Desperate for the next Game of Thrones? Pick up Empress of the Fall for your full-on fix of epic fantasy.
The Emperor is dead – long live the Empress!
Emperor Constant is dead and his rivals are scrabbling for power – but any misstep could plunge the land, already devastated by the shocking outcome of the Third Crusade, into a calamitous civil war.
The Imperial throne is not the only one in jeopardy. Two brothers, imprisoned veterans of the Crusades, finally return home to find their father’s kingdom being plundered – but the price of regaining their birthright will have far-reaching implications for the entire empire.
In the East, Sultan Salim, peacemaker and visionary ruler, faces his greatest challenge as his people demand an invasion of the West in retribution for the Rondian Crusades
And lurking in the darkness, orchestrating both the power struggles and the inevitable conflicts, is a shadowy group threatening to destroy civilisation itself.
Once more, Urte stands on the brink of cataclysm.
The Emperor is dead – long live the Empress!
Emperor Constant is dead and his rivals are scrabbling for power – but any misstep could plunge the land, already devastated by the shocking outcome of the Third Crusade, into a calamitous civil war.
The Imperial throne is not the only one in jeopardy. Two brothers, imprisoned veterans of the Crusades, finally return home to find their father’s kingdom being plundered – but the price of regaining their birthright will have far-reaching implications for the entire empire.
In the East, Sultan Salim, peacemaker and visionary ruler, faces his greatest challenge as his people demand an invasion of the West in retribution for the Rondian Crusades
And lurking in the darkness, orchestrating both the power struggles and the inevitable conflicts, is a shadowy group threatening to destroy civilisation itself.
Once more, Urte stands on the brink of cataclysm.
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Reviews
Hair is adept at building characters as well as worlds, and his attention to his female players is welcome in a genre that too often excludes them
I continue to be impressed by the way Hair takes some very familiar, almost trite, ideas and spins them in a new way. Epic fantasy is not dying my friends, it is just moving in new directions
So epic, that it gets you so involved and is such an investment in time and emotion, that there is a little sting of regret that the ending had to come at all
Promises to recall epic fantasy's finest
Vivid, dynamic characters and terrific world building . . . Readers of epic fantasy should definitely check out this series
Represents modern epic fantasy at its best.
The sense of chaos, endless politicking between factions and urge by characters to make sense out of events beyond their control is palpable as the pace becomes more and more frantic
The writing is crisp, the characters full of vigour and desires which when they become banded together really gives the story something to focus upon as the bonds grow stronger
For anyone looking for a new sprawling fantasy epic to stick their teeth into, Empress Of The Fall is an ultimately satisfying journey into a fascinating and chaotic landscape
I enjoyed the characters and their struggles and schemes . . . Classic immersive fantasy
Adult fantasy lovers who enjoy historical fiction and intricate political plots will love this book . . . Epic
"Empress" is a sprawling epic fantasy of grandiose proportions . . . with a hearty taste of blood and gore, and plenty of vicious politics
A book that really does give . . . a cracking start
It isn't often that I find a fantasy brick as enjoyable as this one; it's been quite a while in fact, and I think I can safely commend this series to lovers of the genre, as one that will satisfy and yet leave the reader ready for more
