Book excerpt: The sequel to the hotly-anticipated Forest of Souls, an immersive fantasy, blending western-style tropes with Hmong cultural influences. Perfect for fans of Susan Dennard and Sarah J. Maas. The Soulless has woken from his hundred-year slumber, and now lurks in the Deadwood, recovering his power. Which has somehow infected Sirscha. It burns inside her and warps her lightwending. She fears the destructive ability of her Calling. But while Soulless is formidable, he’s still a shaman, which means his power must be channeled through a familiar. If Sirscha can discover what—or who—that is via their connection, she might be able to cut him off from his power before he returns to full strength. Meanwhile, Sirscha and her allies journey west to the shaman empire of Nuval to treat with the Ember Princess. They hope to rally the people into uniting against their common enemy, but that’s easier said than done. Queen Meilyr is pursuing her imperialistic agenda, and she claims to hold a token that gives her power even over the Soulless.