The emperor is deadlong live the emperor! The fervent hope of the victorious rebels & the survivors of the uprising that liberated the City from tyranny is that the accession of Archange to the imperial throne will usher in a new era of freedom peace & stability If only that were so As the the City struggles to return to something resembling normal life after the devastation brought on by the rebellion word arises of a massive army gathering to the north No one knows where it has come from or who leads it but it soon becomes apparent that its sole purpose is to destroy the City & annihilate all
- man woman & child
- who live within its battered walls & while warriors go forth to fight & die on the battlefield in defence of their homeland & all that they believe in bitter family feuds & ancient rivalries political & personal betrayals & mindless murder surface within the palaces & corridors of power it seems the City is under siege
- from both without & within With this new novel Stella Gemmell brings the astonishing story of the City to a spectacular climax & confirms her place as a master of the genre