The Tower of Living and Dying (Empires of Dust, Book 2)

Description

KING OF RUIN. KING OF DUST AND SHADOWS. KING OF DEATH. HE WILL RULE ALL. THE KING IS COMING. Marith Altrersyr - father-killer, dragonlord, leader of the blood-soaked Amrath Army - is keeping his promises. He is determined to become King of all Irlast and take back the seat of his ancestors. Only Thalia, once high priestess of the Lord of Living and Dying, the holiest woman in the Empire, might stop Marith and his army's deadly march. But she is torn between two destinies - and if she was to return home, what would she fi nd there? A city on the brink of ruin: diseased, despairing, dying? Crawling through a tunnel deep under the ruins of her city, Landra Relast vows vengeance. Her family has been burned, her home destroyed, and now Marith - once her betrothed - must die. But as Landra cuts through the wasteland left in the wake of Marith's army, she finds that she is not the only one who wishes him ill...

Anna Smith Spark lives in London, UK. She has a BA in Classics, an MA in History and a PhD in English Literature. Besides her fantasy novels, she has been published in the Fortean Times, Hansard and the poetry website www.greatworks.org. Previous jobs include fetish model, English teacher and petty bureaucrat. Anna can often be spotted at SFF conventions wearing very unusual shoes.

'Anna Smith Spark is a dynamic new voice in the field of grimly baroque fantasy, a knowing and witty provisioner of the Grand Guignol, a cheerful undertaker strolling across the graveyard and beckoning you to admire her newest additions.' Scott Lynch 'With dagger-sharp dialogue and character-driven narrative, this is a dazzling, blood-spattered sequel that howls like early Moorcock, then converses like the best of Le Guin' Daily Mail Spark's world is gritty and vivid, populated at every turn with richly drawn characters. With a plot that twists through serpentine intrigues, Spark's series fascinates and entertains, showing no sign of middle-book sag as Marith and company careen toward a terrible destiny. Publishers Weekly 'Marked by intense, action-packed battle scenes, this grimdark epic fantasy is the escape you need right now' Kirkus Reviews Praise for THE COURT OF BROKEN KNIVES: 'This outstanding, unputdownable debut holds and horrifies like a blood-spattered tapestry. There's rough humour, high drama and a love of story-telling that shines through every page. Plus it's got dragons with bad breath. Brilliant' Daily Mail 'Grim, gritty and fast paced, with great battle scenes! Anna Smith-Spark is one to watch' Andy Remic 'a bold experiment and feels like something new' Mark Lawrence 'Holy crap this is good!' Grim Tidings 'On a par with R. Scott Bakker' Grimdark Alliance