The Blade of Twlight: Part 1 and 2 - Espa Chronicles, #1

The Twilight Blade is the collection of parts I to II of the Espa Chronicle, and the first book in the series.  A tale about the wastes of the Val E Naa, a war between nations, and the greed of the Raakonian Empire of Man.  Interlocking characters try their best to survive, find meaning, and build a better future in the most desolate and harsh of places.  Around them circles the intrigues of politics, religion, honor, and magic.  Their tale is one of war, hardship, and a struggle against all odds to survive.  In the land of the Bulvi, the common man suffers under the traditions of the past, and the horrors of invasion.   In the land of the Raakonian Empire of Man, great progress lives among political intrigue of the highest order, but corruption runs deep. 

Eruch is a swordsman in the wasteland of the Val E Naa without cause or banner, wandering the land to ply his skills and find something worth fighting for.  Volstaff hides the secrets of his identity amid his enemy.  He seeks knowledge of the savages by living among them, and finds quickly their ways to have honor, which struggles against his duty to the Empire.  Briel struggles to survive in a land where she only knows war.  General Ward Holstamp Tomas seeks glory to cement his name into the imperial histories, even if it means defying the throne.  The twin witches Varilla and Peela search for a powerful artifact to make their mark on the world.  Young and fearless they are scholars among a people who disdain knowledge. Elise serves the legion, but finds doubt in the actions of superiors.  The Dragon Emperor, most feared of all tries to maintain the delicate balance of power in his nation.