Age Group: 12+ Years

Description: In a brutal empire inspired by ancient Rome, scholars live under the iron grip of the Martial elite. Laia, a young scholar girl, risks everything to save her brother after he’s arrested for treason. To do so, she agrees to spy inside the Empire’s military stronghold, Blackcliff Academy. There she meets Elias, one of the Empire’s top soldiers, who secretly longs for freedom from the violence around him. Their paths collide, forcing impossible choices between loyalty, survival, and love. Richly imagined, fast-paced, and emotionally charged, this opener launches an epic saga of courage, resistance, and the fight for justice.