The Zarryiostrom, book 2 : Usurper
Nene Thomas et Steven Christian Plagman2012

As spring gives way to summer’s heat
The drums of war will tap their beat
One King has fallen, two more will arise
But one to adore, the other despise. . .

After the disastrous events of the Convocation, the people of Illymar have found themselves bereft of allies and embroiled in the very war they had tried so desperately to forestall. Worse, in a single stroke their greatest enemy, King Madari Dhaerhan of Dakkadia, has deprived Illymar of its leadership, leaving the country deeply divided in its most desperate hour.

The heir to the Illymari Throne, Prince Ethan Illvanin, is weak and vain, completely unprepared to be King during a war for survival against their hated rivals. Opposing Ethan is his uncle, Ascham Illvanin, the Duke of Saerce, the most powerful man in Illymar, and the man best suited to command its armies. Ascham harbors no ambition to become King, but Ethan cannot afford the possibility that his uncle will claim the Crown for himself and plunge the country into civil war.

The fate of Illymar will be decided by the unlikeliest of people. Princess Tais Illvanna, the disgraced oldest daughter of King Orem of Illymar, harbors a bitter resentment toward her family for the roles they played in the deaths of her husband and her son, but she must choose between the two, and her decision will mean either peace under her hated brother’s rule, or open warfare between Ethan and Ascham.

Meanwhile, King Madari has troubles of his own. He has Illymar right where he wants it, but standing between him and his ambitions are two obstacles: the Teeth of Amhar, and the Mage High Council of Ithram. Unbeknownst to Illymar, one obstacle has already been neutralized, but eliminating the other will not be as simple, for Illymar enjoys a mutual defense treaty with Ithram and their army of Powerborn, and an attack on one is an attack on the other. Unless he can somehow find a way to break the treaty between Illymar and Ithram, or find a legitimate reason to invade the island, his ambition to conquer Illymar and claim the beguiling Princess Tais for himself will be all but impossible to achieve.

Finally, Princess Chesare Illvanna, the Powerborn daughter of King Orem, will be forced to choose between the laws of Ithram, or helping her family put an end to the approaching war. But as powerful as she is, she is still a child lacking in experience. If she intervenes, will her power do more harm than good?

"Usurper: Book Two of the Zarryiostrom" is the second novel in the ongoing epic fantasy series by fantasy artist Nene Tina Thomas and her husband, Steven C. Plagman