book cover of A Stranger in the Citadel
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A Stranger in the Citadel

(2023)
A novel by

 
 
From the powerful storyteller Tobias Buckell (Crystal Rain, The Tangled Lands), a complex novel of humanity’s passion for the written word. At the revolutionary crossroads of magic, betrayal, and long-forgotten truths, a naïve, compassionate royal and a determined, hunted librarian discover a dangerous world of mortal and ancient menaces.

“With A Stranger In The Citadel, Tobias Buckell writes to the moment we live in, with a clarity and urgency that only fable can provide. Read it.”
John Scalzi, author of The Kaiju Preservation Society

The life of the youngest musketress of Ninetha has been one of hard training. But Lilith���s days have also contained many pleasures, the royal privileges of her family’s guardianship of the Cornucopia, a mystical source of limitless bounty. Lilith has never seen a book, and she never expects to encounter one within the safety of the citadel.

When Ishmael, an outcast librarian, shows up outside the Afriq Gate, Lilith saves him from immediate execution by her father’s second-in-command, the zealot Kira. As Lilith’s curiosity draws her to Ishmael, she lets slip her family’s most dangerous secret, sparking a deadly rebellion and an unexpected journey full of stunning revelations.


Genre: Fantasy

Praise for this book

"A Stranger in the Citadel is a powerful story that explores the strength of the written word and those who fear it. Tobias Buckell has crafted a disturbing and page-turning tale of banned books, outlaw librarians, killer angels, and world changing secrets--set in a far flung dystopian future that chillingly resonates with our present." - P Djèlí Clark

"A Stranger in the Citadel is a smartly-written book, full of deep, layered worldbuilding and complex relationships, all built around a thoughtful exploration of the power of story." - Jim C Hines

"Buckell's writing always satisfies, and A Stranger in the Citadel brings it: tense, explosive oh-my-god-what-will-they-do-now action; appealing characters you care about, even when you deplore what they do; rich, surprising worldbuilding; a fascinating story of words and the people who guard them. Gotta love hero librarians, especially in times like these. Gotta love clever metatextual references. Gotta love the youth-dem determined to fix the world, naivete be damned." - Nalo Hopkinson

"Tobias Buckell packs a trilogy's worth of action and invention into this riotously-paced novel, which builds to a moving conclusion. It's an exciting and surprising book, a thriller which also happens to be a thoughtful meditation on power, knowledge and loyalty." - Alastair Reynolds

"With A Stranger In The Citadel, Tobias Buckell writes to the moment we live in, with a clarity and urgency that only fable can provide. Read it." - John Scalzi


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