Book
The King Beyond the Gate
by David Gemmel
Book 2 in the Drenai series.
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A century after Dros Delnoch, the Drenai are ruled by Ceska, a despot who maintains power through fear and monstrous warriors called Joinings. Tenaka Khan, descended from both Drenai and Nadir bloodlines, returns from exile carrying the legacy of enemies on both sides.
Joined by survivors, rebels and former warriors, Tenaka must unite people who distrust his ancestry and each other. His campaign against Ceska forces him to confront the difference between taking a throne and deserving one, while the rebellion becomes a struggle over what kind of kingdom can emerge after tyranny.