'Brian Staveley's storytelling gets more epic with every book, and The Empire's Ruin takes it to a whole new level' - Pierce Brown, author of Red Rising

The Empire's Ruin is the first book in the epic fantasy Ashes of the Unhewn Throne trilogy by Brian Staveley. If you liked Game of Thrones, you'll love this.

One soldier will bear the hopes of an empire

The Kettral were the glory and despair of the Annurian Empire - elite soldiers who rode war hawks into battle. Now the Kettral's numbers have dwindled and the great empire is dying. Its grip is further weakened by the failure of the kenta gates, which granted instantaneous access to its vast lands.

To restore the Kettral, one of its soldiers is given a mission. Gwenna Sharpe must voyage beyond the edge of the known world, to the mythical nesting grounds of the giant war hawks. The journey will take her through a land that warps and poisons all living things. Yet if she succeeds, she could return a champion, rebuild the Kettral to their former numbers - and help save the empire. The gates are also essential to the empire's survival, and a monk turned con-artist may hold the key to unlocking them.

What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever - if they survive. For deep within the southern reaches of the land, a malevolent force is stirring . . .

'Epic in every sense of the word' - Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

'An aching, bruised, white-knuckled symphony' - Max Gladstone, author of This Is How You Lose the Time War

One soldier will bear the hopes of an empire.

About the Author

Brian is the author of the award-winning fantasy trilogy, The Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, which has been translated into a dozen languages worldwide, The Ashes of the Unhewn Throne trilogy, and Skullsworn, a stand-alone novel set in the same world.

After teaching literature, philosophy, history, and religion for more than a decade, Brian began writing fiction. He now lives on a steep dirt road in the mountains of southern Vermont, where he divides his time between fathering, writing, mountain biking, splitting wood, skiing, and adventuring, not necessarily in that order.

Reviews
Brian Staveley's books are epic in every sense of the word . . . He's a giant in the genre, no doubt -- Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
Brian Staveley's storytelling gets more epic with every book, and The Empire's Ruin takes it to a whole new level -- Pierce Brown, author of Red Rising
An aching, bruised, white-knuckled symphony -- Max Gladstone, author of This Is How You Lose the Time War
Staveley sunk his adrenaline-dipped claws into me right away and refused to let go . . . Whether this is your first foray into the world of the Unhewn Throne, or you're a Kettral veteran, you're going to have an awesome time -- Brian Naslund, author of Blood of an Exile
Hang onto your war hawk . . . The Empire's Ruin returns to the world of the crumbling Annurian Empire in a spectacular way. Fans of Staveley's work, and those who enjoy epic fantasy outside the conventional mold, are going to unearth treasure -- R. S. Belcher, author of The Six-Gun Tarot
The Empire's Ruin is a scintillating explosive epic fantasy with multiple legendary scenes that rivalled The Way of Kings -- NovelNotions
The epitome of high fantasy. An unrelenting, staggering piece of fiction that goes above and beyond in every single facet of the genre . . . This is Staveley's best yet -- FanFiAddict
Brilliant -- V. E. Schwab on Skullsworn
Will keep you turning pages late into the night -- Pierce Brown on The Emperor's Blades
Deeply satisfying -- Kirkus Reviews on The Last Mortal Bond
A truly epic tale full of memorable characters, clever politics, an intelligent magic system, brutal battle scenes, and witty dialogue -- FantasyFaction on The Last Mortal Bond



Book Information
ISBN 9781509823000
Author Brian Staveley
Format Hardback
Page Count 752
Imprint Tor
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 1044g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 164mm * 65mm