Chasm

Dawsyn Sabar has survived leading a coup over the Glacians, who picked off villagers as human sacrifices, only to find that her love with Ryon was a lie and her quest to free the people of the Ledge has only begun. After Ryon’s betrayal and death, a devastated Dawsyn resigns herself to execution by the Queens. Dawsyn is not the only one who feels betrayed by the Queens, however, and finds an unlikely ally in the guard. On the run, the mage Baltisse finds and assists Dawsyn in her quest to free her people, as well as with Dawsyn’s newfound powers from the iskra pool. The second book in this trilogy draws out relationships that were introduced in Ledge, making it slightly less action-packed than its predecessor, but McEwan’s worldbuilding is just as fantastic as in the first book, with the unique magic system of the iskra viewed from a different angle through Dawsyn’s use.