Book excerpt: "A complex tale of war, politics, and lust for power." —The Guardian Alliances fracture and hope wanes in a ravaged empire caught between three factions in the heart-pounding continuation of Devin Madson's bold epic fantasy series, The Reborn Empire. Ambition and schemes have left the Kisian Empire in ashes. Empress Miko Ts’ai will have to move fast if she hopes to secure a foothold in its ruins. However, the line between enemies and allies may not be as clear-cut as it first appeared. After failing to win back his Swords, former Captain Rah e’Torin finds shelter among the Levanti deserters. But his presence in the camp threatens to fracture the group, putting him on a collision course with their enigmatic leader. Assassin Cassandra Marius knows Leo Villius’s secret—one that could thwart his ambitions to conquer Kisia. But her time in Empress Hana’s body is running out and each attempt they make to exploit Leo’s weakness may be playing into his plans. And, as Leo’s control over the Levanti emperor grows, Dishiva e’Jaroven is caught in his web. She’ll have to decide how many of her people are worth sacrificing in order to win. Praise for The Reborn Empire: "Imaginative worldbuilding, a pace that builds perfectly to a heart-pounding finale and captivating characters. Highly recommended." —John Gwynne, author of The Shadow of the Gods "An exciting new author in fantasy."―Mark Lawrence, author of Red Sister "Visceral battles, complex politics, and fascinating worldbuilding bring Devin's words to life."―Anna Stephens, author of Godblind The Reborn Empire We Ride the Storm We Lie with Death We Cry for Blood For more from Devin Madson, check out: The Vengeance Trilogy The Blood of Whisperers The Gods of Vice The Grave at Storm's End