Kings Rising

Damen's identity is out. The slave who has served Prince Laurent is Damianos of Akielos, the rightful king of the southern country, and Laurent has sworn to kill that man. Damen has to stand before his master under his true name and face what follows.

War is close. Kastor's forces are massing in the south, while the Regent's armies mobilise in the north. Damen can only reclaim his throne if he fights beside Laurent against the two usurpers, and Laurent needs the same alliance to hold his own country.

The two princes ride deep into Akielos as uneasy allies, and the opposition there is the most dangerous either has met. The trust they have built between them is fragile, and it is far from certain it can survive the revelation of who Damen is. The Regent still has a final, deadly move to make for the throne.

This is fantasy driven by court politics and military campaign, with two countries on the brink of a decisive battle. The pace is urgent, and the tension between the two leads is as sharp as the threat from their enemies. It is the closing volume of the story, so it reads best after what comes before.