In the bestselling and legendary traditions of J.R.R. Tolkien, Bernard Cornwell, and Terry Brooks, the second novel in the acclaimed epic fantasy series following A Darkness Forged in Fire —where musket and cannon, bow and arrow, and magic and diplomacy all vie for supremacy in an empire teetering on the brink of war. Disgraced elf officer Konowa Swift Dragon of the Calahrian Imperial Army has been forcibly returned from exile to resurrect the regiment he once led, the Iron Elves. These elves, born bearing the mark of an elf witch known as the Shadow Monarch, are shunned by their own people. In hopes of proving the mark false, the elves volunteer to fight for the Calaharian Empire in its quest to rid the world of dark magic. The regiment became legendary for its fighting ability, but all was lost in an instant when their commanding officer, Konowa, murdered the Calaharian Viceroy of Elfkyna, casting the loyalty of the elves into question. The regiment was banished to the desert, while Konowa was court-martialed and disappeared. Now, having found the mythical Star that was rumored to have fallen from the sky in a remote land, things couldn’t be worse for Konowa and the Iron Elves regiment as they trek through the blazing desert on their quest to defeat the Shadow Monarch once and for all.... Packed with wit, high adventure, and political intrigue, The Light of Burning Shadows will have readers hooked on this bold and exciting fantasy series.