The Siege of Arrandin

Book excerpt: Beset by invasion from the east, the empire of Lautun must try to settle its own religious differences, whilst also throwing back the barbarian hordes before they reach the strategic city of Arrandin. The mage councillor Rhysana and her allies are fighting a battle for the elder gods, the Aeshta, against the Emperor Rhydden and the servants of the new deities, the Vashtar. The fanatics who oppose her can see only one goal - complete victory for their immortal masters. And so the war becomes a deadly dance of death throughout the empire, as the southern warlords smell out rich pickings and the eastern wizards test the Lautun magi's powers. Marcus Herniman has written a debut novel in which the world feels, smells, and looks as tangible as our own. His characters leap off the page, and has immediately become a name to search out on the world's bookshelves.