The Mountain Queen

Book II in the "Dawn of Heroes" series, The Mountain Queen follows the path of Khorthga, a young Orc from a savage warrior society, as she comes of age and pursues her destiny. As the smallest, least-impressive Orc anyone has seen, no one expects much from Khorthga. Even she has come to believe what others so often say; that she is, and always will be, small, weak, and a burden to the clan. Only Venngor, her lone friend and constant protector throughout childhood, seems to place unwavering confidence in her. Khorthga dreams of becoming the clan's next matriarch, but knows it is a silly ambition for someone who can't believe in herself, let alone convince others to follow her. As she sets out on the trials to prove her strength to the clan and to herself, the young Orc learns that strength truly comes in many forms, and that leadership is harder than it looks, nor does it come without cost. As the pursuit of her dreams becomes a real possibility, Khorthga must decide if it is worth the cost, and if it is what she really wants in the end. As Khorthga struggles with love, loss, exhaustion, and learning to shoulder the heavy mantle of a leader, a dark shadow begins to devour the world she once wished to rule. Will she prove strong enough to lead her people, and will it be in time to rule anything but a mountain of ash and bone?