The Fire

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In 2003, Alexandra Solarin returns to her family’s Rocky Mountain hideaway for her mother’s birthday, only to find her mother missing. Clues suggest something sinister is at play, and the arrival of enigmatic guests heightens the tension. Alexandra learns from her aunt, chess grandmaster Lily Rad, that a powerful piece of Charlemagne’s chess service has resurfaced, signaling the start of a new Game. This revelation propels her on a journey from Colorado to the Russian wilderness and ultimately to Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, in 1822 Albania, Ali Pasha, a formidable ruler in the Ottoman Empire, faces imminent attack and sends his daughter, Haidee, on a perilous mission to smuggle a valuable relic out of Albania. Her journey takes her through treacherous landscapes to deliver the relic to someone who may save their future. As Haidee travels from Albania to Morocco, Rome, and Greece, she uncovers significant truths about the chess set and its storied past, leading to its origins in Baghdad over a millennium ago. Blending exquisite prose with captivating history and relentless suspense, this sequel to The Eight delivers an unforgettable tale of danger, action, and intrigue.