Book excerpt: Ruethwyn's life was promising. Talented in magic, the young elven woman didn't fit in in her hometown, but was scheduled to attend the most renowned academy of magic in the kingdom, and was even building up the courage to confess her love in the hope that it might be returned.That all ended in a dragon's fire. Resvarygrath the Gilded, lord of the Golden Dominion, destroyed Ruethwyn's village, killed her parents and teacher, and stole away the young women of the village. Maimed by the dragon's flames, Ruethwyn was spared by a curious dark elf, who gave her a chance; she had two years to rescue her beloved, or risk losing her forever.Now, Ruethwyn has little time to recover as best she can. Missing an eye and an arm, her magic half-crippled and her wounds impossible to heal due to a curse, Ruethwyn's prospects at the academy are limited, but she refuses to give up. No matter what challenges she may face, she is determined not to surrender. She's lost too much and refuses to lose another.First, though, she needs to survive long enough, which proves more challenging than Ruethwyn expects.