Silence Falls — Robert Welch

The Wars of Light ended barely fifteen years ago, when the mysterious Cyenna withdrew from Avas without explanation. Now, the Xochan Empire is at war. When a hero of the Wars of Light dies in Xocha, that chaos expands to other faiths and lands, chief among them the war-weary nations of Avas. Soon they will face a new invasion of Cyenna, led by a foe stronger than any they faced in nearly 100 years of conflict.Summer Storm, denied by her people, knows a way to head off the impending war. To succeed, she will need the aid of two others: Mandal, a Xochan temple guard who would sacrifice the world to achieve his personal goals; and Severino di Praedza, a proscribed member of a knightly order who struggles to reconcile his personal faith with the strictures of his religion.The choices made by these three will determine the fate of Avas. First, however, they must understand not only themselves, but one another. This will force them to weigh duty against their strongest emotions, their most urgent needs, and their deepest beliefs and fears.Will they, and Avas, survive the process?