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The Emperor's Blades
(2013)(The first book in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series)
A novel by Brian Staveley
Winner of the 2015 David Gemmell Award for Best Fantasy Debut.
An explosive fantasy debut, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley is a fast-paced, thrilling epic. If you like Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin, you'll love this.
'Will keep you turning the pages late at night' – Pierce Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of Red Rising
The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again . . .
The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must prepare to unmask a conspiracy. His son Valyn, training for the empire's deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. And after several 'accidents' and a dying soldier's warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can act, he must survive the mercenaries' brutal final initiation.
The Emperor's daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father's murderer in the capital. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. Lastly Kaden, heir to the empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God's disciples teach their harsh ways, which Kaden must master to unlock ancient powers. But when an imperial delegation arrives, has he learnt enough to keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?
'A vividly imagined story of conspiracy and empire' – Col Buchanan
'A fantastic and compelling fantasy world' – Io9
The Emperor's Blades is the first novel in Brain Staveley's epic Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series. Continue the story with The Providence of Fire.
Genre: Fantasy
An explosive fantasy debut, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley is a fast-paced, thrilling epic. If you like Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin, you'll love this.
'Will keep you turning the pages late at night' – Pierce Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of Red Rising
The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again . . .
The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must prepare to unmask a conspiracy. His son Valyn, training for the empire's deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. And after several 'accidents' and a dying soldier's warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can act, he must survive the mercenaries' brutal final initiation.
The Emperor's daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father's murderer in the capital. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. Lastly Kaden, heir to the empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God's disciples teach their harsh ways, which Kaden must master to unlock ancient powers. But when an imperial delegation arrives, has he learnt enough to keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?
'A vividly imagined story of conspiracy and empire' – Col Buchanan
'A fantastic and compelling fantasy world' – Io9
The Emperor's Blades is the first novel in Brain Staveley's epic Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series. Continue the story with The Providence of Fire.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"Takes a story of family, loss, conspiracy and revenge and gives it new legs. It's epic fantasy with a sharp, jagged edge to it, a modern sensibility, prose as tight as the leather wrapped around a sword's hilt, and characters that you can relate to and give a damn about. I look forward to the next installment of Staveley's chronicle." - R S Belcher
"An enchanting union of old and new, Staveley's debut will keep you turning pages late into the night." - Pierce Brown
"A vividly imagined story of conspiracy and empire." - Col Buchanan
"Staveley brings together a richly imagined world and vibrant characters, and serves them up with monks and monsters, tension and treachery--an exhilarating adventure." - Elspeth Cooper
"Come for the intrigue, assassination, death priests, black-ops bird riders, and giant poisonous hive-lizards. Stay for Staveley's characters, his language, and his way-cool fantasy Zen." - Max Gladstone
"Brian Staveley has gifted readers with a vivid and visceral universe.... Real, solid, and compelling." - Christie Golden
"Intricate characters, complex relationships, and plots within plots... these are the hallmarks of great fantasy and Staveley succeeds across the board. A brilliant debut!" - Jason M Hough
"Brian Staveley introduces himself to the field of epic fantasy as a storyteller to watch with an exciting first salvo involving Machiavellian politics on multiple levels, an intriguing world of magic, and three protagonists whose personal journeys after the murder of their father - the emperor - may not only save or destroy everything they hold dear but will also keep the reader impatiently waiting for the next book!" - Richard A Knaak
"A complex and fast-moving fantasy set in a world where treachery and intrigue are everywhere, accomplished through ferocious brutality and subtle intrigues, and everything in between, and where no one is what he or she seems, including the three children of the slain emperor of Annur, who seek who is behind the assassination if they can even survive a world where powers of all sorts, some dating back millennia, if not longer, seek their own ends, and where everyone's motives are anything but obvious." - L E Modesitt Jr
"A spectacular adventure, by turns elegant and brutal, and one I couldn't put down. "The Emperor s Blades"is expertly crafted and wickedly sharp." - V E Schwab
"An enchanting union of old and new, Staveley's debut will keep you turning pages late into the night." - Pierce Brown
"A vividly imagined story of conspiracy and empire." - Col Buchanan
"Staveley brings together a richly imagined world and vibrant characters, and serves them up with monks and monsters, tension and treachery--an exhilarating adventure." - Elspeth Cooper
"Come for the intrigue, assassination, death priests, black-ops bird riders, and giant poisonous hive-lizards. Stay for Staveley's characters, his language, and his way-cool fantasy Zen." - Max Gladstone
"Brian Staveley has gifted readers with a vivid and visceral universe.... Real, solid, and compelling." - Christie Golden
"Intricate characters, complex relationships, and plots within plots... these are the hallmarks of great fantasy and Staveley succeeds across the board. A brilliant debut!" - Jason M Hough
"Brian Staveley introduces himself to the field of epic fantasy as a storyteller to watch with an exciting first salvo involving Machiavellian politics on multiple levels, an intriguing world of magic, and three protagonists whose personal journeys after the murder of their father - the emperor - may not only save or destroy everything they hold dear but will also keep the reader impatiently waiting for the next book!" - Richard A Knaak
"A complex and fast-moving fantasy set in a world where treachery and intrigue are everywhere, accomplished through ferocious brutality and subtle intrigues, and everything in between, and where no one is what he or she seems, including the three children of the slain emperor of Annur, who seek who is behind the assassination if they can even survive a world where powers of all sorts, some dating back millennia, if not longer, seek their own ends, and where everyone's motives are anything but obvious." - L E Modesitt Jr
"A spectacular adventure, by turns elegant and brutal, and one I couldn't put down. "The Emperor s Blades"is expertly crafted and wickedly sharp." - V E Schwab
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