|
484 pp
ISBN: 978-1-61614-195-0
Trade Paperback
$16.00
April 2010
Cover Illustration: ŠJon Sullivan
www.jonsullivanart.com/
The armies of the Wasp Empire are on the march, and first to feel their might will be the city of Tark, which is even now preparing for siege. Within its walls Salma and Totho must weather the storm, as the Ant-kinden take a stand, against numbers and weaponry such as the Lowlands have never seen.
After his earlier victory against them, the Empire's secret service has decided that veteran artificer Stenwold Maker is too dangerous to live. So disgraced Major Thalric is dispatched on a desperate mission, not only to eliminate Stenwold himself but to bring about the destruction of his beloved city of Collegium, and thus end all hope of intelligent resistance to the remorseless imperial advance.
While the Empire's troops are laying waste all in their way, the young Emperor himself is treading a different path. His thoughts are on darker things than mere conquest, however, and if he attains his goal he will precipitate a reign of blood that will last a thousand years.
Praise for Dragonfly Falling:
"...packed with more action and a greater sense of wonder, Dragonfly Falling is a superb continuation to Empire in Black and Gold."
—Fantasy Book Critic
"Tchaikovsky introduces several new characters, opening up fresh perspectives and threads in his plot... The world is broadened and deepened, to its benefit... the character development is excellent." —SFX
"With Dragonfly Falling, Adrian Tchaikovsky has basically taken everything that made Empire in Black and Gold so enjoyable, added some new characters and story lines to the mix, and then turned it all up to eleven. The result is a gripping novel that is easily one of the best epic fantasies I've read in some time, and I'm now feverishly anticipating the third instalment, Blood of the Mantis. Highly recommended." —Speculative Horizons
"A novel brimming with imagination and execution... The Shadows of the Apt series is quite distinct, mainly due to the insect-kinden and Tchaikovsky's fertile imagination. His writing is accessible, if dense, while the sheer amount of extra content he has published on the web with regards to his series adds nuanced flavour to the proceedings." —SciFiNow
"Visceral and immediate, the fighting draws you in with the excitement of new takes on familiar tactics... Reminiscent of much that's gone before from the likes of Gemmel, Erikson, Sanderson and Cook but with its own unique and clever touch, this is another terrific outing from Mr. Tchaikovsky and a worthy sequel in this epic saga." —Sci Fi London
Praise for the series:
"Adrian Tchaikovsky makes a good and enjoyable mix between a medieval looking world and the presence of technology" —Starburst
"Full of colourful drama and non-stop action involving mass warfare and personal combat." —Fantasy Book Critic
"Empire in Black and Gold is a very strong debut. It is a fast-paced and action-driven novel that nonetheless leaves plenty of room for character-development. Its primary strength is, however, the highly imaginative world that Tchaikovsky's has created.... A remarkably strong fantasy debut and I for one am eagerly anticipating the sequels Dragonfly Falling and Blood of the Mantis." —Book Spot Central
"Empire in Black and Gold has enough going for it to make it one of the most enjoyable books that I've read so far this year. I want more and there's nothing I can do but sit it out and wait..." —Graeme's Fantasy Book Review (nine and a quarter out of ten)
|
