About the Book: In Iron & Embers, the opening installment of The Ashes of Thezmarr by Helen Scheuerer, alchemist-turned-assassin Wren Embervale—driven by vengeance and wielding storm-forged alchemy—is thrust from the shadows into the elite alchemy academy of Drevenor to stop a deadly, unexplained poison. To secure her place, she must conquer the deadly trials of the Gauntlet, risking her mind and life. Her greatest challenge, however, arises in the form of Torj Elderbrock, a silver-haired war hero bound to protect her despite their bitter history. As danger mounts on all sides and fragile peace teeters, Wren and Torj navigate simmering tension and forbidden attraction in a world where trust is rare—and love might prove more lethal than any poison