'A hugely entertaining debut' John Gwynne 'An incredibly impressive piece of fantasy fiction' The Fantasy Inn 'A great romp in a brilliantly realised setting . . . I have lost sleep, forgotten food and made this the thing I pick up every moment I can get' SFFWorld A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic. Ruling families - once protectors of justice and democracy - now plot against one another with sharp words and sharper knives. Blinded by ambition, they remain heedless of the threat posed by the invading armies of the Hadari Empire. Yet as Tressia falls, heroes rise. Viktor Akadra is the Republic's champion. A warrior without equal, he hides a secret that would see him burned as a heretic. Josiri Trelan is Viktor's sworn enemy. A political prisoner, he dreams of reigniting his mother's failed rebellion. And yet Calenne, Josiri's sister, seeks only to break free of their tarnished legacy; to escape the expectation and prejudice that haunts the Trelan name. As war spreads across the Republic, these