The Forges of Dawn - E M Kinsey

FOR THERE TO BE HEROES...

The traditional place for a Lyonesse, as huntress and mother, holds no appeal for young Uhuru. Her greatest wish is to be a great warrior like her father and stand as protector to her pride. Society would deny her this, but fate will not.

THERE MUST FIRST BE DARKNESS...

Fueled by a lust for perfection and purity, the Pale Ones have conquered most of the known world. Those who do not fit their impossible ideal for Lyondom are slowly being eradicated -- and those who desert their cause are hunted down just the same.

AND TO OPPOSE THAT DARKNESS...

When her pride is attacked and taken by the Pale Ones, Uhuru must take up the mantle she has always coveted, and in so doing, learn its true cost. What starts as a journey to save her family quickly becomes a mission to end her enemies' reign of terror once and for all. From the shores of the only land she has ever known to the steps of faraway empires and back again, Uhuru will face pirates, monsters, and heart-breaking loss to finally learn the greatest lesson of all: heroes are never really born. Like any weapon...

HEROES MUST BE FORGED