Publisher's Synopsis
The saga continues in the second book of the Merchant series.
Something is wrong with the gods, and Chim knows it. Mother Chaos is acting funny, and when the kobalde seeks out Cora and Kiran-heads of the Below and the Above, the gods of Death and Life, the two gods from which the others have come-neither is where they're supposed to be.Cora, God of Death, is busy tending to her guilt-stricken girlfriend-murder has really taken a toll on her-and Kiran, God of Life, is busy serving time for offing his predecessor.
Winter rages on. Augustus's bloody conspiracy has been exposed, Clark Carson is dead, and the elven city of Caelaymnis plays host to the heirs of Maderlav-and indeed, the heirs of the gods themselves. Heirs, whose godly legacy someone only known as the Master has taken a keen interest in acquiring.
Struggling, bitter, and tormented, despite her meteoric rise from traitor to hero, Elsie's own search for the draught of fear she can't seem to stop imbibing takes her right back to Augustus and into blood magic, soul bonds, and conflict. As Fletcher pulls away from his princely obligation, he grapples with an uncomfortable truth: Augustus might not be as bad as he seems, and Elsie might be hurting more than she's letting on.
Sam only makes matters worse when, in the wake of Clark's blood-soaked funeral, he departs with no explanation, and Teddy is left alone on a perilous path forward, a path rife with cursed kobalde, pet barghests, and lies.
Meanwhile, the Master's growing arrogance only heightens the discord among his ranks. He rightly suspects not all who have aided him have his best interests at heart, for within the inner workings of his scheme, a betrayal has been unfolding.
When the gods step once and for all into the realm of mortals, fomenting destruction at the behest of their puppet-master, all face conflicts of fiend and friend. They'll have to decide who they can trust-and they'll have to decide fast, or risk losing not only their lives, but their very world itself.
