Book excerpt: This 2nd novel in the Maztica Trilogy by Douglas Niles brings to life an exotic setting within the Forgotten Realms world. Erix, the former slave girl, and Halloran, the legionnaire, flee from the waves of catastrophe sweeping Maztica. The God of War feasts upon chaos while the desperate lovers strive to escape from enemies on all sides. Finally each is forced into a choice of historical proportions and deeply personal emotion. The gods themselves awaken, and the destruction of the fabulously wealthy continent of Maztica looms on the horizon. Yet Erix bears with her a desperate secret, and with that secret comes the lone hope that Maztica can survive.