Crown of Ash and Steel: The Aurelian Cycle, Book Two: Time's Requiem

The paradox that choked the world in an endless cycle of blood and frost has finally shattered. The empires of the Sun Spire and the Vaelorian Reach lie in ruins, their ancient powers extinguished. But breaking the chains of time came at a devastating, irreversible cost, leaving behind a scarred continent and survivors who must navigate the heavy silence of a new reality. Princess Seraphina has traded her aristocratic crown for the grit of the undercity, determined to forge a future from the dirt up. Yet peace is a fragile illusion. Marching through the valley passes is a sea of pristine silver armor and golden banners. The Sanctum's holy crusade has arrived to claim what remains of the shattered world, and Seraphina must hold the line without the weapons of old. Across the dark waters of the Abyssal Straits, a young battle-priest and a grieving syndicate lordling sail toward uncharted horizons. Leaving behind their silent gods and the ghosts of their past, Lucius and Elias seek refuge in the unknown. But untamed magic and hidden sanctuaries hold their own dark secrets, and escaping the empire does not mean escaping the slaughter. In the gripping sequel to Crown of Ash and Steel, the rules of the game have changed. The past is dead, and the next war belongs entirely to the living.