Undying - John French

Blood for the Undying Throne, the sequel to Blood of the Old Kings, from award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim and translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur, is an epic fantasy adventure where the corpses of sorcerers power an empire and ordinary people rise up to tear it down The Empire scorns all invisible gods.
The Empire kills all visible ones.
The Empire continues to enforce its so-called peace with massive war machines that destroy even gods and monsters, leaving the conquered with nothing to worship or fear except the might of the Empire. But desperate odds such as these can inspire resistance.
Last seen rallying under Loran's banner, Emere survives an assassination attempt that will lead him to uncover sinister plots at the very heart of the Empire.
Arienne has crossed the continent to learn more about the Star of Mersia, the famed weapon that wiped Mersia from the map. But when she arrives in the lifeless land, Arienne finds much more than ruins.
One hundred and seventy years ago, Yuma dares to defy Mersia's ruthless Grim King Eldred. When she meets an emissary from the Empire, she realizes that they might just have the power to overthrow the Grim King—but is there a cost to aligning with the Empire?
All must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to fight tyranny.