The Island of Avernus burns. Despite Vanna and Kendy's valiant defense, the battle against Bone Adder left the South Wind Isle's quarry in ruins. Dama Sigyn arrived with her gunship in time to save Vanna, but Kendy sustained grievous injuries in the fight. Sigyn's heroism now has Vanna questioning the righteousness of the rebel Bael as well as the wisdom of her pledge to aid his efforts against the Celestials.
Lovesick and confused, Kai is blindsided by Vanna's hedging. He followed her into the depths of Bael's conspiracy, recruiting other Volturnians disenchanted with Celestial rule. Vanna's withdrawal leaves him isolated in his treason, with no easy way out but through.
Meanwhile, in the dwindling hours of Kelestina's frivolous ball, Effie Strait lifts her head from the Anvil of Caste, the lines of a new scar already hardening behind her ear. After surviving her rushed Oration, Effie has elevated herself within the Court of Aquilon. She hopes her new station will speed her path to a Leviathan bond, but she quickly becomes swept up in the brutal politics of the Crystal Throne. With Kelestina's grand plans for Effie drawing closer to fruition, Effie finds herself on a collision course with Bael's brewing rebellion, a conspiracy entangling her only family and the one boy she's ever loved.
About the Author :
Z. Bennett Lorimer is the author of several SFF series and short stories including the Tales of Ciel, The Divine Heretic, the Compact Cycle, and Shattered, and a recipient of the 2019 Iowa Home Voices Award for his short story "American Drone Pilot," first published in The Superstition Review. He is a graduate of the 2014 Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop at UC-San Diego. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Iowa State University and is the former managing editor of the international literary journal Flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment. In 2025, he launched High Trestle Press, an independent press dedicated to publishing series science fiction and fantasy on an expedited timeline.A Long Island native, he currently lives in Ames, IA, with his partner and children.
Review :
Praise for the Tales of Ciel
"A wholly absorbing, otherworldly tale of family, magic, and astonishing creatures." -- Kirkus Reviews
"An imaginative coming-of-age adventure that soars with epic potential for an entire series. Riveting and unpredictable, this genre-blurring read synthesizes a spectrum of timeless themes and adventurous motifs. The originality of the plot and richly developed characters keep this book from feeling at all derivative, and the prose is clean and clever, allowing Lorimer's linguistic dexterity to shine. All in all, this opening installment sets a magnificent stage for a vibrant series, ending with a major twist that will leave readers eager for the sequel." -- SPR, ★★★★1/2
"This is a politically intriguing and morally challenging story, a coming-of-age, a reckoning with colonialism and corruption--and it's rooted in authentic sibling energy... Author Z. Bennett Lorimer's glittering high-fantasy world mirrors ours with remarkable emotional impact. I frequently paused in awe of the author's vivid descriptions... Z. Bennett Lorimer has a gift for not only imagining spectacular, staggering drama, but writing these moments with searing emotion... I'll be thinking about every possible angle--knowing that author Z. Bennett Lorimer will certainly continue to shock both his characters and his readers in unimaginable ways--while I wait for the urgently-needed, well-earned sequel." -- Independent Book Review
