"Omigosh! I''ve just found an author to put on my list of I''ve got to read everything they ever wrote! The Warden is a gem of the first order. Aelis is my hero."—Glen Cook, author of The Black Company

"These books are addictive and I can’t wait to see what Aelis and the gang get up to next.”—C.L. Clark, author of The Unbroken

Wineshops on every corner.
Assassins in every alley.
It’s good to be home.

Aelis de Lenti is back on her home turf, but it''s not quite as welcoming as she remembered....

Recalled from Lone Pine to investigate claims of murder by magic against her mentor—legendary Warden Bardun Jacques—Aelis takes to the streets of the grand city of Lascenise, and plumbs the deepest secrets of the Lyceum to clear his name. Certain of her success, she doesn''t count on thieves, subterranean labyrinths, or the assassins that dog her steps from the moment she leaves her tower.

Behind all of it lurks a ring of unknown wizards who can seemingly reach anyone with their magic. Without knowing who she can trust, Aelis must gather what allies she can to unravel the web of intrigue, murder, smuggling, and theft originating in the halls of magic power. With an old friend from her college days, a war-haunted gnome thief-catcher, and the advice of her imprisoned advisor, Aelis races to save lives and expose a conspiracy that seeks to change the face of the world.

At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.