The Providence of Fire

In Brian Staveley's 'The Providence of Fire,' the second installment of the 'Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne,' the Annurian Empire teeters on the brink of collapse amidst a deepening conspiracy and escalating war. Having uncovered her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace, desperately seeking allies to unite Annur against burgeoning internal unrest and looming barbarian hordes. Her miraculous survival of a fiery ordeal leads many to believe she is blessed by the people's goddess, thrusting her into a precarious leadership role. Meanwhile, her brother Valyn, a Winged Skull, finds himself entangled with forces gathering at the empire's borders, facing choices that could pit him directly against his own family. The third sibling, Kaden, the rightful heir, infiltrates the Annurian capital with enigmatic companions. As imperial forces prepare for distant conflicts, Kaden's clandestine actions hold the power to either save or utterly destroy the empire, setting the stage for a brutal and inevitable clash of destinies.