A desert torn asunder / Bradley Beaulieu.

The plans of the desert gods are coming to fruition. Ceda and Emre sail for their ancestral home to bring the traitor, Hamid, to justice. But to their horror, they discover that the desert tribes have united under his banner. Their plan? To annihilate Sharakhai, a thing long sought by many in the tribes. In Sharakhai, meanwhile, the blood mage, Davud, examines the strange gateway between worlds, hoping to find a way to close it. And King Ihsan hunts for Meryam, the deposed queen of Qaimir, but always finds himself two steps behind. And when Meryam raises Ashael, all know the end is near. Even if Ceda and her unlikely allies can unite in time, stopping Ashael will cost them dearly. Perhaps more than all are willing to pay.