Veil of the Deserters
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
Braylar is still poisoned by the memories of those slain by his unholy flail Bloodsounder, and attempts to counter this sickness have proven ineffectual. The Syldoonian Emperor, Cynead, has solidified his power in unprecedented ways, and Braylar and company are recalled to the capital to swear fealty. Braylar must decide if he can trust his sister, Soffjian, with the secret that is killing him. She has powerful memory magics that might be able to save him from Bloodsounder’s effects, but she has political allegiances that are not his own. Arki and others in the company try to get Soffjian and Braylar to trust one another, but politics in the capital prove to be complicated and dangerous. Deposed emperor Thumarr plots to remove the repressive Cynead, and Braylar and Soffjian are at the heart of his plans. The distance between “favored shadow agent of the emperor” and “exiled traitor” is unsurprisingly small. But it is filled with blind twists and unexpected turns. Before the journey is over, Arki will chronicle the true intentions of Emperor Cynead and Soffjian.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Capt. Braylar Killcoin and his army are summoned by Emperor Cynead back to the snake pit of the imperial court. They have no choice but to obey, abandoning hard-won gains in mid-campaign. Between them and their destination are lands filled with overt enemies and treacherous allies. Surviving the journey will require cunning and well-timed violence, with little space for mercy or common decency. Worse, winning their home is no surety of safety. This gritty sequel to Scourge of the Betrayer (2013) begins in media res and moves swiftly toward a cliffhanger; readers fond of ongoing, episodic fiction won't mind the lack of closure. Salyards makes energetic use of familiar tropes, from the band of jaded, cynical ruffians who follow the captain to the backstabbing courtiers; he provides a reliable dose of grimdark fantasy, albeit without tremendous originality.
