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The Imperial Saga

Home of the Empire of the Seven Continents

  • Overview
  • Main Series
    • Rise of the Phoenix
    • Knight of the Dragon
    • Heart of the Guardian
  • Mythology
    • The Myth of the Scorpion Queen
    • The Myth of The Wolves
  • Character Profiles
  • Continent Info
    • Estova
    • Izuria
    • Krendia
    • Shem
    • Kaehlar
  • Other Info
    • About the Author
    • Contact
    • AI Policy
    • Privacy Policy
YouTube Channel Launched!
2 July, 2024
Cover Reveal: Dance of the Empire
11 May, 2024
Heart of the Guardian Out Now!
15 August, 2023

Welcome to the Empire of the Seven Continents

The Empire of the Seven Continents is the home of the Imperial Saga, a fantasy series by Anne Winchell. This website offers exclusive content of the world and novels and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the writing process. Take a look around and explore the world of the Empire of the Seven Continents and the books and stories from this world!

Enter the Imperial Saga

The war for Tamarud lasted twelve years and devastated the continent’s people and lands. When the royal family was captured, everyone knew it was it was only a matter of time before their defeat, but the Empire shocked the people by executing all but the youngest two royals.

Fifteen years later, the continent of Tamarud has suffered under Imperial rule. After the massacre following the execution of the royals, the population is devastated, their numbers vastly diminished. Everyone in a fifteen year age group was murdered, leaving only older adults and those under twenty-five behind.

Now, the invaders, as those from the Empire are known, can kill at will, and wreak havoc on the people of Tamarud. Tamarudian culture has all but vanished as their books, art, and traditional buildings have been razed. Speaking their language is a death sentence, and they even have to choose Imperial names to avoid being killed.  

In this chaos and destruction, Princess Tahirah is coming into her magical powers. As one of two surviving royals, she wields enormous power, power that makes her both threatening and desirable to the Empire. Her rise to power is marked with death and isolation, but romance and hope keep her going. 

These five novels chart her progress as she gains her adult powers, and the increasing strength of her allies as well. Ari, a young man and the object of her affections, learns to stand on his own, and Jana, a young woman whose love for her girlfriend Leena is the only bright spot in her life, learns to take on a leadership role. Together, Ari, Jana, and Leena hope to help save Tahirah from the Empire. They’ll go to any lengths, but will it be enough?

A fantasy map of Tamarud
Map by Dewi Hargreaves
Book Three Available Now!

Explore the Main Series

Find out more about the individual books here with word counts, status updates, summaries, and more. 

The cover of Rise of the Phoenix, with a dark maroon background, a golden, flaming phoenix in the center with a fiery orange-red skyscrapers in a golden portal, and the words Rise of the Phoenix in fancy golden letters

Rise of the Phoenix is a fantasy novel about a young woman who survived the execution of her family at the end of the war and now lives in an occupied continent. She’s always pretended to be obedient, but she has a secret: she’s created a phoenix egg.

The people of Tamarud remember the brutality of the dragon knights long after the war ended. When Jana accidentally becomes a dragon knight, she must deal with the hatred of her father and her people even while fighting to defend her home.

Ari has always relied on loved ones for guidance, but now Tahirah is trapped on a different continent and his parents might be dead. With new friends and unfamiliar family, he has to forge a way forward even as the Empire’s power draws closer to finding him.

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Check out the latest videos!

The Imperial Saga YouTube channel offers music videos from and about the various continents and characters as well as readings and behind-the-scenes looks into the creative process!

Anne Winchell, Author of Speculative Fiction

Anne Winchell, Author of Speculative Fiction
The Rioran invasion left a scar on her face and her city, and Amanda will do anything to keep the rebellion alive, whether that means siding with an enemy - or turning her friends into pieces on the board.

They say they have proof of her crimes. Judge for yourself: https://tcp.annewinchell.com/people/amanda.

Find out more about The Conquered Princes, a dark sci-fi novel with intense personal stakes and galactic ramifications, at https://tcp.annewinchell.com. 

⸻

Full lyrics:

(Verse 1)
Streetlights flicker on shattered stone
Bootsteps echo, but I walk alone
Smoke in the alleys, fire in the rain
Every scar remembers a name

Leather and denim, midnight green
More than the calm I let them see
They read my silence, call it grace
Never notice the war in my face

(Pre-Chorus)
Let them think
I’m only shadows
Let them guess
At what I know

(Chorus)
I make danger look like silence
Steel beneath a steady smile
Every battle leaves its mark
But I’ve worn them all in style
They can test the edge if they want
They can step into the line
I’m the blade they never notice
Till it’s flashing in the night

(Verse 2)
Kenny holds the people close
I hold the line where the darkness goes
Every route, every flank, every street
I know where fear and fury meet

I don’t boast, I don’t explain
I let the outcome speak my name
Some survive by luck or chance
I survive because I learned to dance

(Pre-Chorus)
With every threat
Every fire
Every hand
Raised higher

(Chorus)
I make danger look like silence
Steel beneath a steady smile
Every battle leaves its mark
But I’ve worn them all in style
They can test the edge if they want
They can step into the line
I’m the blade they never notice
Till it’s flashing in the night

(Bridge)
This scar is not a warning
It’s a promise, carved in skin
I have walked through worse than this
And I will do it all again
For every life behind me
For every soul in range
I’ll be the storm they never saw
The hand that turns the change

(Final Chorus)
I make danger look like silence
Lightning dressed in black and green
They can call me cold or reckless
I know exactly what I mean
When the whole world starts to fracture
And the weak are left behind
I’m the blade they never notice
Till I cut straight through the night

⸻

World, concepts, and characters by Anne Winchell
Lyrics and art by ChatGPT
Music and video by Suno
Arranged by Anne Winchell

The image was created using the lyrics as input and may contain inaccuracies. It is meant to represent the overall feel for the character and world but is not considered canon. 

This includes generative AI, including Suno and ChatGPT. I am not affiliated with either, and all AI-generated content is clearly labeled above. You can read more about my policies on AI use at https://annewinchell.com/ai-policy/ 

All specific characters, worlds, events, people, cultures, and other identifying features are copyright © 2026 Anne Winchell. However, if you'd like to create art, music, or stories inspired by any of this, please don't hesitate to contact me (https://empire.annewinchell.com/contact/). I'm (almost always) happy to give permission!
The Blade They Never Notice | The Conquered Princes
Leader when they invaded.
Insurgent when they stayed.

Weapons in hand.
Trouble in her wake.

Full song Friday @ 3pm CT

The Conquered Princes → https://tcp.annewinchell.com/

#shorts #aimusic #altrock #battleanthem #rebellion #cinematicrock  #scifimusic #worldbuilding #TheConqueredPrinces #Amanda
The Blade They Never Notice | Flashing in the Night
Power is the only gift Aaron has ever received, and he learned early that control is the only way to survive. In elite Rioran society, he hides behind restraint, convincing himself that control is a form of love. But not everyone experiences it that way.

They say he doesn't exist. That his control is an illusion. He lets them believe it. Judge their denials: https://tcp.annewinchell.com/people/aaron-2.

Find out more about The Conquered Princes, a dark sci-fi novel with intense personal stakes and galactic ramifications, at https://tcp.annewinchell.com.

⸻

Full lyrics:

(Verse 1)
I learned your breathing by the hour
The rise, the fall, the hidden tremor
Every silence had a meaning
Every bruise a whispered answer

You came to me in smoke and ruin
A name still burning in the ash
Too young to carry all that grief
Too bright to let the darkness have

(Pre-Chorus)
So I built walls around your shadow
Called it shelter, called it care
Never said the lock was hidden
In the hands that held you there

(Chorus)
These hands keep you breathing
These hands hold the key
These hands built the prison
And called it safety

I steady your heartbeat
I quiet your fears
But every soft promise
Still sharpens the bars here

These handler’s hands
These handler’s hands

(Verse 2)
Green eyes in the mirror glass
Watching every step you take
I learned the rhythm of your leaving
Just to know how much might break

Every contract, every needle
Every door I closed for you
I told myself it kept you living
Never asked what living meant to you

(Pre-Chorus)
Love can wear a colder face
Than any open enemy
Sometimes care is just a chain
Wrapped in silk so tenderly

(Chorus)
These hands keep you breathing
These hands hold the key
These hands built the prison
And called it safety

I steady your heartbeat
I quiet your fears
But every soft promise
Still sharpens the bars here

These handler’s hands
These handler’s hands

(Bridge)
If I let you go
Would the world devour you?
If I keep you close
What have I become?

Tell me which wound
You would rather survive
The one outside
Or the one inside

(Final Chorus)
These hands keep you breathing
These hands made you stay
These hands were the shelter
That darkened the day

I wanted to save you
I wanted control
Now all that I’m holding
Is half of your soul

These handler’s hands
Still reaching
Still breaking
Still yours

(Outro)
I never learned the difference
Between guarding and caging
Until you were gone

⸻

World, concepts, and characters by Anne Winchell
Lyrics and art by ChatGPT
Music and video by Suno
Arranged by Anne Winchell

The image was created using the lyrics as input and may contain inaccuracies. It is meant to represent the overall feel for the character and world but is not considered canon. 

This includes generative AI, including Suno and ChatGPT. I am not affiliated with either, and all AI-generated content is clearly labeled above. You can read more about my policies on AI use at https://annewinchell.com/ai-policy/ 

All specific characters, worlds, events, people, cultures, and other identifying features are copyright © 2026 Anne Winchell. However, if you'd like to create art, music, or stories inspired by any of this, please don't hesitate to contact me (https://tcp.annewinchell.com/aew/). I'm (almost always) happy to give permission!
These Hands | The Conquered Princes
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The Mythology of the Empire

Each of the seven continents has their own mythology and lore, and you can explore the constantly expanding collection of stories from their people in this compendium of myths.

The Myth of the Scorpion Queen

An elaborate golden scorpion on a crimson backdrop with gold ornaments around the edge

When Tamarud was first created, the entire continent shared a pleasant climate and the creatures thrived. Now, however, the north is inhospitably hot, and the south is in a perpetual freeze. What changed this balance? Learn about Queen Alareab of the Scorpions for more!

Start Reading

The Myth of the Wolves

Once, all of the wolves were united and lived in harmony with the other creatures of Tamarud. Now, the anova wolves of the north hunt people for fun while the vasha wolves of the south work with people. What created this split? Learn more about the attack on Queen Zeinab for more!

Start Reading

Read Character Profiles

A young woman in a black sweater with curly red hair, bronze skin, and amber-gold eyes
A young man in a dark blue button-up shirt with shaggy dark brown hair and brown eyes.
A young Black woman with twist braids and light brown eyes with red circling the pupils in a black tank top with pink hems and a fain pink design on the front and makeup to match, and a gold chain around her neck
A young Asian woman with black hair, dark brown eyes with red circling the pupil, and a patterned black/orange/green/gold top
A stern-looking man with ebony hair, pale skin, and a military uniform
A young white woman with light brown hair pulled back in a bun with braids along her hairline and a few strands falling loose. She has green eyes, a bit of a smirk, and is in a blue dress with a brown cloak loosely pinned together with gold chain.
A dramatically lit woman with chin-length black hair, smoldering makeup, and a black dress

Read Continent Information

Find the Series on Amazon

Available for eBook and Kindle Unlimited
Available for Paperback
A mockup of Rise of the Phoenix showing the front and back of the paperback as they will appear on the books.
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  • Overview
  • Main Series
  • Mythology
  • Character Profiles
  • Continent Info
  • Other Info

Copyright © 2024 Anne Winchell.

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