Before he knew about the Roses, fourteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity.Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers.Then one day Jack skips his medicine.Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before.And it feels greatuntil he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself:he is Weirlindpart of an underground society of magical people who live among us.At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Gamea magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death.The winning house rules the Weir.As if his bizarre magical heritage isnt enough, Jack finds out that hes not just another member of Weirlindhes one of the last of the warriorsat a time when both houses are scouting for a player.Jacks performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that hes in Trinity.And until one of the houses is declared Jacks official sponsor, there are no limits to what theyll do to get Jack to fight for them. . . .

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima grew up with talking animals and kick-butt Barbies. She began writing poetry and stories in third grade and novels in junior high school. These days she writes fantasy fiction for teens of all ages. Her Heir Chronicles contemporary fantasy series includes The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, The Enchanter Heir, and The Sorcerer Heir.

Her high fantasy Seven Realms series launched with The Demon King, followed by The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown; she is also the author of the Shattered Realms series, including Flamecaster, Shadowcaster, Stormcaster, and Deathcaster, among other works. She lives in Ohio with her family, and invites you to visit her online at cindachima.com.