The Ships of Air (The Fall of Ile-Rien, #2)

<blockquote>Known for her lush, intricate worlds and complex characters, acclaimed author Martha Wells has delighted readers with her extraordinary fantasy novels of daring and wit. <b>With The Wizard Hunters</b> she launched her most ambitious undertaking yet - the return to the beloved world of the Nebula Award-nominated The Death of the Necromancer and <b>The Fall of Ile-Rien.</b> Now the saga continues in a triumph of suspense and imagination.</blockquote><p>Despite a valiant struggle against superior forces, the country of Ile-Rien has fallen to the onslaught of the relentless Gardier, a faceless army of sorcerers determined to conquer all civilization.</p><p>To save the remnants of her country, former playwright Tremaine Valiarde undertakes an epic journey to stop the Gardier. Rescuing the proud ship Queen Ravenna from destruction, Tremaine and a resolute band of sorcerers and warriors set sail across magical seas on a voyage of danger and discovery. For the secret to defeating the enemy - and to rescuing the world from the Gardier's inimitable hatred - lies far beyond the walls of the world, and only the tenuous ties of friendship and honor will keep the band together.</p><p>But the Gardier are not the only evil in this tumultuous world, and an ancient terror stalks the ornate rooms and shadowy decks of the Queen Ravenna - a force so malevolent and enigmatic that even the growing power of the sorcerer's sphere may not be enough to save Ile-Rien from utter ruin.</p>