Blood Ties (Thieves' World, No 9)

A ruined city rebuilds in the ninth entry of this shared-world fantasy series. Hakiem, storyteller and adviser, surveys the city of Sanctuary from a palace window and is heartbroken by what he sees. The city of outlaws and adventurers now lies in shambles, ravaged by war, plague, riots, and magical destruction, and many citizens are dead or wounded. Hakiem is not the only one thinking of leaving . . . Now, without gods or magic, the people of Sanctuary face the task of rebuilding their homes and their lives. It will be their toughest struggle for survival yet. Featuring stories from some of fantasy's best authors, including Robert Lynn Asprin, Diana L. Paxson, Janet and Chris Morris, Robin W. Bailey, C. J. Cherryh, Diane Duane, Lynn Abbey, and Andrew and Jodie Offutt.