First published 2025
Ashok Vadal should be dead. Lord Protector Devedas struck him down in combat and claimed the throne as Raja. Grand Inquisitor Omand Vokkan believes his Great Extermination has crushed the casteless, while the Sons of the Black Sword scatter into hiding. Vokkan now seeks his ultimate prize through a demonic pact: eternal life itself. But the Black Sword's shard still beats within Vadal's heart. The weapon that chose him refuses to release its grip on life. Rising with a new Black Sword in hand, Vadal must rescue the prophetess Thera Vane from enemy hands. He needs to reunite his scattered followers and march against the Capitol's corrupt power. His true goal burns beyond mere victory: to shatter the Law completely and bring freedom to every soul in Lok. Enemies surround him from all directions. Demons, men, and gods have fallen before Vadal's blade, but this battle will test him like no other. The fate of the casteless and all of Lok hangs on whether one warrior can topple an empire built on oppression.
Genres: adventure, action, dark-fantasy, epic-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Capitol, Lok
Period: Great Extermination
416 pages · Paperback · Baen
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, violence