The Iron Chest

By R.A. Neddow

To save a friend, she broke the law. To survive the consequences, she made a deal with a monster.

In a mountain fortress, a prisoner is playing a deadly game.

Crown Princess Jabrael is a half-human royal with a shattered past and a lethal secret. Held captive and forced to recount the history of her fifteenth year, she must carefully navigate her story. Her interrogators want to know the truth behind the night her life fell apart: the night she risked everything for a loyalty that outweighed her duty.

Years ago, Jabrael was a girl trapped by the gilded cage of New Andradae. When a darkness the kingdom's laws refuse to acknowledge threatens those she is sworn to protect, Jabrael realizes that her crown is a hollow defense. To save them, she makes a choice that forces her to leave the safety of her world behind and enter a wild she was never meant to see.

But some doors, once opened, can never be closed. What began as a desperate act of devotion ended in a catastrophic collision with the unknown. Jabrael survived that night, but she returned to the city changed, hardened, and bound to a secret that could destroy the very people she tried to shield.

Now, as she dictates her tale to a legendary hero and a charismatic tracker from her past, the clock is ticking. As the truth begins to surface, Jabrael must decide which is more dangerous: the enemies who hold her captive, or the predatory presence she brought back with her from the dark.

Praise for The Iron Chest

"Violence, love, lust, magic, and a complex cast... R. A. Neddow is a master of her craft." -Nikole Severance

"Dark, complex, and utterly original... takes familiar YA themes and transforms them into something layered and psychologically intense, perfect for a mature fantasy audience." -Mira Maschmeyer

"Sneaks up on you with its beauty, then knocks you down with its heartbreak... a lyrical yet sharp narrative that balances wonder with raw emotion. Fans of The Name of the Wind will feel right at home." -Alex MacKenzie

"One part coming-of-age, one part political drama, and all epic... a debut that promises great things ahead." -Ian Barr

Perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Patrick Rothfuss.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1069648213
• ISBN13: 9781069648211
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Godsdamned Press
• Length: 720 Pages
• Weight: 2.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"