Uprising (Shadow of the Bear)

The sacred Tree blooms red when Belovar’s new empress arrives from distant Zerhalt. According to the soothsayers the omen is favorable, but Katja von Zerhalt believes the crimson blossoms are a warning. As she seeks to harness Belovar’s power she must choose her allegiances carefully: between a husband who would push Belovar past the brink of war, a father who would use Katja to puppet Belovar, and Belovar’s double-edged Golden Prince whom Katja can neither trust nor resist. Meanwhile revolution is brewing in the south led by a soldier with ties to those in power and an band of unlikely allies: a religious zealot of the Bear Goddess, an enthusiastic outlaw, a mercenary bastard prince, and a shield-maiden of the desert Khan. When sides are drawn and teeth are bared, whose blood will soak the roots of the sacred Tree and who will rise up to claim Belovar? Inspired by the history of Kiev Rus and Imperial Russia during the Time of Troubles, Shadow of the Bear begins the unique and epic series about ambition, loyalty and the courage to bring about revolution.