The thrilling sequel to award-winning author Bradley P. Beaulieu's epic fantasy series, The Book of the Holt. Long ago, the elder gods devised a brutal contest - a game of ascension, where the path to victory was drenched in the blood of one's own kin. The prize? Godhood. The game was believed buried with the ages. But now, it's stirs again. With the once-proud capital of Ancris in ruins, the ties that bind Faedryn - the trickster god - weaken with every heartbeat. Inquisitor Lorelei Aurelius delves deep in pursuit of forgotten truths, desperate to find the wisdom or the weapon that might shackle a god. Meanwhile Rylan Holbrooke, the thief who stole the shard that could release Faedryn's bonds, finds himself pursued by every power in the realm, from the imperial dragon legions to the merciless Red Knives. But even if the trickster god can be contained, Lorelei and Rylan will have to confront an even more terrifying prospect: that the elder god's savage game may already be underway...