Bingmei, last seen in The Killing Fog (2020), has eluded the forces of Echion, the Dragon of Night, in an effort to avoid a fate foretold. According to prophecy, she must cross the Death Wall, which seems to mean sacrificing her life. As those who search for her close in, she is reunited with Rowen, who is linked to her through the Phoenix d through his love for her. She is also given the opportunity to forgive Muxidi, whose life she once spared, and break a chain of vengeance that has haunted her family. Most significantly of all, she is having dreams, which she comes to understand as a form of death, about separations from her body that urge her to cross the Death Wall. Gifted and cursed with an ability to smell emotions, which allows her to sense treachery or loyalty, Bingmei must sort through her intuitions as well as her emotions to battle, not one, but two, dragons bent on destroying her and ruling her world. Wheeler once again blends exciting confrontations with depth of characterization and superb world building.

After charming young warrior Bingmei inadvertently released the evil Dragon of Night into the world of the living in The Killing Fog, the engrossing second fantasy of Wheeler-s Grave Kingdom series finds Bingmei on the run. As -the phoenix-chosen,- Bingmei is the only person capable of stopping the dragon Echion from taking over the world, much of which he has already conquered. She flees those who would sacrifice her at the Death Wall, where it is prophesied she will die to stop Echion, but fate keeps pushing her back. Meanwhile, in the Grave Kingdom, Echion plots to revive his queen, Xisi. Bingmei-s only hope of survival should Echion succeed is to forge an alliance with deadly adversaries. Though action-packed, Bingmei-s flight takes up a disproportionate amount of the narrative, postponing the meat of the tale. However, Bingmei-s eventual confrontation with Echion is satisfying, and Echion-s Grave Kingdom is chillingly described and loaded with a strange allure. Fans of Wheeler-s work and Asian-influenced fantasy will find this a worthy outing. (June)