The Waterless Sea: Book 2 of the Chanters of Tremaris - Tapa blanda

Calwyn held her breath. For a long moment there was no sound but the faint tinkling of an unseen fountain. The gentleman in the black robes held her gaze; there was infinite menace in that stare. Calwyn felt herself revealed and utterly vulnerable, as though his stare were a knife that gutted her like a fish. Calwyn and her friends travel the vast, unforgiving deserts of Merithuros to search the Palace of Cobwebs for signs of chantment. There they discover the dreadful secret that binds the Empire. Calwyn, Mica and Halasaa must draw on their ingenuity and all of their magical resources if they are to escape alive. Meanwhile, Darrow has formed a dubious alliance with the rebels and is marching on the sinister Black Palace of Hathara. Can Darrow be trusted now that he has the power of the Ring of Lyonssar? In this stunning sequel to The Singer of all Songs, Calwyn's quest has greater consequences than she could ever have imagined.

Kate Constable was born in Victoria but spent much of her childhood in Papua New Guinea, without television but within reach of a library where she 'inhaled' stories. She studied Arts/Law at Melbourne University before working part-time for a record company while she began her life as a writer. She has had stories published in Meanjin, Island and other literary magazines. The Singer of All Songs , the first of the Chanters of Tremaris series, was her first published novel. Kate now lives in Thornbury, Victoria, with her partner and child.