The second novel in Michelle West’s The Burning Crown, the final arc in her long-running Essalieyan universe.

THE WILDERNESS IS WAKING

Stephen has never left the kingdom of his birth. But the possible cure for his huntbrother’s shat­tered memo­ries cannot be found in Breo­danir. It might be found in the distant South. If Nenyane’s road leads to the South, Stephen will follow.

The lord of the golden fox wishes to speak with Stephen before he travels South. She dwells in the heart of the empire, home to Meralonne APhaniel and Kallan­dras of Senniel, and it is through Aver­alaan that safe passage to the Dominion of Annagar can be found.

The road to the empire passes through towns that have existed for longer than Breo­danir itself: the Free Towns. The Free Towns have never fallen, although they are possessed of no armies, no walls.

Stephen and his party arrive in Hansleigh to festiv­i­ties and carnival performers in the streets: the circus is coming to town. Theirs is a command perfor­mance. Every living person in the town is expected to attend, as if atten­dance is a matter of life and death.

It is.

To survive, the hunters must find a missing person before the circus — and all of the towns­people — are lost forever to the forces of the Lord of the Hells.