From the introduction: With her mother an Abadaran priest and her father a painter, Hao Jin enjoyed a privileged childhood that ingrained in her both the importance of order in her life and the drive to express her creative spirit. Most of all, she loved exploring Goka’s historical buildings, especially the Empress Yin Museum, dedicated to the ruler who had granted Goka its sovereignty and to countless Yixing artifacts from that fallen empire. She was a favorite among the museum stewards, who nonetheless chided her to be more careful around the exhibits. However, her reckless playfulness as a teenager resulted in the building catching fire, its flames destroying hundreds of priceless treasures and killing Hao Jin herself. At great expense, her parents gathered the funds for her resurrection. As the magic reunited Hao Jin’s body and soul, it also ignited her latent magical talents and gave her hair the deep red hue that would together bestow her title: the Ruby Phoenix.