House of the Far Earth — G.D. Falksen

For the past year, Doctor Varanus has languished in the desert, tormented by heat and inactivity, while her mentor Iosef searches for evidence of his so-called "Black Goat cults" in the ruins of Sumeria, aided by an ambitious banker and an incompetent archaeologist. Their purpose: to unearth the lost city of Ekizu, a place only whispered of amid tales of blood sacrifice and dark gods. But as Varanus's patience wears thin, intrigues within the camp begin to surface, threatening everything she holds dear. An evil watches from the desert, eager to claim Ekizu for itself, while old enemies lurk in the darkness, plotting revenge. And as the great temple is uncovered, they will learn too late the truth behind an ancient warning. Better that dead things had been left buried, lest all the world fall under the shadow of the Far Earth.