Book excerpt: The war between the Brother Realms reaches its bloody climax as the Falcon kings race to secure allies and vie for dominance of the Northwest. As the Black Falcon's army pushes deeper into Fieran territory, Kelyn must learn to bear the weight of the War Commander's helm. Victory-and the lives of thousands-depend on his word alone. While he presses against the relentless tide of his enemies, he harbors a dark secret, one that may spell of the destruction of his family. Wounds of the flesh matter little when a man must battle his conscience and his own desires to reclaim his honor. Deep within Avidan Wood, Lothiar remembers a time when his people roamed free. Chafing inside the prison that his people call a refuge, he dreams of a new era, in which the Mother's First Children rise again to dominate the breadth of Dwinovia. In his loathing for the Sons of Ilswythe, he unleashes an ancient terror. But tampering with the forces of the Abyss brings about disastrous consequences he does not foresee. Meanwhile, Kieryn is torn between the woman he loves and his pursuit of the forces seething inside him. The secrets he is sworn to protect drive a wedge between him and his betrothed, and Rhoslyn turns to another. Shattered by betrayal and pursued by a soul-thirsty shadow, Kieryn must harness the fires of his rage and forge a new identity. One that will earn him a song in legend-or infamy as a madman. (previously published as Blood of the Falcon, Volume 2)