In She Dreams in Blood, Khraen, aka The Demon Emperor, heads south after his travails in the first installment; the pull of the various shards of obsidian an ever-increasing crescendo of need within his heart.
This is also a story about a man who fears his destiny and is always asking if humans were the sum of their memories or if they were something more, something capable of possessing free will (made me think about a slim volume by Sam Harris titled Free Will, a very thoughtful read).
The sequel to Black Stone Heart offers epic battle scenes and a more thorough explanation of various magics involved as he continues to remember his past life from shards (of his obsidian heart) of the emperor that devours entire realities for his god … “for she dreams in blood” and has replaced his vision with twin rubies capable of tearing open the multiple realities wherein demons and gods from hell can be summoned.
A truly fantastic continuation along The Obsidian Path.
