The House of Sacrifice (Empires of Dust Series #3)

by Anna Smith Spark

Overview

A powerhouse grimdark fantasy of bloodshed, ambition, and fate, The House of Sacrifice is the thunderous conclusion to Anna Smith Spark's Empires of Dust trilogy, which began with The Court of Broken Knives.



Marith Altrersyr has won. He cut a path of blood and vengeance and needless violence around the world and now he rules. It is time for Marith to put down his sword, to send home his armies, to grow a beard and become fat. It is time to look to his own house, and to produce an heir. The King of Death must now learn to live.
But some things cannot be learnt.



The spoils of war turn to ash in the mouths of the Amrath Army and soon they are on the move again. But Marith, lord of lies, dragon-killer, father-killer, has begun to falter and his mind decays. How long can a warlord rotting from within continue to win?



As the Army marches on to Sorlost, Thalia's thoughts turn to home and to the future: a life grows inside her and it is a precious thing - but it grows weak.



Why must the sins of the father curse the child?


Empires of Dust
The Court of Broken Knives
The Tower of Living and Dying
The House of Sacrifice

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316511520
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	08/13/2019
Series:	Empires of Dust Series , #3
Pages:	576
Sales rank:	679,591
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Anna Smith Spark lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She has previously been published in the Fortean Times and the poetry website www.greatworks.org.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/08/2019

The final volume in Spark’s relentlessly bleak Empires of Dust trilogy (after The Court of Broken Knives and The Tower of Living and Dying) is a storm of intrigue, violence, lost faith, and insanity. The mighty Army of Amrath, led by ruthless Marith, King of Death, has brought most of the continent of Irlast under his control after a bloody four-year campaign. But peace isn’t easy, especially for a man whose grip on reality is questionable at best. After three miscarriages, Marith’s wife, Thalia, is uneasily pregnant again. The army, ordered to disband without back pay, is at loose ends and turning to violence. Worst of all, Marith is once again hearing the voices that drive him to chaos and murder. The only solution: another war. Spark shifts the narration among four characters, each haunted by the past and the shadows it casts on the present. The world is vividly tactile, constructed from mountain crags, sandy deserts, and tumbled cities populated by ambitious lordlings and desperate citizenry. Spark wraps up this turbulent saga with skill, leaving readers hungry for her next work. Agent: Ian Drury, Sheil Land Assoc. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Gritty and glorious! A great read."
—Miles Cameron, author of The Traitor Son Cycle on The Court of Broken Knives


"Fierce, gripping fantasy, exquisitely written; bitter, funny, and heart-rending by turns."—Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award winner for Children of Time on The Court of Broken Knives


"Grim, gritty, and fast paced; with great battles scenes! Anna Smith-Spark is one to watch."—Andy Remic, author of the Blood Dragon Empire series on The Court of Broken Knives


"Anna Smith-Spark writes in a unique voice with such pace and veracity your imagination has to struggle to keep up with your eyes."—Adrian Collins, Grimdark Magazine on The Court of Broken Knives


"Captivating."—Marc Turner, author of the Chronicles of the Exile series on The Court of Broken Knives

"All hail the queen of grimdark fantasy!"
—Michael R. Fletcher, author of Beyond Redemption on The Court of Broken Knives


"Spark's gripping debut is definitely one to read and prize."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Court of Broken Knives


"Holy crap, this is good!"—Grim Tidings on The Court of Broken Knives


"Spark's first novel lives up to its billing as a 'grimdark' tale. The setting may be bleak and dreary, but the worldbuilding is well done and the characters fit right in. Troubled, solitary and downright drug-addled as the protagonist is, readers will come around to his side as the reasons why he seeks for the throne he lost are revealed."—RT Book Reviews on The Court of Broken Knives


"It's a bold experiment and feels like something new. An interesting book to read and fascinating to discuss afterwards!"—Mark Lawrence on The Court of Broken Knives


"Exciting twists and turns...Spark keeps the surprises coming all the way to the end. "—Booklist on The Court of Broken Knives


"An exciting new voice in dark fantasy."—Scott Lynch

From the Publisher

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