"An enthralling, white-knuckled tale of razor-sharp characters and astonishing supernatural powers." — Kirkus Reviews

"High-stakes fantasy in genre, and emotionally earthy in style, Matt Starostka's Resonance, the first in a series, boasts a richly-evoked setting, dynamic characters, and a well-paced plot." — LoveReading, Indie Books We Love

The world is fading. Someone has to decide whether to save it.

When the Empire arrives to perform the Testing in Vir's small mountain village, he wants no part in the ritual. The Empire has taken everything from him. But he is forced to reach into the Bowl of Resonance anyway, and draws something no one has in over fifty years. Not a black stone, but a golden orb.

Torn from his village along with the other tested, Vir is taken to the seat of the Empire, to the heart of the power he was raised to hate. There, Vir finds something far more broken, and far more human, than the enemy he swore to destroy. Perhaps even something worth saving.

The Resonance is fading and whole regions are falling silent. Rivers run dry. Fields turn to dust. And in the capital, the Empress has spent years arranging her pieces for a game that is about to begin.

For readers of Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb and Tad Williams.