Product Description

All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Conspiracies seethe throughout the palace, as the empire - driven by the corrupt and self-interested - edges ever-closer to all-out war with the neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet - its warriors selected from countless peoples - draws ever closer. Amongst them are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer - each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. That yet more blood is to be spilled is inevitable...Against this backdrop, a band of fugitives seek a way out of the empire, but one of them, Fear Sengar must find the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye. It is his hope that it might help halt the Tiste Edur, and so save his brother, the emperor. Yet, travelling with them is Scabandari's most ancient foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. And his motives are anything but certain - for the wounds he carries on his back, made by the blades of Scabandari, are still fresh. Fate decrees that there is to be a reckoning, for such bloodshed cannot go unanswered - and it will be a reckoning on an unimaginable scale...A brutal, harrowing novel of war, intrigue and dark, uncontrollable magic, this is epic fantasy at its most imaginative, storytelling at its most thrilling.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #120547 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 928 pages

Synopsis
All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Conspiracies seethe throughout the palace, as the empire - driven by the corrupt and self-interested - edges ever-closer to all-out war with the neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet - its warriors selected from countless peoples - draws ever closer. Amongst them are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer - each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. That yet more blood is to be spilled is inevitable...Against this backdrop, a band of fugitives seek a way out of the empire, but one of them, Fear Sengar must find the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye. It is his hope that it might help halt the Tiste Edur, and so save his brother, the emperor. Yet, travelling with them is Scabandari's most ancient foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake.

And his motives are anything but certain - for the wounds he carries on his back, made by the blades of Scabandari, are still fresh. Fate decrees that there is to be a reckoning, for such bloodshed cannot go unanswered - and it will be a reckoning on an unimaginable scale...A brutal, harrowing novel of war, intrigue and dark, uncontrollable magic, this is epic fantasy at its most imaginative, storytelling at its most thrilling.

From the Inside Flap
The Letherii Empire – driven by the corrupt and self-interested – is crumbling. Surrounded by sycophants and agents of his venal chancellor, the Emperor Rhulad Sengar descends into madness. Conspiracies abound. The imperial secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Scenting chaos, dread forces are closing in from all sides.

Against this turbulent, treacherous backdrop, a band of fugitives are trying to flee the empire. One of them, Fear Sengar, seeks the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye, for this might save his brother, the emperor. However, with them travels Scabandari’s most ancient and bitter foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. The still-fresh wounds he carries on his back were made by the blades of Scabandari; his motives are anything but certain.

And the great Edur fleet – its warriors selected from countless peoples – draws ever closer to home. Among its number are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer – each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. But in crossing half the world, the Tiste Edur have left behind a tide of blood. Such brutality cannot go unanswered. For some there must be a reckoning, for some this is far from over...

A brutal, harrowing tale of war, betrayal and dark, uncontrollable magic, this is epic fantasy at its most imaginative, storytelling at its most thrilling.

From the Back Cover
‘The kind of epic narrative that will have you scrambling for more.’
STEPHEN R. DONALDSON

The Letherii Empire – driven by the corrupt and self-interested – is crumbling. Surrounded by sycophants and agents of his venal chancellor, the Emperor Rhulad Sengar descends into madness. Conspiracies abound. The imperial secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Scenting chaos, dread forces are closing in from all sides.

Against this turbulent, treacherous backdrop, a band of fugitives are trying to flee the empire. One of them, Fear Sengar, seeks the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye, for this might save his brother, the emperor. However, with them travels Scabandari’s most ancient and bitter foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. The still-fresh wounds he carries on his back were made by the blades of Scabandari; his motives are anything but certain.

And the great Edur fleet – its warriors selected from countless peoples – draws ever closer to home. Among its number are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer – each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. But in crossing half the world, the Tiste Edur have left behind a tide of blood. Such brutality cannot go unanswered. For some there must be a reckoning, for some this is far from over...

A brutal, harrowing tale of war, betrayal and dark, uncontrollable magic, this is epic fantasy at its most imaginative, storytelling at its most thrilling.

‘If any work is truly deserving of the accolade epic, it is the writing of Steven Erikson. Vast in scope and imagination, spanning continents and cultures as diverse and multifaceted as any to be found in fantasy, Erikson readily towers over every other author writing fantasy today.’SF SITE

Customer Reviews

great
this is one of those books that you just cant put down. i looked forward to this book for so long after reading bonehunters and it delivered everything id hoped for and more the bonehunters marines storyline is my personal favourite but all are exceptional steven erikson is by far the best fantasy writer ever. a great addition to an already perfect series.

Waiting for Godot, or at least for something to happen
A french author once wrote in a letter; forgive me for writing so much, I had little time. Erikson is obviously extremely pressed for time, and his writing is getting more and more stream-of-consciousness. And since his conversations most of the time sounds like something out of Beckett, contributing very little to the plot, with minor characters speaking for pages at the time, the pace is rather slow. I think the first significant action happened after 300 pages, and then nothing much happened until we passed page 1200. I can only urge Erikson to a) get some really critical readers, b) change editor, and c) remember that if a conversation does not further the plot, it slows it down. Waiting for Godot is after all short, thank heaven.

excellent
another great title from erikson, this series has never dipped in its excellence, every novel is a steady progression an end we have known was coming. the scope of Reapers Gale is breathtaking and the twists and turns the plot takes leave you gasping for more. An epic novel and a worthy edition to the tales of the fallen.