The vampiric sorcerer Uctebri has at last got his hands on the Shadow Box & can finally begin his dark ritual
- a ritual that the Wasp-kinden Emperor believes will grant him immortality. But Uctebri has his own plans both for the Emperor & the Empire. The massed Wasp armies are on the march & the spymaster Stenwold must see which of his allies will stand now that the war has finally arrived. This time the Empire will not stop until a black & gold flag waves over Stenwolds own home city of Collegium. Tisamon the Weaponsmaster is faced with a terrible choice: a path that could lead him to abandon his friends & his daughter to face degradation & loss but that might possibly bring him before the Wasp Emperor with a blade in his h&. But is he being driven by Mantis-kinden honour or manipulated by something more sinister? Salute the Dark fulfils the promise of the Apt series.. . An A++ based on my three reads of the book so far Fantasy Book Critic blog Intense fighting scenes finely tuned politicking & a few genuine surprises effortlessly coalesce to generate a spectacular instalment The Truth About Books.com