Wicked Problems: Book Two of the Craft Wars Series

by Max Gladstone

Overview

From the co-author of the viral New York Times bestseller This is How You Lose the Time War.

Gods and lawyers battle for the soul of the world in the action-packed second volume of Max Gladstone's Craft Wars, an epic fantasy like no other.

A deadly force has been unleashed into the world. With apocalypse on the horizon, a girl and a god have joined in order to turn back the coming end. Young, brash, and desperate, they are willing to destroy anything and everything that stands between them and their goals. The structures of the Craft are theirs to overturn, with billions of lives in the balance. And it is all Tara Abernathy’s fault.

The battle for the world of the Craft is heating up. A dead god will rise. A mountain will fall. Ancient fire will be stolen. And while Tara races to stop Dawn’s plans, the end draws ever closer, skittering across the stars to swallow the world. The Craft Wars enter their second stage in Wicked Problems.


Also Available by Max Gladstone:

The Craft Sequence
1. Three Parts Dead
2. Two Serpents Rise
3. Full Fathom Five
4. Last First Snow
5. Four Roads Cross
6. Ruin of Angels

The Craft Wars
1. Dead Country
2. Wicked Problems

Last Exit
Empress of Forever

This is How You Lose the Time War (with Amal El-Mohtar)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765395931
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/09/2024
Series:	The Craft Wars , #2
Pages:	464
Sales rank:	125,592
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 5.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award–winning author, MAX GLADSTONE, has been thrown from a horse in Mongolia and once wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat. He is the author of many books, including Last Exit, Empress of Forever, the Craft Sequence of fantasy novels and, with Amal El-Mohtar, the viral New York Times bestseller This Is How You Lose the Time War. His dreams are much nicer than you’d expect.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Max Gladstone

“This book has it all: treachery and love, lyricism and gritty action, existential crisis and space-opera scope, not to mention time traveling superagents. Gladstone's and El-Mohtar's debut collaboration is a fireworks display from two very talented storytellers.” —Madeline Miller on This is How You Lose the Time War

“An intimate and lyrical tour of time, myth and history. Read it.” —New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi on This is How You Lose the Time War

“A unique band of adventurers that change each other for the better. It was a wild ride.” —Martha Wells, New York Times and international bestselling author on Empress of Forever

“If you read fantasy or sci-fi, if you enjoy clever thoughts and unique worldbuilding, if you want something new and fresh and sharp: This is the book for you. Seriously.” —Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author on Three Parts Dead

“Sharp, original, passionate.” —NPR on the Craft Sequence

“This is the best kind of urban fantasy, filled with diverse characters and thought-provoking philosophies.” —The Washington Post, on Full Fathom Five

“[A] deliriously strange novel of alternate universes and dysfunctional explorers. This gloriously metaphysical adventure will stick with you long after you return to the so-called real world.” —Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders on Last Exit

“This will not only be relished by fans of the previous books but might also make a terrific starting point for new readers.” —Library Journal, starred review, on Dead Country

“Gladstone’s rich, poetic writing, compelling place making, and convincing characters make this a great read, somehow both intensely expansive and satisfyingly contained within a character-based growth narrative.” —Booklist on Dead Country

“While the story itself is gripping, what’s most interesting is what Gladstone has to say about knowing a place in order to make peace with it, as well as the friction between small communities and powerful girls. Dead Country takes this world to a new place, both in terms of the actual story and of the writer’s skill.” —Locus

“Gladstone packs a lot into his tale (including a brilliant sequence in which Kai encounters another trans person who lacked Kai’s access to divine resources), and longtime readers may find some of his choices surprising.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Ruin of Angels

“Elegant and ferocious, Last First Snow bursts with unrelenting urgency.” —Daniel José Older, author of Shadowshaper

“Intimately personal… and vast enough to change everything. New readers and returning fans alike will be eager for more.” —Publishers Weekly on Dead Country

“The west was never this weird or witchy before.” —Charles Stross on Dead Country

“If you’ve been looking for a different kind of fantasy—part urban, part epic, maybe something in between...you’ll thoroughly enjoy this novel.” —Carrie Vaughn, author of The Kitty Norville series, on Two Serpents Rise

“Suspenseful and fast-paced throughout, and the diverse, female-led cast is a joy to follow through the fascinating and unusual landscape.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Three Parts Dead

“Places Gladstone firmly in the lineage of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson.” —Hugo Award finalist Fran Wilde on Empress of Forever

From the Publisher

01/01/2024

The apocalypse is coming (again), and a girl and a god have joined forces to ensure that it won't come to pass, even if they have to destroy everything else in the world to stop it. Ever after nearly dying, Tara Abernathy has been tracking Dawn since the events of Dead Country and believes that Dawn's crusade and powers are her fault. Both Dawn and Tara will need allies—craftspeople, lawyers, old friends, and dead gods—as they discover that not everyone is watching the stars and worrying about the end; some are ready to help the apocalypse along. The characters, high-stakes action, and witty dialogue tie together the books across Gladstone's entire "Craft" universe. While the planned "The Craft Wars" trilogy can be read apart from the books in the previous "Craft Sequence" series, fans may want to begin a reread to gain insight into some of the deeper relationships hinted at in this volume. VERDICT Gladstone's second "The Craft Wars" book increases the action and devastation, bringing together familiar characters from across the world of the Craft as the battle for survival continues.—Kristi Chadwick

Library Journal