this is the entry copied from Amazon's Kindle description of the book., 567 pages
English language
Published June 21, 2022 by Tor Books.
"Excellent worldbuilding and a truly epic narrative combine into Brian's finest work to date. Heartily recommended to anyone who wants a new favorite fantasy series to read."—Brandon Sanderson
Demir Grappo is an outcast—he fled a life of wealth and power, abandoning his responsibilities as a general, a governor, and a son. Now he will live out his days as a grifter, rootless, and alone. But when his mother is brutally murdered, Demir must return from exile to claim his seat at the head of the family and uncover the truth that got her killed: the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out.
Now, Demir must find allies, old friends and rivals alike, confront the powerful guild-families who are only interested in making the most of the scraps left at the table and uncover the invisible hand that threatens the Empire. A war is coming, a war unlike …
"Excellent worldbuilding and a truly epic narrative combine into Brian's finest work to date. Heartily recommended to anyone who wants a new favorite fantasy series to read."—Brandon Sanderson
Demir Grappo is an outcast—he fled a life of wealth and power, abandoning his responsibilities as a general, a governor, and a son. Now he will live out his days as a grifter, rootless, and alone. But when his mother is brutally murdered, Demir must return from exile to claim his seat at the head of the family and uncover the truth that got her killed: the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out.
Now, Demir must find allies, old friends and rivals alike, confront the powerful guild-families who are only interested in making the most of the scraps left at the table and uncover the invisible hand that threatens the Empire. A war is coming, a war unlike any other. And Demir and his ragtag group of outcasts are the only thing that stands in the way of the end of life as the world knows it.
"Powerful rival families, murderous conspiracies, epic battles, larger-than-life characters, and magic."—Fonda Lee, author of The Green Bone Saga
Enticing book. I'd love to read more.
In the Shadow of Lightning absolutely deserves its high rating, being a very fine mixture of black powder military fiction combined with a magic-system based fantasy society. The result is magic like we treat technology, with factories and scientific advancements, as well as economic, societal , and cultural impacts. To say that the world-building is excellent is an understatement. Combine this with a plot that is epic in scope... war looming, Empires at risk, and magic disappearing, and well, this is exactly my cup of tea.
There is a grim realism in the establishment of this world and so this is not an escapist fantasy. Corruption, politics, complex internecine struggles... it's a bloody serious mess before you even include the armies full of muskets and godglass. I loved the complexity of the Guild family establishment, as well as the Empire's upper level politics. I appreciated the toll the war takes, …
In the Shadow of Lightning absolutely deserves its high rating, being a very fine mixture of black powder military fiction combined with a magic-system based fantasy society. The result is magic like we treat technology, with factories and scientific advancements, as well as economic, societal , and cultural impacts. To say that the world-building is excellent is an understatement. Combine this with a plot that is epic in scope... war looming, Empires at risk, and magic disappearing, and well, this is exactly my cup of tea.
There is a grim realism in the establishment of this world and so this is not an escapist fantasy. Corruption, politics, complex internecine struggles... it's a bloody serious mess before you even include the armies full of muskets and godglass. I loved the complexity of the Guild family establishment, as well as the Empire's upper level politics. I appreciated the toll the war takes, showing the dangers of godglass and yet how it's completely infused into society. It's a good thing that Demir Grappo is ultimately a good person, because there is a real lack of that in this world. In fact, all the main characters are fairly easy to cheer for, and that helps make this novel an easy read.
Highly Recommended.
