The First Ember

THE FIRST EMBER

THE WORLD FROZE. THE DEAD ROSE. AND THE ONLY HEAT LEFT IS BETWEEN THEM.

In the heart of the Zero Day Frost, warmth is the ultimate currency-and the ultimate danger.

Vesta is a Runesmith, a scholar of the fallen Academy who speaks the language of magic and machines. Rook is a Scavenger, a brutal survivor carved from the ice of the new world. Together, they have done the impossible: they have ignited the ancient Spirit-Coal furnace within the Alchemical Lodge, reclaiming fire from the grip of an eternal winter.

But in a world of absolute zero, heat does not just sustain life-it paints a target on your back.

A BEACON IN THE DARK The blue fire roaring in the lodge's belly is a lighthouse in the void. It calls to the Shiverers-the frozen, shambling dead who crave the warmth of the living. Now, the glass forest is alive with the sound of shattering ice as a horde of crystal-encased monsters descends upon their sanctuary.

THE EROTICS OF SURVIVAL Trapped behind warded walls and reinforced timber, the isolation does more than protect them; it strips them bare. As the siege tightens outside, the tension inside reaches a breaking point. Rook isn't just a protector anymore; he is a force of nature, a man driven by a primal hunger to claim the woman who holds the keys to the fire. Vesta, exhausted by magic and adrenaline, finds herself drawn to the rough, scarring heat of the Scavenger.

In the shadow of the furnace, survival instincts bleed into obsession. The cold demands death, but their bodies demand something else entirely.

IGNITE THE FURNACE With the wards buckling and the dead scratching at the door, Vesta and Rook must decide what burns brighter: the magic that keeps them safe, or the desire that threatens to consume them both.

The First Ember: Igniting the Furnace is the second installment in the Zombie Book series by Shadowlyn Drake. This dark fantasy romance features high-stakes survival, intricate magic systems, terrifying undead threats, and scorching hot scenes between a grumpy protector and a brilliant scholar.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• Dark Fantasy Romance: A grim, atmospheric world blending magical runes with post-apocalyptic grit.
• Forced Proximity: Two survivors trapped in a snowbound lodge with only one bed and a roaring fire.
• High Heat / Steamy: Explicit, intense intimacy fueled by adrenaline and survival instincts.
• Scholar x Soldier: A brilliant Runesmith heroine and a rough, possessive Scavenger hero.
• Lore & World-Building: Deep dives into alchemical magic and the history of a frozen empire.
• The Shiverers: A unique, terrifying take on the undead, frozen in crystal and driven by thermal tropism.

Perfect for fans of: The Last of Us meets A Court of Thorns and Roses, ravaged worlds, competent heroines, protective anti-heroes, and romance that burns hot enough to melt the ice.

Prepare to burn. The Winter is waiting.