Swainston's daring and imaginative third Fourlands fantasy novel (after The Year of Our War
and No Present Like Time
) plunges the reader into the action with a gripping account of a bloody battle between fearsome aliens known as the Insects and the people of the Fourlands. A century later, Jant Comet, the winged messenger granted immortality for as long as he serves the Fourlands' Emperor San, battles both his nightmares of the past and the continuing threat of the alien invaders. As Jant struggles to develop a plan that will end the menace once and for all, his focus is diverted by the disappearance of Cyan, the daughter of Jant's fellow immortal and friend, Lightning. Meanwhile, the Insects are developing terrifying new abilities and strategies that may spell doom for the Fourlands. A dramatic and compelling plot, plus inventive and convincing descriptions, elevate this above the common run of contemporary fantasy fiction. (July
)
