Engines of Creation: The Liar's Law by EJ Spurrell

It's been a month now since the town of Dunsmith, British Columbia has found itself stranded in the Pactlands, and the citizens have begun the process of learning to adapt to a new life. Having fended off the initial invasion by the nation of Vector, they now discover a new array of challenges rearing their ugly heads.

Now, the New Canadian Territories has made their voice loud and clear, drawing the attention of the entirety of the Pactlands, from Caede to faraway Shavi. The High Magus Council, the seat of law in the Pactlands, are now aware of Dunsmith's presence, and they will stop at nothing to bend them to the will of the Pact. Not to mention the anger of Vector's Emperor upon hearing of the defeat of his forces in the Disputed Lands.

But as the town forms a nation around them and begins to spread their influence, they find that not everything in the Pactlands is as it seems, because hidden in the highest reaches of the Pactland's elite is a dark secret that threatens to tear apart the very world. The men and women of Dunsmith must now adapt not just their lifestyles, but their very core in order to survive in a world not their own.

Even worse are the trials they now face, because the High Magus Council isn't all they have to worry about.