by David Weber
Part of Safehold, book 6
First published 2012
The Republic of Siddermark crumbles as Church-sponsored rebels torch fields and murder farmers. Merlin Athrawes, the cybernetic avatar of a woman who died defending Earth against aliens a millennium ago, watches his careful plans unravel. The Church of God Awaiting has struck back against the island kingdom of Charis and its defiant declaration of independence. Now Siddermark, Safehold's agricultural heartland, faces both civil war and mass starvation. King Cayleb and Queen Sharleyan of Charis must choose between protecting their own realm and saving their ally. Merlin knows that without Siddermark's grain, millions will starve. But sending Charisian troops risks everything he has built in his secret mission to restart human technological progress. As harvest time approaches and rebels control the countryside, Merlin confronts a brutal truth. Sometimes saving civilization requires watching good people die.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, action, alternate-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family
Setting: Siddermark, Charis, Safehold
Period: Millennium
607 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books
Content warnings: violence