The second in the trilogy started by Daughter of the Empire. I think the first book is still the best of the series, but the second is certainly not suffering from middle-book-syndrome as Mara continues to fight for the survival of House Acoma and comes head to head with the Minwanabi clan. Readers who have also read Feist's "Magician" trilogy will get an extra layer of appreciation from the tie-ins between the two worlds, but it's not necessary. This book is a little slower paced than the first and delves a little more deeply into the political structure of Kelewan.