Power Ascending Books in Order

Power Ascending runs alongside the larger wars, focusing on the people who stand between crowns and common soldiers. It follows Charlaine deShandria, a blacksmith’s daughter turned temple knight, and Ludwig Altenburg, a baron’s son who would rather win glory with a sword than sit in council chambers.

The prequel, Tempered Steel, shows them before the titles and campaigns. Charlaine sweats over the forge, expecting to inherit her father’s smithy, while Ludwig chafes under noble expectations. A forbidden attachment and a few hard choices send her toward the order of Saint Agnes and him toward the life of a wandering warrior.

In Temple Knight Charlaine finds herself far from home, the outsider in a disciplined order, investigating coastal raids that hint at a deeper threat. Warrior Knight picks up Ludwig’s side as he joins a mercenary company, confronting the ugly realities of war and learning how leadership differs from dueling in a tournament ring.

As the series moves into Temple Captain, Warrior Lord and Warrior Prince, the scale widens. Charlaine navigates church politics in the Antonine, builds a holy fleet and tries to keep her sisters safe as talk of invasion grows. Ludwig inherits a struggling barony, then steps into the role of prince, walking a narrow line between a hesitant king, feuding barons and his own sense of justice.

Later books like Temple Commander and Temple General push both of them to the front lines of the struggle against the Halvarian Empire. Charlaine must weld together inexperienced troops and old rivals into an effective force, while Danica’s fleet and Ludwig’s armies clash with imperial legions along multiple borders.

Where Heir To The Crown often shows the view from a throne, these novels spend more time with officers on campaign, temple councils and the compromises that come with command. Faith, oath keeping and the burden of giving orders drive many of the series’ most tense moments.

If you are drawn to military fantasy that balances battlefield tactics with questions of duty, belief and personal loyalty, Power Ascending offers a grounded, character first path through the larger conflict.