Overview

Britain hides a Second Crown. Alastair Thorne just inherited its deadliest secret. The last normal thing Alastair did was eat fish fingers in the school canteen. An hour later, he was in the back of a black car, headed for a place that doesn't exist on any map. Welcome to the Aetherium Institute. Part cathedral, part bunker, and entirely a prison. Here, the British government trains children to contain "Resonance"-the raw, chaotic magic that threatens to shatter reality. But Alastair isn't just another student. He is a fracture point. The tunnel collapse that took his parents wasn't an accident; it was a summons. Now, the ghost of a dead King is hunting him through mirrors and reflections, demanding he take up a throne that destroys everyone who sits on it. Alastair's only hope is Chloe Evans-a girl with eyes like knives and a refusal to bow to anyone. She is his Anchor, sworn to keep him stable. But as their connection deepens into something the Institute can't control, they realize the frightening truth: They weren't brought here to save the Empire. They were brought here to be sacrificed for it. In a world of lies, secret treaties, and ancient grudges, Alastair and Chloe are about to do the one thing the Crown never expected: Fight back. Perfect for fans of 'The Atlas Six', 'Fourth Wing', and 'A Darker Shade of Magic'.