In Vilest Things (2024), Calla Tuoleimi, accompanied by Anton Makusa, managed a coup, dethroning the prince August Shenzhi and forcing him out of his beloved capital, San-Er. While August lurks in the provinces, waiting and scheming to gain back his birthright, Calla holds the crown, with the promise of power and complete rule over Talin. But it’s not just August or the Weisanna guards she has to fend off in her attempts to usher in a new reign. The Crescent Society takes on a new role in the city, always at Calla’s back and in her business. The very old and legendary Sinoa Tuoleimi now steps onto the stage, in Otta Avia’s body, and shakes up the game board. No one knows what actions she’ll take, only that her endgame is complete control of Talin. The war across the crumbling empire makes way for the rumored return of the old gods, the rise of heretics, and a great release of qi, tilting the game board off its axis. With very little trust to go around, characters are left wondering if there are sides to pick, or if the gods’ return challenges the power of the crown altogether. The war for the throne sets all the characters on paths that cross with allies, enemies, lovers, and old friends. While the world expands in this volume, and Gong incorporates new points of view from the capital, the provinces, and the gods, relationships between the existing characters are somewhat neglected.