From Brian McClellan, author of The Powder Mage trilogy, comes the first novel in the Glass Immortals series, In the Shadow of Lightning, an epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource—and it's running out.
"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
"Engaging, fast-paced and epic."—James Islington, author of In The Shadow of What Was Lost
"Clever, fun, and by turns beautifully bloody, In the Shadow of Lightning hits like a bolt through a stained glass window."—Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Chaos Vector
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
June 21, 2022 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781250755704
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781250755704
- File size: 11163 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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January 1, 2022
"Powder Mage" author McClellan launches a new series with Demir Grappo returning from an outlier life to head his family after the murder of his mother. And none too soon, as godglass, the magical power that keeps the empire humming, is fast running out, and Demir must build up allies to save it. With a 100,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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April 25, 2022
McClellan (the Powder Mage trilogy) launches the Glass Immortals series with a satisfying and jam-packed epic fantasy. Nine years after a miscommunication sunk Demir Grappo’s first military campaign, Demir returns to the capital of the Ossa empire following his mother’s murder. He hires Kizzie Vorcien, a childhood friend, to uncover the motive for his mother’s killing, even as one of her assassins, under torture, claims to have been working for a rival city-state. Demir braves the war zone between the two lands to find his mother’s business partner, a “siliceer” who can create glass baubles that give humans extraordinary powers, and learns that the raw materials for this “godglass” are running out. The dying siliceer passed plans for a device that can recharge spent glass to his apprentice, Thessa Foleer, before she fled. Demir finds Thessa and sets her up to build the device before being called away by a commission to lead the Ossan army against powerful odds. As Kizzie’s investigation hits dead ends, Thessa rushes to build the machine, and Demir balances military leadership with rehabilitating his family name, shocking secrets come to light. It’s an involved plot, but readers will be sucked in by the vigorous battles, tense spycraft, and savvy political maneuvering. Epic fantasy fans will eagerly await future installments. -
Starred review from June 1, 2022
McClellan, author of the popular Powder Mage series, begins a new fantasy saga set in a world that depends on various types of magical ""godglass"" for almost every aspect of daily life. Ossa, a vast trade empire reminiscent of an Italian merchant republic, is a society of cutthroat competition among the families of the Assembly. Demir Grappo, a powerful glassdancer (a sorcerer who can manipulate regular glass) and heir to a minor guild family, is in self-imposed exile in the distant provinces after a disastrous war crime happened on his watch. He is drawn back into the world of Ossan politics when his mother is brutally murdered on the steps of the Assembly, a murder that turns out to be connected to the rapid dwindling of godglass, a mysterious secret society, and sinister, almost-inhuman assassins. Narrated by various viewpoint characters, mostly friends or allies of Demir such as the siliceer craftsman Thessa or the childhood friend and enforcer Kezzie, this first installment is full of fast-paced action and strong world building, and will leave established fans of McClellan's work and new readers alike impatient for the next novel. Highly recommended for fans of epic fantasies with large casts or non-medieval world building.COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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