Armor of Sorrow introduced you to the main characters in a single city, with a focus on the backstory and personal journey of Dara Griffonheart. It is a story about losing what you love, moving on from the past, overcoming trauma, and dealing with grief.
But the next book, Hearts of Ire, throws Rinn into the spotlight as she tries to determine her place in a world she doesn’t understand. Don’t worry, Dara and her friends aren’t going anywhere, but you should expect to see many chapters from Rinn’s point of view. Hearts of Ire is a coming of age story, delving into the unique circumstance of a woman who got older, but never truly grew up. Rinn has to grapple with the responsibility of finding her family and helping her friends fight evil, but also how to deal with a handsome elven boy when no one ever explained puberty to her. Rinn’s story about growing up adds a light to the world that you only saw glimpses of in Armor of Sorrow. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised after the heartbreaking end of the first book.
But there’s far more going on in the world than a bright-eyed elven girl’s journey of self-discovery. Dara has discovered powerful and mysterious figures watching the world from the outside, Gracian, and the dark stranger from her vision in Chapter 41. Gracian has warned Dara that there are greater evils threatening the world, and she is to be his champion in fighting against them. However, the dark stranger has warned that Dara has made a wish with the stone she took from Francisco that will invite evil powers to destroy the League of Allied Nations. Dara is determined to find this danger before it can hurt anyone else. She’s about to discover she’s in way over her head.
There are new allies to discover. You will encounter the religions of the world, diving deeper into the Church of the Dawn and introducing you to the Children of Mirzha. You will also gain a greater understanding of the history of the League of Allied Cities and of the Downfall of the Kingdom of Strovia.
Dara and her company will travel far from Austernell and discover the Wild Men of the North, a tribal people at odds with the armies of Ayrengard, the fortress of the League of Allied Cities. Similar in theme to Austernell, these neighbors have a history of violence with one another, threatening to plunge, not just one city, but an entire continent into war.
Along with new allies and cultures, you will discover new villains, kings and queens moving their pieces carefully to destroy the peaceful world emerging from the ashes.
You will discover the personal journey of characters destined for great things, walking in the shadows of their fathers, struggling as they doubt their destinies. Light and darkness, hope and despair, mercy and justice collide.
Armor of Sorrow 