by David Weber
Part of Safehold, book 8
First published 2015
Merlyn Athrawes has guided the island kingdom of Charis through years of bloody rebellion against the Church of God Awaiting. As a cybernetic avatar of an ancient Earth defender, he has secretly armed Charis with advanced weapons and tactics that have turned the tide of war. Breechloading rifles crack across battlefields where once only swords rang. Signal rockets light the sky as Charisian forces push back the Church's armies. Major kingdoms now waver, considering abandonment of their religious overlords for this rising technological power. But Merlyn's carefully guarded identity faces its greatest threat. A mysterious newcomer has arrived on Safehold, one who possesses dangerous knowledge about Merlyn's true nature and origins. As the war reaches its climax and victory seems within reach, this new player threatens to unravel everything Merlyn has built. The cybernetic guardian who has worn countless disguises and wielded hidden powers across a thousand years of slumber now confronts the possibility that his most vital secret may be exposed at the moment his mission approaches success.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, action, alternate-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family
Setting: Charis, Safehold
Period: 21st-century
784 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books