A powerhouse story of bloodshed, ambition, and fate, The Tower of Living and Dying is a continuation of Anna Smith Spark's brilliant Empires of Dust trilogy, which began with The Court of Broken Knives.
Marith has been a sellsword, a prince, a murderer, a demon, and dead. But something keeps bringing him back to life, and now there is nothing stopping him from taking back the throne that is rightfully his.
Thalia, the former high priestess, remains Marith's only tenuous grasp to whatever goodness he has left. His left hand and his last source of light, Thalia still believes that the power that lies within him can be used for better ends. But as more forces gather beneath Marith's banner, she can feel her influence slipping.
Read the second book in this "gritty and glorious!" (Miles Cameron) epic fantasy series reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence where the exiled son of a king fights to reclaim his throne no matter the cost.
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"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
Marked by intense, action-packed battle scenes, this grimdark epic fantasy is the escape you need right now.
— Kirkus on The Tower of Living and Dying'One of the most exciting voices not just in grimdark but in fantasy [...] eclipses almost everything else I've read this year'.—Grimdark Magazine on The Tower of Living and Dying
Gritty and glorious! A great read.
— Miles Cameron, author of The Traitor Son Cycle on The Court of Broken KnivesFierce, 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 KnivesGrim, 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 KnivesAnna 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 KnivesCaptivating.
— Marc Turner, author of the Chronicles of the Exile series on The Court of Broken KnivesAll hail the queen of grimdark fantasy!
— Michael R. Fletcher, author of Beyond Redemption on The Court of Broken KnivesSpark's gripping debut is definitely one to read and prize.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Court of Broken KnivesHoly crap, this is good!
— Grim Tidings on The Court of Broken KnivesThis outstanding, unputdownable debut holds and horrifies like a blood-spattered tapestry. There's rough humour, high drama and a love of story-telling that shines through every page. Plus it's got dragons with bad breath. Brilliant.
— The Daily Mail (UK) on The Court of Broken KnivesIt'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 KnivesExciting twists and turns...Spark keeps the surprises coming all the way to the end.
— Booklist on The Court of Broken KnivesBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Colin Mace is an actor recently seen in the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors. He starred in the critically acclaimed drama The Night Watch for the BBC, Shirley for BBC2, as well as several episodes of Eastenders. His theater credits include “Ted Narracott” in War Horse at the National Theatre and West End, as well as Cash at WYP, and The 39 Steps and The Odysee at the Lyric Hammersmith. Other television credits includes Peep Show, Abolition, The Bill, Down to Earth, and The Project.