Fatekiller's Oath – Joshua Farmer

The sequel to “The Deep Hollows” has been a long time coming. TDH was drawn on a small canvas - much of it takes place in what is basically a hole in the ground - though a much-larger universe is occasionally visible. The new book starts with the protagonist being thrown into that larger universe.

Ray, the protagonist, has made a deal with the gods - something in the spirit of “leave me alone and I won’t set the universe on fire”. It doesn’t take him long to learn that gods are sticklers for the letter of a deal, and don’t have much interest in the spirit. (They’ve also been at this a lot longer than he has, and know how to finagle a deal.) He has been left alone, but in adverse circumstances.

This book, like the first book, tells a smaller story while giving parts of a larger one some visibility. Ray, now greatly reduced in power, joins a caravan crossing hostile terrain. The crossing turns out to be somewhat dangerous - then unexpectedly dangerous - then ridiculously dangerous - as the larger story keeps intruding itself into the smaller one.