Claws of the Golden Lion (Book 3): The War & Ascension (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798243365741)

In a world where metal is law and song is a weapon, one boy walks with a lion-and the empire wants him dead.

Young Bayo was born with a mark and a gift: he can speak to trees, calm beasts, and heal the land. His family has carved a fragile sanctuary in a hidden valley, safe from the Legion's cold machines and the crushing weight of its laws. But safety is an illusion.

The Legion is building an unstoppable army-the Iron Horde-forged in cursed forges and bound by the stolen voices of the Collared. To survive, Bayo's family must unite desert riders, rebel smiths, and stone-singers into a desperate Pact. Yet their greatest danger may be Bayo himself, for his untamed power has drawn the attention of the empire's most ruthless minds.

Now, with the walls closing in and a golden lion by his side, Bayo must decide whether to hide his light-or let it shine, and risk becoming the very weapon meant to destroy everything he loves.