How can they win a war when their greatest enemies are themselves?

"Death hurt less than I thought. I wish I could bring that peace back with me. War doesn't scare me now, or this strange city, or life at home continuing without me. When she brought me back from that beautiful peace, my humanity stayed behind.

I'm the only thing that terrifies me, now."

Blood stains the land. With the gods' desperation, Azirik's mania grows. Away from her newfound family, Alea struggles to control the horrors in her mind and the power in her veins. What she must learn, however, is very different from the lessons the Laen wish to teach.

Stuck waiting in a foreign city, Arman wrestles with new, fathomless fury. Coupled with the inertia of battle, his rage shatters friendships and taints alliances. Lives depend on what they learn, but war does not make time for history lessons.

Sequel to the award-winning first book, Smoke and Rain .