SOLVED. High Fantasy Novel about non-human but human looking (merchant?) character, possibly an assassin. Possible spoilers ahead. [s]

[Jackie]

I started reading this book in Upstate New York somewhere between 2008 and 2010 - it didn't seem too old our outdated at the time

MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW but given that I can't 100% remember i don't know, so READ AT OWN RISK



As the topic says, it was a high fantasy novel. One of the main characters was a member of what I think was a non-human species who were tall, had white hair, and were physically weaker than humans but may (I could be misremembering) have had some magic powers; i think they had a difficult time growing any kind of facial hair. They weren't traditional fantasy elves or any species i immediately recognize. I think they had either previously been in a position of power and were then deposed, or were in exile, or something like that . Their name may have had the term 'South' in it?

there was a map in the front of the book - typical for a high fantasy novel - and the continent it showed had had one end in the north and then it snaked downward into the south, with the map not revealing all of the lands to the south

One of the main characters was a merchant i think, or a traveler from the species I just mentioned, and he was uncharacteristically strong for his species/people, he may have been older and may have travelled with a companion. I think he had a sister and she was plotting some kind of revenge?

I don't remember much about any of the other characters but i do remember that it was third-person narration and it showed the perspectives/tracked the goings-on of more than just the not-human guy i mentioned

there was also something with stone altars/basins that people would drip blood into as a sacrifice and I think I recall one person using this to either speak directly to his deity, or to speak to his deceased wife. I distinctly recall that the blood he dripped into the basin was absorbed without a trace after the ritual was complete.

The cover of the book DEFINITELY had what I think was a picture of the white-haired character I mentioned earlier, it wasn't super detailed but definitely white-haired people on the cover

this might be a bit of an odd bit of info but I THINK the title was either three or four words

Trying to find this book so i can finish reading it

[Ayshe]

Maybe Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe?

[Jackie]

Ayshe wrote: "Maybe Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe?"

You are a life saver! I was going mad trying to look for it. I am eternally in your debt!