An ambitious tale of magic, war, and parallel worlds that pushes the
boundaries of epic fantasy--from a two-time Hugo Award winner
On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations
and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to
uncover her own bloody past . . . while a world goes to war with itself.
In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are
decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin. At the
heart of this war lie the pacifistic Dhai people, once enslaved by the
Saiduan and now courted by their former masters to provide aid against
the encroaching enemy.
As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked
with holding together a country fractured by civil war; a precocious
young fighter is asked to betray his family to save his skin; and a
half-Dhai general must choose between the eradication of her father's
people or loyalty to her alien Empress. Through tense alliances and
devastating betrayal, the Dhai and their allies attempt to hold against
a seemingly unstoppable force as enemy nations prepare for a coming
together of worlds as old as the universe itself. In the end, one world
will rise--and many will perish.
Stretching from desolate tundras to steamy, semi-tropical climes
seething with sentient plant life, this is an epic tale of blood mages
and mercenaries, emperors and priestly assassins, who must unite to save
a world on the brink of ruin.
File Under Fantasy [ Orphaned Child World at War Blood Magic The
Fluidity of Gender]
