coming 11.30.26

Beneath Krystopolis, the Solutus rebellion is escalating. Children afflicted by the Pale Madness are disappearing into the Cataclyss, where Zora, a mysterious Glider healer with little patience for the Sokâr, is attempting to save them. Determined to uncover the truth, Auryn follows her into the city’s underground veins and finds an unlikely ally in the Riven, a proud Glider warrior bound to protect her by a vow neither of them fully understands.

When an act of instinctive sacrifice reveals that Auryn’s blood may hold the cure to the plague, hope becomes its own kind of danger. Every life she could save demands something from a body already failing without the Bond. 

As Kailorien’s messages grow uncertain and the connection between them suddenly falls silent, Auryn fractures beneath the weight of his absence.

Some vows are made in love.

Others are written in magic more ancient than the world's breath. 

🌶️

In this story, you will step from the Emerald Moores into Krystopolis. If you have read Breath of Starlight, you have already seen that Elendria can be a brutal place. There are creatures, monsters, and magic here that show little mercy to the weak. Strength is valued above all else, and those who cannot survive are often left behind.

Krystopolis, however, is darker still.

Here, society is governed by the Doctrine—a rigid system that does not value identity, humanity, or agency. In this city, a person’s worth is measured by their Role: a preordained purpose assigned by the state.

Weakness is not tolerated in any form. Children born with disabilities or malformations are discarded. Though this does not occur on page, it is referenced and discussed throughout the story. Confronting and dismantling these beliefs becomes one of the central struggles our heroes face.

Krystopolis is a society built on ritual, spectacle, and blood magic. Within these pages there are scenes of violence, murder, and assassination. There are also instances of ritualized intimacy involving magical obligation and power imbalance. Though such rituals are considered sacred and culturally acceptable within Krystopolis, they often result in complex trauma that follows the characters throughout the story.

As in Breath of Starlight, this book also contains scenes of open-door intimacy centered on safety, consent, and healing. These moments reflect the Nine Rivers Odyssey’s devotional approach to intimacy, where connection, emotion, and reverence are emphasized over explicit mechanics.

Within the Doctrine, young girls may be chosen and raised for future reproductive roles. This practice is referenced as part of the oppressive structure of Krystopolis. However, no minors participate in any intimate or sexual acts within the narrative. All individuals participating in any intimate or ritual scenes in this series are adults.

Though Auryn’s formal title within the Doctrine is Child of the Void, the title is ceremonial rather than literal. Auryn is an adult woman, as established in Breath of Starlight and throughout the narrative. Her small stature—often used by others to demean or diminish her—does not define her womanhood.

Auryn is also sometimes described by others as “colorless,” an insult referencing her pale skin and silver hair. Within Krystopolis, these traits are considered unnatural and stand in direct opposition to the city’s established standards of beauty. The use of this language reflects the prejudice of the society she lives within. Such language is presented as part of the worldbuilding and does not represent the author’s beliefs or values.

Many of the cruelties and institutions described here are part of the world our characters must endure. Over the course of the story, these same injustices become the very things our heroes choose to stand against.

If you are sensitive to any of these topics, please take care in moving forward with the narrative.

Enter with clear eyes, and walk beside our heroes as they challenge the world that shaped them.

Author: Ravenna Vale
Series: Series
Genres: Epic Fantasy Romance, Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Voices of Elendria by Ravenna Vale
Publication Year: 2026

About the Hearthfires of Ilmiríen

Hearthfires of Ilmiríen is a companion series to the nine-book Nine Rivers Odyssey. These novels illuminate the years, decades, and untold moments that unfold between the events of the main books, exploring intimate character journeys, evolving relationships, hidden conflicts, and consequential choices that shape the greater saga.

The companion novels enrich the story but are not required to understand the main series. Readers who continue directly through the Nine Rivers Odyssey will receive everything necessary to follow its central plot, while those who enter the Hearthfires will discover how its alliances were forged, its relationships deepened, and its quieter histories written.

Vow of Eternal, the first Hearthfires of Ilmiríen companion novel, takes place after Sokâr, Book Two of the Nine Rivers Odyssey, and before Book Three.