The Ascenditure

Klarke Ascher has a singular goal: to become an Ascenditure, a member of the kingdom’s elite climbing team who scale the treacherous peaks of Miter’s Backbone in search of an elusive medicine to treat the lung sickness that ails the populace. However, in a kingdom governed by centuries of tradition, where women are legally bound to home and hearth, owned by the men they are forced to marry, the Ascenditures have always been male. As the strongest climber of her generation, Klarke’s skill and strength are undeniable, and her courage and persistence prompt a civil uprising to which the king is finally forced to concede. Klarke’s fight for justice, however, quickly becomes a struggle for survival as fellow Ascenditures, one by one, are inexplicably murdered. For danger lies not only on the icy peaks of treacherous mountains, where ropes are cut and routes are compromised, but in the very halls of power. With the hope of an oppressed generation on her shoulders, Klarke must dig deep within herself to discover the greatest strengths-- of muscle and mind-- not only to survive but to unravel the sinister conspiracy upon which the foundation of their kingdom rests.

Robyn Dabney is an author, copyeditor, and outdoor adventure enthusiast whose favorite books span every genre. She describes her work as having something for everyone-- a sprinkle of suspense, a dash of adventure, and a lot of good versus evil. She lives in Germany and maintains a home base in Moab, Utah. When she isn’t writing, Robyn talks books as a co-host of the Tipsy Nerds Book Club podcast and plays in the great outdoors (usually climbing!).