Rival's Son — Simon Brown

"With twists and turns that keep you guessing, Brown has produced a gem of strong characters and vivid locales ... This is a tale that delights in the unexpected." â€" Nexus

After surviving battle and sorcery, the people of Kydan are divided among themselves and face civil war. Strategos Galys Valera and her allies must heal divisions and forge a united city in time to face the greatest threat of all, a rogue Kevleren prince bent on bloody revenge.

Meanwhile, the Hamilayan empire itself faces a terrible conflagration as its empress, Lerena, pursues her destiny to become history's most powerful Wielder of the Sefid, the great well of magical power that underlies all creation. Even nations must fall before her ambition.

"A first-class trilogy. The Chronicles of Kydan has all the traditional fantasy ingredients expertly mixed with new ideas." â€" Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy