The Dragon Who Guarded a Human Heart

Rowan is a poor young scavenger who has always carried a strange, inexplicable sense of guilt. He feels the suffering of the dying land as though it were his own, yet he has no idea why ancient ruins seem familiar to him or why he can read Dragon-tongue-a language no living person should understand. When the Lorekeeper Kieran discovers an ancient obsidian tablet, Rowan instinctively reads its forbidden words and awakens memories of a forgotten kingdom, a powerful king, and a dragon named Finnian.The land is dying from the Wither-Sickness, and Rowan soon learns that the plague is not a natural disease. Somewhere beneath the mountains lies the Crystalline Heart, an ancient source of power that has been draining the kingdom's vitality for centuries. Guided by fragments of lost memories, Rowan travels toward the forbidden sanctuary where the legendary Last Dragon guards the Heart.When Rowan finally encounters Finnian, the terrifying dragon does not attack. Instead, Rowan recognizes him as an ancient companion-and the dragon recognizes Rowan by a name that belongs to another life. The truth is devastating: Rowan is the reincarnated soul of Aethelred, the ancient king whose desperate attempt to escape death transformed Finnian into an eternal guardian and condemned the kingdom to centuries of decay.Now Rowan must confront the darkest part of himself. He can claim the Heart, restore the kingdom, and become an all-powerful savior-but only by repeating the same mistake that destroyed the world before. Or he can break the cycle, surrender the power he once hoarded, and finally allow the kingdom to become mortal and free.The Dragon Who Guarded a Human Heart is an epic fantasy about reincarnation, ancient magic, guilt, redemption, loyalty, and the extraordinary bond between a fallen king and the dragon who waited a thousand years for him to return.