'A great epic fantasy debut' - James Islington, author of the The Shadow of What Was Lost

Enter a world of royalists and rebels, spies and sorcerers . . .

Sarine is a young artist just trying to survive on the streets of New Sarresant - but soon her magical abilities will draw the attention of royalists and rebels alike.

Arak'Jur is a guardian, responsible for keeping his tribe safe. Now he must master an ancient magic if he hopes to protect his people from bloodshed.

Erris is a brilliant cavalry officer whose leadership has delivered countless victories, but now her enemies seem to know her plans before she's even made them.

These three heroes must rise - or the world will fall.

Soul of the World is a stellar debut from a major new talent, an epic fantasy perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan and Brent Weeks.

'A magical book, almost overflowing with originality . . . Fascinating world, fun characters, and captivating magic' - The Quill to Live

'Tense enough to make your spine crack . . . This is one hell of a debut novel' - Bookworm Blues

The Ascension Cycle
Soul of the World
Blood of the Gods
Chains of the Earth

About the Author
David Mealing grew up adoring all things fantasy. He studied philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford, where he taught himself to write by building worlds and stories for pen and paper RPGs. He enjoys board games and card games of all sorts, once spent a summer in Paris learning and subsequently forgetting how to speak French and gave serious thought to becoming a professional bass player before deciding epic fantasy novelist was the wiser choice. He lives in Washington State with his wife and three daughters, and aspires to one day own a ranch in the middle of nowhere.

Reviews
A magical book, almost overflowing with originality . . . Fascinating world, fun characters, and captivating magic -- THE QUILL TO LIVE
A great epic fantasy debut. Memorable characters, intriguing magic systems and a well-realised world -- James Islington, author of THE SHADOW OF WHAT WAS LOST
An excellent debut -- POWDER AND PAGE
Tense enough to make your spine crack . . . This is one hell of a debut novel * Bookworm Blues *
One of the best debuts (fantasy or not!) that I've read this year -- FOREVER LOST IN LITERATURE
Compelling characters and a unique magic system . . . Mealing does a fabulous job with the intricate world-building and leaves the reader wanting to get their hands on the sequel -- RT BOOK REVIEWS
Imaginative and elaborate epic fantasy [with] strong characters and rich worldbuilding -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A story of magic, ambition, greed, betrayal and war -- BOOKLIST
A compelling read, one that's all the more extraordinary since it's a debut work: rarely have I encountered such a level of narrative control and sophistication in a first novel -- SPACE AND SORCERY
Soul of the World is a strong debut that brings interesting magic to a world that is on the brink of major changes and conflict -- SPECULATIVE HERALD



Book Information
ISBN 9780356508948
Author David Mealing
Format Paperback
Page Count 656
Imprint Orbit
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 515g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 130mm * 44mm