Is Tarnished Embers Book Part Of A Series?

Just finished 'Tarnished Embers' last night! The back cover calls it a 'standalone novel,' but there’s zero closure on the villain’s backstory or the ember magic system. Feels like the author left doors open—maybe testing audience reaction before committing to a series? The protagonist’s journal entries at chapter breaks keep mentioning 'a larger war coming,' and that’s never addressed. My theory: it’s getting a sequel if sales hit some threshold. The EPUB version has a weird empty 'Also by...' page at the end, which is sus.

I've been deep in the indie fantasy scene for years, and 'Tarnished Embers' feels like one of those hidden gems that could easily span multiple books. The world-building has that layered quality—hints of unresolved lore about the Ashborn kingdoms and the protagonist’s mysterious lineage scream sequel bait. I checked the author’s socials, and they’ve dropped cryptic teasers about 'Book 2' in Q&As, though nothing official yet. The ending leaves major threads dangling, like the fate of the Clockwork Citadel and that eerie post-credits scene with the shadowy figure retrieving the ember shard. Feels very much like a first act.

What’s interesting is how it mirrors the structure of other series-starters—character arcs are just beginning (Riven’s redemption, Lissa’s magic awakening), and the conflict escalates way beyond the initial village siege. The map in the hardcover edition even has grayed-out regions labeled 'Unknown Territories,' which is basically fantasy code for 'future installments here.' I’d bet my limited-edition glow-in-the-dark cover that this is Part 1 of at least a trilogy.