The Cinders (Ebook) PREORDER ONLY

✨👠Released 24 October, 2025✨👠

Prince Xian is known by many names.
The Dancing Prince. The Veiled Prince. The Prince Among the Cinders.

Exiled from the Imperial Court and sent to live with the Governor of the distant and volatile province of Yunnan, Xian quickly learns he is no honoured guest. The governor, his wife, and their daughter treat the emperor’s scarred and unwanted son as little more than a servant. Under the iron rule of Lady Shen, he finds no mercy—until his extraordinary talent for dance proves useful.

Prince Xian’s renown spreads across the Middle Kingdom. His ethereal performances are woven into court ritual—binding treaties, securing trade, and mesmerizing all who watch. Xian’s lightness of foot makes him indispensable—but he is still little more than a curious spectacle, chained to his duty.

His only solace? Mercy, a golden carp gliding through the palace pond—the only true friend he has known since a devastating childhood loss tore his world apart.

But when a gifted shoemaker crosses his path, Xian finds himself drawn towards the brash, handsome man in unexpected ways. He dares to imagine life without loneliness.

Fate, however, is a cruel mistress.

When fresh tragedy strikes, the Dancing Prince becomes ensnared in a treacherous court, drowning in his sorrow. But destiny is shaped by more than suffering. Magic lingers in the most unexpected places—and sometimes, the right pair of shoes can change everything.

 Inspired by the Chinese fairy tale Ye Xian - the original Cinderella story.

A timeless tale set in The Diabolus Chronicles universe. 

(This is a stand-alone novel that does not require reading of The Diabolus Chronicles beforehand.)