About VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown
The kingdom of Valdris has always had heroes. It has always had enemies. The Five were the best of the former, and the most feared by the latter.
Until they weren't.
For three years, the unit that was once the kingdom's finest has existed in the quiet ruin of its former self — scattered, diminished, each of its members carrying something heavy from a mission no official record describes accurately. They don't talk about it. They have found that not talking about it is the only thing that works.
Then the king calls them back. One final mission, he says. One target. A name they all recognise.
The mission should be simple. Find the target. End the threat. Come home.
It is not simple.
As the Five travel east into the wild territories beyond the kingdom's reach, the world they encounter refuses to behave the way it should. The enemy is not quite what the briefing described. The allies are not quite what they assumed. And the further they travel from everything they were taught, the more clearly they can see the shape of what they were never supposed to understand — a secret older than the war itself, buried beneath the kingdom's founding, kept alive by the very people who send heroes out to die for it.
At its centre: a truth about the world that changes everything. About who built it, who broke it, and why — across generations of conflict — no one has ever been allowed to ask the obvious question.
Kael Dawnstrike built the finest unit in the Hero Corps because he trusted each person in it. He chose them for their gifts, yes. But more than that, he chose them for their integrity. For the specific quality of people who, when they finally see something clearly, cannot pretend that they didn't.
That quality, it turns out, is both their greatest strength and the most dangerous thing about them.
Some questions, once asked, cannot be unasked. Some doors, once opened, cannot be closed.
Veil of Ashes is the first book in the Chronicles of the Five — a dark fantasy epic about loyalty, the lies that kingdoms are built on, and the price of finally asking the right questions.
VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown FAQ
When is VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown by A Ansari coming out?
VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown by A Ansari is scheduled to be released on May 10, 2026.
What is the release date for VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown?
The release date for VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown is May 10, 2026.
What genre is VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown?
VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown is categorised as Fantasy.
How can I track VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown?
Track VEIL OF ASHES: The tarnished Crown on Next Chapter to get a reminder when it releases.
Release details last updated July 1, 2026.