To free his possessed brother from six soul-devouring tyrants, a man must wield dangerous double-edged magic, in the second book of this epic fantasy series.

Fleeing a mage massacre at the Academy of Ash, Erik and his fellow Cinders continue to ascend the legendary Baldred's Pillar. As they reach ever higher levels and escape monstrous creatures lurking beneath treacherous waters, they find themselves plunged into Paradize, a sprawling megacity controlled by a family of cruel demigods. Known as "the Siblings," they rule with an iron fist, consuming the souls of the dead to imbue themselves with immortality.

To Erik's horror, he discovers a member of this devious clan has possessed the body of his very own brother, Noah. To save him and prevent the Siblings from devastating all of Stylos, Erik and his host, Fern, will need to unlock a previously untapped advantage to even the odds. Although the duo has strengthened its twin soul bond with each hard-won fight, their skills will never match these adversaries—not without a little help, that is . . .

Allying with a group of revolutionaries called the Criers, Erik and his companions push themselves to the brink in order to learn a new magic technique. And as their enemies grow stronger, Erik is forced to draw his cursed Ashsteel sword, which strips away years of its wielder's life with every strike. Now, with the Siblings mere steps from reaching true invincibility, he must take the battle to the central source of their power or else his last chance at victory could turn to ash in his hands.

The second volume of the hit fantasy adventure series—with more than 150,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Tropes include: stranger in a strange world, secret identity, fight to survive, unlikely hero, found family, hidden city, and rebel leader.