Synopsis:
The Cerani Empire appears strong on the outside, but it is actually crumbling from within. The Emperor is ill, tainted by the pattern magic that eventually either kills those afflicted with it or turns them into Carriers. Carriers are mere shells of their former selves, spying and killing as the Pattern Master bids them to.
So far, few know that patterns mark Emperor Beyon's skin. Lord High Vizier Tuvaini wishes to change that and make himself emperor in Beyon's place. He thinks he can use the patterns and Pattern Master for his own ends, but this is a complicated game with many players: Eyul, the Emperor's Knife; Sarmin, the emperor's brother, who has been kept a prisoner since he was a child; Mesema, a Windreader from one of the Felting tribes, brought to the Cerani Empire to be Sarmin's bride; and more.
Review:
I started reading this during my vacation, figuring that it was different enough from my other vacation reads that I wouldn't get everything confused. One review I read described it as being like George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, except set in a fantasy Middle Eastern world. Unfortunately, although some of the magic and political intrigue was interesting, it turned out to be a bit of a slog. I couldn't connect with the characters and had trouble caring about what was going on around them.
