Toll the bells! We’re thrilled to tell you more about the first book in Melissa Caruso’s brilliant new epic fantasy trilogy, which Orbit is publishing in Summer 2020!

THE OBSIDIAN TOWER features a mage with deadly, broken magic, and her disastrous encounter with a powerful artifact that could destroy the world. If you’re a fan of Robin Hobb or Victoria Aveyard, this will be your new favorite series.

It’s a long way to 2020, so in the meantime, we’re delighted to share a sneak peek at The Obsidian Tower’s beautiful cover, designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio, with art by Peter Bollinger.

The mage-marked granddaughter of a ruler of Vaskandar, Ryx was destined for power and prestige at the top of Vaskandran society. But her magic is broken; all she can do is uncontrollably drain the life from everything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers.

Then, one night, two terrible accidents befall her: Ryx accidentally kills a visiting dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle.

Ryx flees, seeking a solution to her deadly magic. She falls in with a group of unlikely magical experts investigating the disturbance in Vaskandar—and Ryx realizes that her family is in danger and her domain is at stake. She and her new colleagues must return to the family stronghold to take control of the artifact that everyone wants to claim—before it destroys the world.

Melissa Caruso is the Gemmell Award-nominated author of the Swords and Fire epic fantasy. You can find her on Twitter @melisscaru and at melissacaruso.net.