Rise of the Empire! Not too long ago it seemed as though the Western Kingdom had finally won the Thousand Years' War against the Empire of Masks. They were wrong. Rising like a phoenix after decades of brutal insurgency broke the Royal occupation, the Empire is stronger than ever and hell-bent on revenge. Now the Emperor has unleashed his forces in a lightning campaign, shattering the Kingdom's defenses in an avalanche of fire and steel. The Royal Army mobilizes as the Kingdom's future hangs in the balance. Sophia Rose is a young soldier in a reserve unit from the idyllic town of Jade Falls. It's almost unheard-of to see a girl in the infantry, but in the reserves and with her father being their First Sergeant, well, there's actually nothing in the regulations against it. She joined the Army to spend time with her father and her friends, and she'll be marching with them into the inferno of war. Princess Arilin Wehrherz is a dutiful and strong-willed girl, second in line to the Kingdom's throne. After waving goodbye to her older brother as he departed for the front with his regiment, she asked her father if she could accompany the Army herself. He told her to find a capable chaperone and stay out of danger, and he probably didn't expect her to do exactly that. War is full of surprises, though, and her little adventure might turn out to be more dangerous, and more important, than anyone could have expected! About the Author Tyler Weaver spent nine years serving as an officer in the United States Army's Field Artillery. Originally from Upstate New York, he has served across the world and is a veteran of the war against ISIS.