Aethercraft - Battle Mage. Aethercraft, #2

Aethercraft: Battle MageBook Two of the Aethercraft seriesThe kingdom of Aldervan is at war-and Rhys Caelwyn is no longer a hidden apprentice in a forgotten keep. Now trained in the volatile art of Aethercraft, Rhys is summoned to Vallorn, the realm's greatest city and seat of its ruling Council. There, he finds a capital cracking under pressure: noble houses clash, politics rot from within, and monsters from beyond the Veil threaten to pour into the world.
As battle lines form and ancient wards falter, the city stands on the brink of collapse. Rhys must take up the mantle of Battle Mage-whether he is ready or not. But magic in wartime is no longer a matter of study and ritual. It is brutal, immediate, and steeped in blood. Every spell exacts a cost. Every choice has consequences. As allies die and betrayals surface, Rhys must reckon with the truth of what he is becoming-and what he may have to sacrifice to save those who remain.
The second book in the Aethercraft series, Battle Mage plunges deeper into a world where power corrupts, politics kill, and even the strongest magic may not be enough. For fans of character-driven epic fantasy with dangerous magic, moral complexity, and hard-won transformation.