Ascension (Linde)

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, 17-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland - an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems.

Cyrene Strohm is a Queen's Affiliate, a high-ranking official of the court of Byern, with power and privilege to spare. But she's also a keeper of dangerous secrets: like the fact that she holds the heart of the King, and that she possesses magic in a world where magic no longer exists. Determined to discover what this means and how to use her newfound abilities, Cyrene sets off for the distant land of Eleysia, an island nation where Affiliates are strictly forbidden from entering. But the journey is perilous, and the destination may mean utter ruin.

After the loss of a friend and a false imprisonment in an Eleysian dungeon, Cyrene has no interest in destiny. Her heart was shattered, friends scattered, and her home is nothing but a pretty illusion. Even her magic won't cooperate. Only desperation can turn her to the last person she should trust: Prince Kael. His darkness mirrors a growing force lurking within her. A struggle she never imagined threatens to consume her. And as friends and foes begin to show their true colors, she starts questioning whether anyone is who they seem.

The fourth book in the fantasy Ascension series that NYT best-selling author Susan Dennard called "perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas". War is on the horizon. All while a new power grows strong, threatening the very balance of good and evil. Desperate to save her homeland, Cyrene goes in search of the dragons that may be the key to ending this battle - and heal her dying friend. Can Cyrene master her magic to save the world?

The fate of the world rests on one girl’s shoulders. And her world has been turned upside down. With Cyrene’s allies in shambles after a bitter defeat, she has to find a way to bring them back together to stop the dark goddess. But with a war raging and the newly united magical community barely held together, Cyrene’s leadership has been called into question. As fate pulls them all toward that prophetic final battle, she has to find the true meaning behind her magic…and within herself.