The Straits of Galahesh: Book Two of The Lays of Anuskaya

Besides windships and telepathic messenger birds, Beaulieu struggles to keep numerous elements up in the air in this return to the Grand Duchy of Anuskaya, after 2011's The Winds of Khalakovo. Prince Nikandr Khalakovo and Nasim%E2%80%94a native shaman once split between the material and spirit worlds, but now drawn fully into the material by Nikandr%E2%80%94seek to close rifts of magic that threaten the world of Erahm. Nikandr turns to the militant Maharraht, and Nasim travels to haunted Ghayavand, "a place that holds many secrets from Nasim's past." Meanwhile, Nikandr's former intended, Atiana, arranges her own marriage to the Lord of Galahesh in an effort to ally with the mainland Empire of Yrstanla, across the magically chaotic straits. On their separate journeys, all three encounter the surviving Al-Aqim, the trio of wizards who opened the rifts 300 years ago while attempting to perfect Erahm under an authoritarian spiritual rule. In order to fend off the wizards, unlikely alliances must be formed and tested. With multiple narratives and a plethora of culturally distinct factions prone to internal feuding, Beaulieu presents a confusing but vividly realized tale of heroes torn between duty and love. (Apr.)