The First Step Swordheart she soon realizes determination alone

she soon realizes determination alone isn’t enough to guard her heart

with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair

It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent

Inspired by first-time author Harshini Vankineni’s own experiences with colorism—the practice of treating people differently because of how dark or light their skin is—What Color Is the Baby

I know in my heart that it would take more than a good and holy monk to resist Elijah Iverson right now

The First Step Swordheart she soon realizes determination aloneLong Wu Ying never expected to join a Sect or become a real cultivator. His days were spent studying, planting rice on the family farm and spending time with his friends. Fate, however, has different plans for Wu Ying and when the army arrives at his village, he and many other members of the village are conscripted. Given the opportunity to join the Verdant Green Waters Sect, Wu Ying must decide between his pedestrian, common life and the exciting,