Ember Queen

Ember Queen US cover

***Ember Queen*** is the third and final book of the *Ash Princess Trilogy*.

## Synopsis

The thrilling conclusion to the series that began with the instant New York Times bestseller “made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir” (Bustle), Ember Queen is an epic fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.

Princess Theodosia was a prisoner in her own country for a decade. Renamed the Ash Princess, she endured relentless abuse and ridicule from the Kaiser and his court. But though she wore a crown of ashes, there is fire in Theo’s blood. As the rightful heir to the Astrean crown, it runs in her veins. And if she learned nothing else from her mother, she learned that a Queen never cowers.

Now free, with a misfit army of rebels to back her, Theo must liberate her enslaved people and face a terrifying new enemy: the new Kaiserin. Imbued with a magic no one understands, the Kaiserin is determined to burn down anyone and everything in her way.

The Kaiserin’s strange power is growing stronger, and with Prinz Søren as her hostage, there is more at stake than ever. Theo must learn to embrace her own power if she has any hope of standing against the girl she once called her heart’s sister.

## Blurb

**The Ash Princess is dead. Long live the Queen.**

## Description

After Theo finally comes out of the Fire Mine, She along with Søren, Artemisia, Heron, Blaise, and Maile conquers their way through Astrea. First taking the Water mine, secondly getting the Air Mine, until finally getting to the capital were they siege the Palace.

Possible way to read Ember Queen Online:

https://spread.epub.pub/epub/5e3a792c1a9e3700078e8228

## Plot summary

Theo emerges from the Fire Mine alive but physically very weak. However, she has also gained the fire powers that she entered the mine to claim. After she recovers, the rebels make plans for what they should do next, but no one can agree. Theo learns that Prince Aravic, son of King Etristo of Sta'Crivero will be meeting the Kalovoxians at the Water Mine to make a trade of soldiers to fight for Kalovoxia in return for the Water Mine, but Theo thinks there is more to the deal that they don't know about. She decides to beat both parties to the Water Mine, take the mine, obstruct the Sta'Criverians, and take their place in the trade with Kalovoxia using water magic to hold the illusion, while her aunt, the pirate Dragonsbane will take ships and attack the Earth Mine. Erik is upset with Theo, because he wants to rescue Søren and she feels that she is not doing enough for him.

That night, Theo dreams of Kaisern Crescentia. Crescentia tells her that her army is a rag-tag army pieced together like a patchwork quilt, and Cress is going to tear apart her army by cutting one thread. The next morning, a Kalovaxian messenger arrives, bringing the message that Kaisern Crescentia is willing to offer a truce good for one nation, giving that nation freedom, land, and ships to leave Astrea. The leading commanders of different nations begin to bicker, but Theo convinces them to stay, reminding everyone present that the Kalovaxians do not really offer freedom, but merely a leash to control people, and they do not always keep their word either. However, Erik decides to accept the offer, to Theo's great astonishment and disappointment.

In a private meeting between Theo, Blaise, Artemisia, and Heron, Heron reveals that Erik has not actually deserted them, but has become a spy - Heron still holds the *molo varu*, a device which allows direct communication to Erik. Theo mentions her dream about Cress, deducing that she can use these dreams to obtain information from Cress, because Cress still presumes she is dead.

Artemisia has done some inquiring, and she takes Theo to a woman who knows about the poison Encatrio. The woman Straya relates that Cress came to the mines about a month ago to inquire about Encatrio, and tortured a girl knowledgeable on the subject into giving her information. Encatrio comes from streams in the Fire Mine, but these streams can be elusive. A person who survives Encatrio will be changed outside and in, and the poison will run in their blood, although not as strong as pure Encatrio. Thus, when Cress had given Theo Encatrio to drink, Theo was really drinking Cress' blood. This was also a factor in enabling her to survive the Encatrio, because it was not as strong as Encatrio that comes directly from the Fire Mine.

The rebels only have a minimal knowledge of the Water Mine, which greatly hinders their planning. Theo has another dream in which she talks to Cress, and she finds out that Søren is imprisoned but is attempting to resist by not eating or drinking. Cress says that when Søren has served his purpose, she will let Søren join Theo in death.

At the Water Mine, those who have magical powers cause a distraction to the guards. The Fire Guardians, including Theo, hurl fireballs at the mine walls, carried on a wind created by Heron's Air gift. The two water guardians, Art and a teenage boy named Laius, summon gigantic waves from the nearby lake to further batter the walls and destroy the armory. To Blaise's disappointment and frustration, Theo makes him sit on the sidelines, not willing to risk his instability. While the Guardians distract the guards, Vecturian princess Maile leads the rest of the army to take the mine. As the exhausted Guardians finish their work and prepare to meet Maile at a rendezvous point, Blaise has a fit of anger and tries to take his earth gem away from Theo by force so he can use it to attack the Water Mine, but Heron knocks him out.

The attack is a great success. Inside the camp, Maile takes Theo to see two Gorakian prisoners who were brought to the Water Mine ahead of the Prince Aravic, to be traded to the Kalovaxians. Theo interrogates the woman privately. She learns that Brigitta is Cress' long lost mother. Her collaboration partner Jian (the other prisoner to be traded to the Kalovaxians) had invented *velastra* gas, which is able to remove a person's will and essentially make them a human robot. Knowing that the Kalovaxians would discover the secret sooner or later and use it to subdue the world, Brigitta and Jian fled, with Brigitta leaving Cress as a motherless girl. Theo understands that they cannot allow Jian to be traded to the Kalovaxians, but she sacrifices Brigitta, being willing to face the Kalovaxian's wrath at the absence of Jian. Brigitta also reveals the dismaying news that Cress will be come to seal the trade at the Water Mine in person, and she will be bringing a large army with her. The rebels, who came expecting a simple trade, are in no way prepared for a large-scale battle, and there is not enough time to flee. They decide to use the Water Guardians they have to disguise themselves as Kalovaxians and create the illusion that the camp is whole and undamaged. It is a very risky plan, but they have no other choice.

Artemisia uses her gift to make herself, Theo, and several other Guardians take on the likeness of Cress, five other Kalovaxians, and the two Sta'Criverian guards who escorted Brigitta and Jian. They stand on a cliff, luring the Sta'Criverian ambassador ships into the harbor below, then they attack, destroying all the ships and killing those on board. Back in the mine, Water Guardian Laius volunteers to use his magic to impersonate Jian so the others can avoid Cress' anger, knowing full well that he will be tortured and likely killed when the secret comes out, and Theo unwillingly agrees.

Heron takes the appearance of Prince Aravic while Theo is disguised as the Prince's wife Princess Amiza. They deliver Brigitta and Laius to Cress, and Cress gives them "the other part of the bargain," confirming Theo's suspicions that there is a part of the bargain of which the rebels are unaware. To their surprise, Cress delivers Søren and Erik to them. Cress then takes "Princess Amiza" into the dining hall for a drink. The conversation moves to Cress' Encatrio poisoning, and Cress attempts to persuade "Amiza" to drink a vial of Encatrio with the chance that she may survive it and become very powerful. Theo plays along, but before she drinks, a prearranged messenger comes for Cress with the news that the nobles in the capital are planning a coup while she is away, so Cress leaves the poison with Amiza and departs.

Theo visits Erik and Søren. Søren has burns and gashes all over his body from Cress torturing him, and Erik is half blind, one eye being severely injured and the other one burned out entirely by Cress. Søren confirms Theo's suspicions that Cress has been offering Encatrio to other girls as well, although most of them die.

Blaise tells Theo that after what happened during the attack on the Water Mine, he has come to a decision not to use his magic anymore. The next day, Theo receives troubling news from Jian. Brigitta also knows how to make *velastra* gas, and since Jian used Brigitta as a guinea pig to test the *velastra,* the poison is also in her blood. Even if Brigitta does not break under torture, the secret is right in her blood for the taking.

Theo has another dream involving Cress, and Cress shows her Dagmær, a former court girl who has now survived Encatrio. When she wakes up, she has a burn mark and nail imprints on her wrist where Cress grabbed her in her dream. Theo tells the others, and they finally believe that her "dreams" with Cress may be something more than just ordinary dreams.

The rebels set their sights on the Air Mine next, but they need to pass through a Kalovaxian estate to get there. The owners of the estate want to bargain with Søren and Theo in order to allow them to pass through the estate. During dinner, a court girl named Rigga walks in. Rigga is also one of Cress' wraiths, who has drunk Encatrio and survived, receiving fire powers as a result. Rigga comments that she has already revealed to Cress that the Astreans are coming, and Cress will be pleasantly surprised to find Theo alive too. Theo goads Rigga into drinking the vial of Encatrio Cress left with her, killing Rigga as the poison proves too much for her. The Astreans, having smuggled weapons to all the Astrean slaves in the estate, take almost everyone captive.

The following night, they camp right outside the Air Mine to prepare for a sunrise attack, and Theo has a dream with Cress again, culminating when Cress says she knows Theo poisoned Rigga. Cress then stabs Theo in the stomach with a dagger and pulls the dagger back out. Theo awakes with a deep stab wound in her stomach, which Heron heals. As the others discuss whether the dream was real, Maile bursts in to say that the Air Mine is on fire. Cress knew that the rebels were planning to attack the Air Mine, and she couldn't send soldiers there quickly enough, so the Kalovaxians are burning the Air Mine rather than losing it to Theo and the rebels. They rush to the mine with Guardians to control the fire. Theo insists on going into the mine using her fire powers to break a way through the flames, knowing that there are people trapped inside. Theo makes several successful rescue trips into the mine. The fifth time, Theo follows the screams to find Dagmær and two other wraiths of Cress'. They begin to fight, and Art, who had begun to worry for Theo, finds them and joins the fighting. Theo and Art are hard pressed, as Dagmær and the others are good fighters. Theo uses her powers to pull two girls into the flames to their deaths, but Dagmær has overpowered Art and has her hands on Art's neck, burning her throat. Theo throws herself over Art's body and creates an explosion, killing Dagmær before Theo becomes unconscious.

Theo awakes to find that the Air Mine has been taken, but with heavy losses. The rebels have lost a hundred people, both Guardians and non-Guardians. Of the estimated 3,000 Astrean slaves in the Air Mine, only 500 have survived the inferno. Art alive, but still unconscious. Blaise will be taking a group of rebels to the Earth Mine in case something similar to the inferno at the Air Mine is happening at the Earth Mine, but it will be a small group so that if they walk into a trap, there will not be heavy losses. No one likes the idea of Blaise walking into the Earth Mine given his unstable condition, but Blaise is the only one who knows the mine's layout. Theo decides that the rest of the rebels will attack the capital from land and sea, infiltrating the palace using secret tunnels.

Theo and Cress have another dream, and Cress takes her into the dungeons to see Laius. After much struggle, they have finally figured out how to make *velastra*. They have not been able to make a permanent solution, so the *velastra* only lasts temporarily, but it is enough to be dangerous. Before Theo's eyes, Cress breaks a vial of *velastra* in Laius's cell. When the poison takes hold of Lauis, she gives him a dagger, ordering him to slit his own throat, and he obeys. Theo threatens Cress with a dagger Theo brought with her, warning her that when the time comes, she will show Cress no mercy. Theo then presses the dagger into her own thumb and usesthe pain to draw her out of the dream, waking in time to hear Art's voice.

The rebels travel to the water to meet Dragonsbane. Dragonsbane returns to Søren his own ship, allowing Maile, Art, Theo, Søren, Heron, and Erik to travel together back to the capital, and sneak into the Kalovaxian harbor on a Kalovaxian ship. In the night, while Søren is sailing the ship and the others are sleeping below deck, Theo joins Søren on the deck, and they enjoy time together, reminiscing on their past and then having sex.

They enter the capitol's harbor next evening, and Erik stays on the boat while they others take a tunnel leading from the water into the palace dungeons. Søren kills a guard, and they use the guard's keys to free the Astrean prisoners. They direct everyone out the tunnel to the boat and the cliffs outside. When everyone has left, Søren alerts the guards to the escape of the prisoners and the others hide in a cell. They are now waiting on Søren to come before they shut the cell door, but when he finally comes, the guards are too close behind him for him to join them in time. As Theo hesitates to close the door, Maile shoots three of the guards, buying a few seconds. When Søren comes close, Maile pulls him in and slams the door. Art then ushers in the tide through the open tunnel door, flooding the dungeon for five minutes and drowning all the guards present, while Heron provides an air bubble so that everyone can breathe. Thus, Søren narrowly escapes death, because if he had been outside the cell, he would have been drowned with the rest of the guards.

After the five minutes, Art releases the tide again, and they signal to the others in different parts of the palace to commence the attack. Heron is stabbed during the skirmish, empowering Theo with such rage that she runs through the corridor and burns all their enemies. Heron manages to heal himself, but he and Theo are so drained from using their powers that they go to a nearby bedroom to rest while the others move on.

Theo has a vision of Cress waiting for her in the throne room with a young girl as hostage. Theo accepts the challenge, and she and Heron head to the throne room. They meet Blaise on the way, and he joins them, with Heron using his gift to make them both invisible so that Cress will only see Theo when the meet. Cress takes Theo to a garden for a "game."

The garden is full of Astrean slaves, and standing above them are ten of Cress' wraiths, each with a container of *velastra*. Following prompting from Heron, Theo jumps into a tree with the help of a gust of wind from Heron. When Cress orders her wraiths to attack, Heron causes the orbs of *velastra* to hover in the air before breaking high in the air, too high to affect anyone. Cress then orders the wraiths to burn the Astrean slaves, but Heron prevents them from harming anyone, however, his energy is fast draining as he cannot hold the air shielf indefinitely. Blaise joins Theo on the tree and uses his power to help Heron hold the air shield and cause contained earthquakes that kills some of the wraiths. Blaise is approaching his breaking point, and Theo requests him to stop, even though they both know that if he stops, the remaining wraiths will kill more people. Blaise tells Theo that it is time, so Theo gives him the go-ahead, though she hates herself for it. Blaise sends out a great earthquake. As he loses contrl of himself, Theo thanks him, and plunges a sword through his heart.

The battle is a victory for the rebels, and the palace is taken. Cress was not killed in Blaise's earthquaie, but she was knocked unconscious and taken to the dungeons, stripped of all Fire Gems. Theo determines that with the war over, they will hold trials for the Kalovaxians to determine how the Kalovaxians will atone for their crimes. The Kalovaxians will also be scattered through all the countries they have destroyed over the years, to help rebuild them. Søren expresses his wish to remain with Theo, but it is not the tradition for Astrean queens to marry, and Theo intends to follow with tradition. Søren reassures her that he has no desire to hold a ruling position, and they decide that he will become an ambassador, spending half the year with Theo and the other half visiting the countries the Kalovaxians destroyed, ensuring the well-being of his people and peacefully quelling any rebellion.

Theo goes to see Cress in the dungeons and says that Cress will executed in front of cheering people the next morning, with no dignity. Cress gives a slight wince at this, and Theo presents Cress with a dagger, giving her the chance to end her life now in private, quickly and away from the cheers. Cress asks why Theo is doing this, and Theo replies that before the war, Cress was kind to her, even if the kindness came with thorns as Cress did not harbor any true love for Theo or care for Theo's people. And Cress didn't need to be kind, but the kindness was enough to satisfy Theo, even with thorns. Therefore, Theo is now offering Cress the chance to die with dignity - a kindness with thorns, in return for all that Cress has done for Theo. Cress begins to cry and accepts the offer, requesting that Theo stay with her for her death.

After Cress' death, Theo attends a victory banquet with the rest of the conquerors, and they open the feast with a drink to all the fallen heros of the war. As the feasting continues late at night, Theo spends time alone in the throne room, meditating on all that has happened, befor ascending her throne and sitting down in it.