The Heat of Ashwater

About this book

In the steaming cliffside cities of the Ashwater Caldera, magic—known as Thermancy—is fueled by the exchange of heat between bodies. In a society where public touch is strictly regulated and private intimacy powers industry, Maris Calder arrives in disgrace. Afflicted with 'Coldstart,' a rare condition that leaves her magically inert without physical contact, she is desperate to earn her thermancy license to restore her family's ruined reputation. She is partnered with Iri Venn, a volatile sculptor who can shape heat into solid glass but whose magic surges dangerously with emotional connection. As Maris and Iri navigate the complex intimacy of their partnership, they discover a spreading plague of 'cool blooms'—unnatural cold spots freezing the volcano's geothermal heart. Forced to synchronize their pulses in the dangerous depths beneath the city, they uncover a conspiracy threatening to extinguish the Caldera's fire forever. To save their home, they must master the terrifying vulnerability of their bond, balancing survival with a desire that could shatter the very ground beneath them.