Empire of Sand

When Ash's older brother, Mayven, determines to contend in the Emperor's Trials, Ash preempts him by sneaking off to the city of Tristan, to fight the battle herself. Mayven is the last male of the Stone bloodline; A tragedy Ash blames herself for. On the road to Tristan, Ash is ambushed by a group of highwaymen and rescued by a lone stranger with a secret. Though they come from opposite worlds, Ash and William soon discover they are more alike than they are different. The pair continue their progress to Tristan, forming a friendship along the way. In Tristan, the battles commence as Ash is confronted by elementals like her, with fierce powers and ruthless ambition. In Tristan City, the stakes are high, and the cost of failure is death. Friendships will form and shatter and Ash discovers a love she never expected and a dangerous plot she wasn't meant to find. . .