they discover on a heist, or to suddenly have the knowledge of it place a target on their backs.
The five remaining Heirs to the Houses, thinking this artifact is the key to ensuring their government will stay standing long enough for them to ascend to power, anonymously approach Mireya and Cyrin with a secret offer: recover the artifact from where they found it and turn it over to them. But the mercenaries don’t trust what their plans might be for it, and insist on involving them in the heist to find out. Soon, the lawless and the law-bound must join together to make their mission work in the meantime and then maybe sabotage the other when it’s all done. But despite how their differences could be enough to put their fragile team at risk, they might have a true common enemy that they all have to stand against— an enemy who wants that artifact more, to alter Aphirah how they see fit, and doesn’t care what they have to do to get it.
Gender:
Points: 4150
Reviews: 135