“We are all the same,” chants the mob in the Village Square. Aera is not the same but doesn’t know why. In the walled-off commune of Ynas, she is protected from the dangers outside yet feels imprisoned. Knowledge is closely guarded, and passion is tabooed.

Haunted by nightmares in alien tongues, Aera senses she is destined for more than drudgery in Ynas. She finds solace in a powerful mentor who teaches her forbidden music and ancient martial arts. Aera’s defiance attracts the young prodigy Cyrrus, who is determined to rule the planet of Oreni. While others fall prey to his influence, Aera penetrates his many veils and joins him in unraveling hidden cultures, forbidden languages and altered history. Through primeval pathways and arcane relics, they enter a shared dreamscape of duplicitous characters from distant lands revealing a secret that could destroy their world.

This Boundary Will Not Bind Us is the first installment in the Night Gem series. It begins when Aera is a child, and follows her path through the mystical twists of an unknown destiny. More than a simple story, Erica Xenne invites readers into her multi-layered universe of complex characters and celestial forces engaged in a deadly opera.