By Sam Sykes

On Sale: May 28, 2019
Page Count: 64 pages
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN-13: 9780316363594

$2.99

$3.99 CAD

Format

ebook (Digital original)

Format:

ebook (Digital original) $2.99 $3.99 CAD

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A standalone epic fantasy novella starring Sal the Cacophony, who Pierce Brown called a “protagonist for the ages,” from Sam Sykes’ widely acclaimed Seven Blades in Black.

To the city of Last Word, one of the last freeholds in a land rent asunder by magic, Sal the Cacophony comes with gun, a blade, and a burning need for revenge.

But when the gallows threatens to deny her the satisfaction of the kill, Sal the Cacophony decides to free her query — it’s the principle of the thing. And in doing so, she sparks a war that will shake the city’s fragile peace to its core.

To escape with her life and her kill, she’ll have to save a criminal-turned-companion: a Freemaker, versed in the forbidden arts of magic and machinery. But the weight of their secrets may be too heavy to let them escape in one piece.

For more from Sam Sykes, check out:

The Grave of Empires

Seven Blades in Black

The Affinity for Steel Trilogy

Tome of the Undergates

Black Halo

The Skybound Sea

Bring Down Heaven

The City Stained Red

The Mortal Tally

God’s Last Breath

Genre:

Series:

The Grave of Empires

"If you enjoyed Seven Blades In Black you won't want to miss this addition to the story of Sal and her quest for vengeance."
Off the TBR
"Action fantasy with soul -- albeit a small, dirty, funny soul."
Brent Weeks on The City Stained Red
"Insouciant, unrepentant and irrepressible adventures in a powder keg of a city. And that's just how the story begins."
Robin Hobb on The City Stained Red
"Sam Sykes continues to reinvent the fantasy adventuring party in a vibrant world of rude magic and good intentions gone bad. Bold and exuberant, never cynical, Sykes fights the good fight on behalf of rich fantasy that nonetheless refuses to apologize for being kick-ass fun."
Scott Lynch on The City Stained Red
"Sykes has put the fun back in fantasy with fantastic creatures and a lovable crew of malcontents. The City Stained Red is like David Eddings meets Conan the Barbarian."
Brian McClellan on The City Stained Red
"Excitement, vivacity, and sly wit... simply impossible not to enjoy."
RT Book Reviews (4.5 Stars) on The City Stained Red
"An entertaining blend of classic adventure and inventive inspiration."
Juliet E. McKenna, author of The Thief's Gamble, on The City Stained Red
"Playful language, distinctly drawn characters, and a cavalcade of action."
SF Signal on The City Stained Red

Sam Sykes

About the Author

Sam Sykes – author, citizen, mammal – has written extensively over the years, penning An Affinity for Steel, the Bring Down Heaven trilogy, Brave Chef Brianna, and now The Grave of Empires trilogy. At the time of this writing, no one has been able to definitively prove or disprove that he has fought a bear.

Learn more about this author