Swordbound

Maeve Calder wants nothing more than to run her struggling relic shop, make a little gold, and stay far away from heroic nonsense. But after a mysterious warrior named Vespera appears in her dreams and leaves behind an ancient sword that only Maeve can lift, her ordinary life is over. When a strange corruption begins turning ordinary people into Hollowed servants of the Abyss, Maeve is pulled into a conspiracy involving the powerful Everhart family, forbidden experiments, stolen memories, and Julian—a disgraced heir whose true identity is tied to the dying World Tree. What begins as a fight to save one city soon becomes a battle across ruined temples, elemental seals, forgotten realms, and the deepest roots of the world itself. As Maeve uncovers the truth about the sword and the terrifying woman she once was, she must decide whether to reclaim an ancient power—or remain the person she chose to become. With Nerissa building a network from stolen lives, fear, war, and hunger, Maeve and her allies face one final question: can they save the world without sacrificing the people they’re trying to protect?