“As a mage I learned to destroy men, and as a savior I learned to redeem them. But as Empress I must learn to do both…and that, I fear, is a challenge I am not yet ready to face."—Kendera Darenthi, the First EmpressTwo months have passed since the Unity Day Massacre bloodied the streets of Haven, and the Darenthi Republic lies in shambles. Empress Malivar, the architect of a tenuous peace, is dead. The Assembly of the Six Gods, once a formidable international alliance, has disbanded. And perhaps worst of all, the return of the long-lost Messiah has only inflamed the holy war between the Balorites and Edehans. Now, as an army of fanatics and their mysterious leader threaten to conquer Esharia, the only hope for the newly-crowned Empress Selaste and her allies is a last-ditch assault upon an impenetrable fortress. THE LAST EMPRESS is the highly-anticipated sequel to THE LAST GODDESS and the second book in the Shattered Messiah Trilogy (155,000 words, 600 pages).