How did his last job aboard a train go so far off the rails?

In the Varaultian Empire, where magic and machines clash in a whirlwind of progress and power, Simon Wyverstone is a detective by name but a mercenary by trade. Tasked with protecting the VanCourdigan Corporation’s transcontinental railroad on its maiden journey, Simon believes this mission will be his ticket out of the brutal life he’s led. But the farther the train ventures into the untamed wilderness of Vaaldoria, the more dangerous—and morally ambiguous—the journey becomes.

Joined by a band of unlikely allies, including a roguish thief, a nonbinary healer, and a warrior with a haunted past, Simon soon finds himself fighting more than just the threats from outside. As dark secrets within the VCC’s operation are exposed and the ruthless Emerald Order closes in, Simon must decide: Will he uphold his loyalty to the Empire? Or will he risk it all to uncover the truth and rewrite the fate of Vaaldoria?

Betrayal, bloodshed, and intrigue ride the rails in this gripping fantasy thriller. The Rails of Vaaldoria is the first book in a thrilling new series where nothing is what it seems—and even the most loyal soldiers can derail an empire.