Defiant
{4.5/5} “I don’t want to die, she thought, and realized it was true. Not that she could stop it; but perhaps she could die standing. Perhaps she could look that death in the face — not just shake and shiver until the darkness came over her and swept her away. She could die like a true Lower City dweller: defiant until the end.”
Defiant by Karina-Sumner Smith, published in 2015
Xhea has been recuperating in Edren. When a ghost shows up, she follows him underground to see that part of Edren’s barricade has been destroyed. Eman Pol-Edren points out that the other skyscrapers will inevitably go to war to try to capture Shai, a Radiant who possesses magic unheard of in the Lower City.
This the sequel to Radiant.
If you liked Radiant, you will like this follow up. There’s a deus ex machina aspect to the ending, but other than that it’s a great book.
It’s about what happens when you think your only friend is dead, and what happens when you’re willing to accept any number of casualties in the furtherance of your goals.
I’ve read 2 books by Sumner-Smith. I will read at least 1 more.