Some champions rise, while others fall...From prince to king, commander to general, Nico's rise from obscurity to power has launched him closer and closer to the seat of the emperor itself. But he is still a young man, untrained and unprepared for the countless pressures of ruling a land at war. Will the struggle to protect his people, help his friends, and preserve his love for his enemy's princess become too much for him?Fed up with the endless sacrifices of friends and loved ones, housethrall Jak begins a personal quest to bring down the mysterious devils that hold the empire in their malicious grip. As he seeks to find safe refuge for his companions, however, he discovers that they are not so willing to let him go on alone. Soon he learns that he needs their aid, and that from unexpected new friends, to have any chance of success. And so he must risk more sacrifices from the very people he wishes to save...The ravages of war have left soldier Yohan bereaved and bereft. Left only with one unwanted companion and a heart full of anger, he begins the hopeless quest to rescue two women from the enemy tribesmen terrorizing the empire with surprising impunity. Outnumbered and exhausted, rejecting friendship in favor of revenge, he faces a personal battle as much as an external one. Does his transformation into a single-minded killer make him as evil as those he hunts? Will he rescue the women he loves, or will he lose them along with his humanity?SHIELD AND CROWN is the powerful third act of the EMPIRE ASUNDER medieval fantasy saga, featuring political intrigue, turbulent warfare, and star-crossed romance.