The Tinder Box

by M.R. Carey

In a forgotten kingdom, former soldier Mag Tresti seeks work after endless wars and finds it in the home of reclusive widow Jannae Mirchella, who is secretly a powerful witch. When a dead demon crashes from the sky, Mag discovers a tinderbox on its corpse—an artefact capable of granting any wish and reshaping nations. As Mag and Jannae become entangled, the story unfolds as a dark fairy‑tale of spellcraft, devilry, and witchcraft, exploring the wickedness within a few, the goodness in many, and the pivotal choices that determine fate.