The Bear and the Serpent

Description

The Bear and the Serpent is the second book in Adrian Tchaikovsky's epic fantasy trilogy, Echoes of the Fall, following The Tiger and the Wolf. 'Addictively brilliant' - John Gwynne on The Tiger and the Wolf As the south is in turmoil, an old terror emerges in the north . . . Maniye, child of both Wolf and Tiger clans, has been named Champion of her people. But they're unsure if she's an asset - or a threat. To buy time, she joins Prince Tecuman's warband of outcasts and heads south, to help him gain his crown. She wants to discover her true place in the world, but instead heads into the jaws of a fierce new conflict. Civil war threatens as Tecuman and his twin sister battle for the throne, for only one can rule. Yet whoever triumphs will carry a heavy burden, as a great doom has been foreseen that will fall across their whole world. And soon Maniye finds herself at the heart of a political storm. Danger is also shadowing her old home, where Loud Thunder and his Bear clan are attempting to unite the northern tribes. But only extreme peril will end age-old rivalries. An adversary from the most ancient of times is preparing to strike, putting their lands and their very souls in danger. And neither north nor south will be spared the terror to come. Complete this sweeping coming-of-age fantasy trilogy with The Hyena and the Hawk.

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, and now writes full time. He lives in Leeds with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind - possibly excepting his son. Adrian is the author of the critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series and other novels, novellas and short stories. The Tiger and the Wolf won the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel - and Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

"[A] well-wrought second installment. . . . Tchaikovsky cannily leaves enough unfinished business to lure fantasy fans through many more emotional struggles and sweeping battles struggles to come." --Publishers Weekly starred review "A fascinating and complex read as we are introduced to a variety of new cultures, each one distinct and wonderfully drawn. . . . As with the first book, the world-building is fantastic and detailed. . . . Another strong instalment in the trilogy." --British Fantasy Society "Tchaikovsky is a talented author who excels at world-building. . . . This series has won my heart and interest, and I'm looking forward to the next installment in this ECHOES OF THE FALL series." --Fantasy Literature