by David Weber
Part of Safehold, book 3
First published 2009
Empress Sharleyan rules alongside her husband King Cayleb as they battle the tyrannical Group of Four who control the Church. Their marriage began as political necessity when Charis and Chisholm united against religious oppression, but Sharleyan has discovered unexpected love in Cayleb's arms. She throws herself into their shared cause of defending human freedom on the planet Safehold. Yet Cayleb keeps devastating secrets from his wife. He cannot tell her that humanity's religion is built on lies spanning nearly a thousand years. He cannot reveal that genocidal aliens called the Gbaba wait to finish destroying mankind if humans ever draw their attention again. Most dangerous of all, he cannot explain that their trusted advisor Merlin is actually an android containing the memories of Nimue Alban, a woman who died nine centuries ago. As Sharleyan faces her greatest challenge as empress, these hidden truths threaten everything she and Cayleb have built together, including her own survival.
Genres: science-fiction, fantasy, action, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Charis, Chisholm, Safehold
Period: 9th Century, Present Day
496 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books
Content warnings: violence