PRAISE FOR THE SARTORIAS-DELES SERIES:

"The book is set in a world so intricate and real that it's hard to step out of and hard to forget. Filled with magic and glamour, it houses a culture unique for its openness and warlike ability.... Smith's rich details and imagery tie this story together. Complex and compelling." -San Jose Mercury News

"Smith deftly stage-manages the wide-ranging plots with brisk pacing, spare yet complex characterizations, and a narrative that balances sweeping action and uneasy intimacy." -Publishers Weekly

"A damned good book.... A compelling protagonist with a vivid voice, a master's control of pacing and tension." -Tor.com

The second volume of four begins with the loose alliance of young rulers, mages, scribes, friends, and ex-enemies on the run. The only place of safety is a tiny agrarian kingdom no one has ever heard of, though hints begin to surface that nothing there is quite what it seems.

Some venture on quests for ancient magical artifacts that might aid them-but all those quests turn . . . sideways. Some are deadly. Some races turn into chases.

Meanwhile, Senrid, the Marloven warrior king, goes covert, staying one step ahead of the conquerors who want him dead. Atan, the queen who prides herself on peaceful solutions, discovers she has a talent for strategic thinking

And Jilo, the nerdy son of a lowly sergeant who has been singlehandedly striving to save the once-great Chwahir nation from an insane king, crosses a continent to carry a message-the easiest quest of all-with utterly unforeseen results.