Empire in Black and Gold

Longtime epic fantasy readers will find many familiar elements in this intriguing debut. There’s the peaceful, vulnerable land, in this case the Lowlands, threatened by the Mongol-like Wasp Empire. The lone man who sees the danger is unwilling Lowlands spymaster Stenwald Maker. A charmingly diverse group of agents and allies draws from most of the strictly delineated insect-themed clans (which rather resemble the character classes of role-playing games) and runs the gamut from naïve student to embittered mercenary. Patriotic but conflicted Wasp Thalric puts a sympathetic face on evil. Tchaikovsky exercises considerable talent in assembling these well-worn pieces into a new puzzle, developing an interesting story and world with humor and skillful prose. Readers may be pleasantly surprised to find themselves looking forward to future installments. (Mar.)