She was taught to stay small.The realm will cease if she does.After years spent under lock and lie, a violent public incident forces Irma Hagtorn to flee the only life she’s ever known. With nothing but hidden memories, dangerous magic, and a pull she can’t explain, she crosses into a kingdom she has only read about. But Irma is not the only one hunting the truth of who she is.A godlike being known as The Shadow twists every guiding hand against her, his influence spreading through courts, kings, and the whispering dark. Danger tightens from every direction. Yet three unlikely companions refuse to let her face it alone—Åsa with her fierce loyalty, Brand with his untamed heart, and Henrik with the steadiness she’s never known. What begins as necessity becomes a fragile, reluctant found family stitched together by danger, stubbornness, bad jokes, and the kind of care Irma has learned not to trust. But even their protection may not be enough.To survive, Irma must embrace the power she has long denied and become what she fears—before The Shadow breaks the veil between realms and unmakes humanity beneath his bare, blackened feet. The Rising Flame blends Nordic folklore-rooted worldbuilding with psychological elemental magic. It will appeal to readers who crave emotional, character-driven fantasy where power and identity are two sides of the same wound. Tropes • Reluctant found family• Childhood friends to lovers• Trauma recovery arc• Slow-burn awakening of power• Godlike villain obsessed with the heroine• Prophecy with a twist• Nordic folklore-inspired worldbuilding• Survival journey that becomes destiny