Freed Kingfisher by R. Laham

The rebellion won them freedom. The war for survival has only begun. The Manzakar Rebellion has ended. The chains are broken. But freedom is fragile. In the aftermath, the kingdom of Anzor teeters on the edge of collapse, its throne mired in intrigue and its people divided. Once slave-soldiers, Tikran, Coxani, and their brothers must carve out a place in a world that still sees them as outsiders. Beyond Anzor’s borders, the rival kingdom of Dilovar shatters its truce, driving east into Gohar to hunt nomads and seize their magic—the fabled Essence. As Tikran is pulled into a deadly web of betrayal and court politics, Coxani journeys into Gohar to unite its scattered tribes for the coming war. Empires are stirring, gods are watching, and the fate of a people hangs in the balance. Tikran swore the Gohari would be free. Now he must decide what price he is willing to pay to keep that promise.

Manzakar by R. Laham

The Gohari are nomads—pansexual, magic-born, and feared. Under the wrath of Cenk, the god of Anzor, their freedom has been stolen. Their unmatched skills in horsemanship and archery have been twisted into weapons, forging the Manzakars—an unstoppable army of slave-soldiers. Tikran became a Manzakar to save his starving family, rising through the ranks to become the king’s most celebrated bodyguard. To him, the brotherhood of soldiers meant honor, justice, and glory. Until the campaigns brought him back to Gohar. Until he saw his people subjugated, their magic drained to feed Anzor’s power. Until he realized he was fighting for the enemy. Now Tikran must choose between loyalty to the crown and the survival of his people. To defy the king could cost him his life. To stay silent could doom a nation.