Pale Rider — G.D. Falksen

Conspiracies deepen and revelations abound in this electrifying second installment of the Maiden of War series.When their Republic was ravaged by plague and fell into chaos, a monastic order of girls called the Daughters of Zahra took up arms and became known as Warmaidens. Fifty years later, the plague has passed, and the Republic survived, but the Warmaidens live on, training for battle since childhood and providing protection to their communities.With the day of Princess Naomi's wedding fast approaching, Roxshana prepares to say good-bye to her best friend. They have one last mission together: the monthlong journey south to Naomi's homeland, where she will be wed. On the way, an encounter with the mysterious figure the Warmaidens call the Pale Rider chills Roxshana to the bone. While the others make preparations for the royal wedding, Roxshana and King Valamar conduct a covert investigation into the Rider that leads back to the Allryks, a sinister warlord from the north, and exposes just how far-reaching his influence has become.To complicate things, Roxshana and Valamar are falling more in love with every mission.... Are they also falling into the Allryks' trap?