Seven Deaths of an Empire

by G R Matthews

Overview

Paperback edition of the hit Summer 2021 fantasy release

Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of an Empire... A new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark, GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence.

The Emperor is dead. Long live the Empire.

General Bordan has a lifetime of duty and sacrifice behind him in the service of the Empire. But with rebellion brewing in the countryside, and assassins, thieves and politicians vying for power in the city, it is all Bordan can do to protect the heir to the throne.

Apprentice Magician Kyron was assigned to the late Emperor’s honour guard escorting his body on the long road back to the capital.

But even a magician’s power may fail when enemies emerge from the forests intent on seizing their precious cargo.

Whoever controls the Emperor’s body, controls the Empire...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786184696
Publisher:	Solaris
Publication date:	03/29/2022
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

G. R. Matthews began reading in the cot. His mother, at her wits end with the constant noise and unceasing activity, would plop him down on the soft mattress with an encyclopaedia full of pictures then quietly slip from the room. Growing up, he spent Sunday afternoons on the sofa watching westerns and Bond movies after suffering the dual horror of the sounds of ABBA and the hoover (Vacuum cleaner) drifting up the stairs to wake him in the morning. When not watching the six-gun heroes or spies being out-acted by their own eyebrows he devoured books like a hungry wolf in the dead of winter. Beginning with Patrick Moore and Arthur C Clarke he soon moved on to Isaac Asimov. However, one wet afternoon in a book shop in his hometown, not far from the standing stones of Avebury, he picked up the Pawn of Prophecy and started to read – and soon Sci-Fi gave way to Fantasy. You can follow him on twitter @G_R_Matthews or visit his website at www.grmatthews.com.

Editorial Reviews

"It's exciting at every turn with a wonderfully spun plot that keeps you guessing the entire time." — FanFi Addict

Fanfiaddict

"(A) book that isn't short on action or imagination and the setting is an interesting change of pace, so check it out!" — Mark Lawrence, author of Prince of Thorns, Prince of Fools

Mark Lawrence

"Entertaining and exciting: Silent City is the start of a series I'll certainly be following with interest." — Laura M Hughes, author of Danse Macabre

Laura M. Hughes

It has all the elements you expect from fantasy: magic, battles, power-struggles and impossible odds keeping you gripped.” — A Rambling Reviewer

A Rambling Reviewer

It’s been a long time since a book made me swear out loud in horror... This is a story about politics, faith, betrayal and the loss of innocence, and I for one will be eagerly looking forward to a sequel.” — Set the Tape

Set the Tape

Refreshingly original” — SFX Magazine

SFX

Both bloody, and bloody well written.” — Fantasy-Faction

Fantasy-Faction

Matthews has written an addictive page-turner full of magic and political intrigue.” — Adrian Selby, author of Brother Red

From the Publisher

03/29/2021

Matthews (Silent City) launches his Six Kingdoms series with a page-turning dark fantasy that kicks off with the sudden death of the Emperor of Sudrim while he’s away on a mission. From within the imperial palace, General Bordan, the leader of the Empire’s army, oversees the operation to return the Emperor’s body to his family, and with it the amulet “which contains his soul and wisdom” to be passed down to Sudrim’s next ruler. Meanwhile, apprentice magician Kyron co-leads the convoy escorting the Emperor’s remains. But enemies from within and without stand in the way, among them assassins who aim to dispatch the royal family and tribesmen whose lands the convoy must cross. After two members of the royal family are slain in the palace, a battle erupts between the imperial army and the traitors attempting to hijack Kyron’s caravan and steal the amulet. Interweaving Bordan’s and Kyron’s narratives, Matthews builds suspense with hints of treason and treachery among the Empire’s nobility. Though it takes some time to acclimate to Matthews’s visceral world, the plot’s surprising twists and turns will wow fantasy fans. This is an impressive series opener. Agent: Jamie Cowen, Ampersand. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Full of tension, intrigue, and action” — Fantasy Book Nerd

Fantasy Book Nerd

Corin Hayes' adventure in Silent City is an altogether more visceral first-person adventure set in a far future where humanity has fled beneath the waves to live in undersea cities. The story is packed with action from the first page which has our hero preparing for a beating to the last where our hero is... (spoilers, as Riversong would say).” — Fantasy Hive
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Fantasy Hive

"A cracking read that will burn the candle in the night." — Aurealis

Aurealis

"A magnificent, thoughtful, highly readable account, full of political intrigue and dripping with potent, dark atmosphere. This is a must read for fantasy fans who enjoy political machinations." — Bookworm Blues

Bookworm Blues

"Damn good fun, intriguing as hell, different and exciting, I devoured this book." — Dyrk Ashton, author of Paternus

Dyrk Ashton

"Matthews delivers visceral descriptions of battle, the cut and thrust of gladius and pila, the shouldering of shields, the smell of blood and fear – and weaving through this, the delicate nets of magical constructs that can still snap, inflame or explode." — The Fantasy Hive

The Fantasy Hive

"It had plenty of twists and turns, and I was on the edge of my submarine pilot seat once or twice. The ending left lots of room for more adventure but wrapped up this particular part of the tale. It was very well done. I like Corin’s sense of humour too, so that was a plus." — Super Star Drifter

Super Star Drifter

"Truly stellar world-building, which combines all the griminess of cyberpunk with the majesty and terror of the sea." — Paper Plane Reviews

Paper Plane Reviews

"This is fantasy at its finest." — Grimdark Magazine

Grimdark Magazine

"Matthews delivers on the bigger picture stakes" — British Fantasy Society

British Fantasy Society

Corin, as a character, has been put through the wringer quite a bit and you feel for him or I certainly did. He’s awesome!” — Rapture in Books

Rapture in Books

08/13/2021

Matthews (The Stone Road) tells the tale of a magic-laced Roman-like empire on the cusp of disaster: the Empire finds itself without an emperor, and two men end up with the fate of thousands in their hands as they try to fulfill their missions. Bordan, an aging General, must protect the heir apparent as those who seek the power of the throne begin to plot around them. Kyron, an apprentice magician, must escort the body of the emperor through hostile territory or risk losing the wisdom of the emperors of old before it can be transferred to the new heir. The novel alternates between Bordan's and Kyron's points of view as they try to determine the fate of the Empire. The short chapters take some time to pull the reader in, but once they're caught in the momentum, they'll be hard pressed to stop turning pages. VERDICT Older teens and adults will enjoy the novel's political intrigue and struggle to survive, which are reminiscent of George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" or a slightly less fantastical version of Jim Butcher's "Codex Alera" series.

Library Journal