Dragon Age meets The Wheel of Time in this richly imagined epic fantasy. Lush worldbuilding, complex characters, and court intrigue abound in the first installment of The Ballad of the Blue Wolf.

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She was supposed to restore her family's dynasty. But her blood is common, her power is weak, and darkness marshals to rot her nation…

After years of rigorous training in the northern tundra, Jackson J'alnaryn Shield returns home. She is the firstborn child of the great fire-wielding Queen Matilda, one of the most revered heroes of the Deathless War. Jackson is an unparalleled swordswoman, a brilliant combat tactician, and heir to the dragon-throne of Tein. She is a beacon of renewal and hope for her once-endangered dynasty.

And she is a massive disappointment to everyone, save her mother.

Because Jackson has none of her mother's power—only a weak peasant's affinity, inherited from her father.

The Court whispers that she's unfit to be heir. That the House of Shield will be irreparably soiled by her common blood.

Jackson pretends not to care. She throws herself into her new duties as heir to the realm, determined to at least do right by her mother and her people.

And there is much to do. Upon her return to Tein, Jackson encounters a strange sickness plaguing the realm and causing the dead to rise from their graves.

Left in charge when her parents leave to track down the illness's origins, Jackson struggles to keep the peace as fear over the disease rises to a dangerous fervor. And while an enemy stealthily infiltrates her city, Jackson labors to stop the spread of chaos…and the reappearance of an ancient foe intent on her kingdom's destruction.

And Jackson, with her peasant's magic, may be all that stands against the coming darkness. But how can one unremarkable girl, royal though she is, save an entire people?

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The Blue Wolf is the first book in The Ballad of the Blue Wolf epic fantasy adventure series. If you like compelling characters, rising tension, and fantastic worldbuilding, then you'll love Shayda Leigh Bakhshi's gathering storm.

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