by Kerstin Hall
First published 2023
The 813th realm of Mkalis lies in ruins. A merciless god has seized control, leaving destruction in his wake. Tahmais should have inherited this realm, but now she faces an impossible task. She must somehow wrest her birthright from a divine tyrant who shows no mercy. Her quest seems hopeless until an unexpected alliance forms. Someone steps forward to help her, though their motivations remain unclear. Together, they begin planning to take back what was stolen. Tahmais knows the price will be steep. She prepares to sacrifice everything necessary to restore her realm. The god who destroyed her inheritance is unpredictable and brutal. His power far exceeds anything Tahmais can muster alone. Yet she refuses to abandon her people to his whims. This novelette returns readers to the world of The Mkalis Cycle, where divine politics shape mortal lives and succession comes at a terrible cost. Tahmais must decide how far she will go and what she will become in her fight for justice.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, dark-fantasy, epic-fantasy
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family
Setting: Mkalis
56 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor Books
Content warnings: violence