The Fate of Silent Gods

Drakeford takes the grimdark tone of 2022’s Rise of the Mages to a new level in this grisly sequel. Emrael Ire, the heir to the lost kingdom of Iraea, continues his rebellion against the United Provinces and their creepy tattooed allies, the Malithii mage-priests. Drawing on his mother’s status as a councilor of the Ordenan Empire, Emrael negotiates for trade and troop support even as the United Provincial Legion rally to take back his conquests. Worse, the Malithii’s Fallen God, now free, is manifesting in Emrael’s dreams and in person, offering him an alliance for world conquest. Even the subplots are rife with scheming: Emrael’s close friend, Elle, plots to replace her father as governor of a province, and not necessarily for Emrael’s benefit. Drakeford exerts remarkable effort on worldbuilding, delineating full hierarchies of landholders and military units while also keeping key secrets close to the vest. Readers may wish for a scorecard to follow the events and to sort out the teams, and the frequent violence is not for the faint of heart. Still, series fans will find this a worthy continuation. (Nov.)