The Games of the Ancients

Sixteen-year-old Kellan Du Quivre is an orphan and a descendant of traitors, who are by law prohibited from practicing makecraft – the secret art of animating metal with magic through runes. No one must discover her talent while she helps her adoptive father Edgar save the family workshop. But when his health rapidly declines and their business is on the brink of bankruptcy, Kellan takes a desperate step: she makes a dangerous deal with an influential member of the Guild and enters a deadly Trial, where the best students in the country fight for the right to become a master. Every step Kellan takes is fraught with deadly traps, mechanical guardians, and ancient spirits, and the secrets of the past of the island of Nanso threaten to thwart all her plans. At the same time, feelings spark between Kellan and the illegitimate son of one of the most revered families, attracting dangerous attention. When mysterious murders of the Trial participants begin, Kellan realizes: victory is not just a chance to save the workshop, it is a chance to uncover the secrets of the Guild and learn the hidden legacy of Nanso. Danger is growing. Time is running out. Courage and magic are Kellan's only weapons. Can she outsmart her enemies, survive, and change the fate of the island forever?