Serena Ashborne, the disgraced princess of the Vale Kingdom, is betrayed by her fiancé and stepsister, who tear the Dawnfire Core from her body and cast her into the Abyssal Rift. The stolen power is believed to be an ancient phoenix blessing, but its true form is the Dawnfire Dragon—a winged fire dragon whose flames carry the power of rebirth. Serena survives and unexpectedly gives birth to three dragonlings. Two remain by her side, while the third is found by Kael Draven, sovereign of the Drakari court.
Five years later, Serena returns to the Vale Kingdom with her children. She reclaims the Dawnfire Core, destroys the enemies who ruined her life, and follows a trail of magical relics into the Middle Realms and the High Realms. Each victory reveals that her family, her bloodline, and the three dragonlings are tied to a much larger conflict among royal houses, mage orders, and the ancient Drakari bloodline. When Serena discovers that her mother is alive and about to marry into House Wren, she enters a western royal wedding in disguise—unaware that Kael and their missing son have arrived at the same estate.
