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A Throne Betrayed

A Legend of the Five Rings Novel

A Throne Betrayed

A Legend of the Five Rings Novel

By Julie Kagawa and J.T. Nicholas

The Emperor is dead and the Emerald Empire is in turmoil. From New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa and J.T. Nicholas comes the thrilling first installment in the definitive story of the Clan Wars.

The Emerald Empire hangs by a thread. The Emperor’s murder has brought upheaval across Rokugan, especially now that his sons have vanished. With the political order that has bound the Great Clans together for centuries unravelling, each now dreams of war and power written in ash and blood.

Lawlessness has taken hold, and in its midst the rōnin Toturi, formerly the champion of the Emperor, searches for purpose in the ruins of betrayal, fighting to save what little he can while trying to escape a past desperate to catch up with him. But no man can run forever. Not when the failure of his sacred duty caused the chaos he now fights through.

And as political infighting divides the Imperial Court, another threat rises from beyond the empire’s borders. A great horde of demonic horrors is massing, determined to crush the clans and wipe them from existence.

The stage is set for the bloodiest wars the empire has ever seen. And this time, there may be no victors.

Legend of the Five Rings

Legend of the Five Rings

The realm of Rokugan is a land of samurai, courtiers, and mystics, of dragons and divine beings – a world of heroism, magic, and steel. Through times of peace and war, the samurai of the seven Great Clans have competed for power and influence. But as the trust between them fractures, those struggles turn ever bloodier. Former allies become fierce adversaries, and unlikely pacts are forged between ancient enemies. While conflict and political intrigue divide the clans, the true threat awaits in the darkness of the Shadowlands, beyond the vast Carpenter Wall. There, in the twisted wastelands, an evil corruption endlessly seeks the downfall of the empire. As the Shadowlands threat grows, samurai from the warring clans must put aside their differences and unite if they are to save the very soul of Rokugan.

     More about Legend of the Five Rings

Publication Details

Series: The Clan Wars, book 1
Page Count: 448pp
Cover Art: Mauro Dal Bo Genre: Fantasy


Paperback edition

US On Sale Date: August 5, 2025
UK On Sale Date: August 5, 2025
Paperback ISBN: 9781839082900
Paperback Dimensions: 214mm x 140mm


Ebook edition

Global Ebook On Sale Date: August 5, 2025
ebook ISBN: 9781839082894

About the Author


JULIE KAGAWA, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, Talon, Shadow of the Fox, and more was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

     More about Julie Kagawa

J.T. NICHOLAS is the author of the science fiction novels Stolen Earth and ReCoil (available now from Titan Books) and the neo-noire science fiction series, The New Lyons Sequence (available now from Kensington Books). J.T. was born in Lexington, Virginia, though within six months he moved (or was moved, rather) to Stuttgart, Germany. Thus began the long journey of the military brat, hopping from state to state and country to country until, at present, he has accumulated nearly thirty relocations. This experience taught him that, regardless of where one found oneself, people were largely the same.

     More about J.T. Nicholas

Buy Now

Global Ebook On Sale: August 5, 2025
US Paperback On Sale: August 5, 2025
UK Paperback On Sale: August 5, 2025

Order Here

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TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK

Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs Legion, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo © 2025 Ubisoft Entertainment // Legend of the Five Rings copyright © 2025 Asmodee North America // Arkham Horror, , Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Descent: Legends of the Dark and Twilight Imperium all copyright © 2025 Fantasy Flight Games // Pandemic copyright © 2025 Z-Man Games // Terraforming Mars © 2025 Fryxgames AB // Zombicide © 2025 CMON GLOBAL LIMITED // Call of Cthulhu copyright © 2025 Chaosium Inc. // All Content Copyright © 2025 Aconyte, an imprint of Asmodee North America Inc. Asmodee North America is located at 1995 County Road B2 West, 55113, Roseville, MN and is a subsidiary of the Asmodee Group.

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