The Steel Remains (GOLLANCZ S.F.) - Hardcover

Morgan, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0575077921 ISBN 13: 9780575077928

Publisher: Gollancz, 2008

Synopsis

Ringil, the hero of the bloody slaughter at Gallows Gap is a legend to all who don't know him and a twisted degenerate to those that do. A veteren of the wars against the lizards he makes a living from telling credulous travellers of his exploits. Until one day he is pulled away from his life and into the depths of the Empire's slave trade. Where he will discover a secret infinitely more frightening than the trade in lives.

Archeth - pragmatist, cynic and engineer, the last of her race - is called from her work at the whim of the most powerful man in the Empire and sent to its farthest reaches to investigate a demonic incursion against the Empire's borders.

Egar Dragonbane, steppe-nomad, one-time fighter for the Empire finds himself entangled in a small-town battle between common sense and religious fervour. But out in the wider world there is something on the move far more alien than any of his tribe's petty gods.

Anti-social, anti-heroic, and decidedly irritated, all three of them are about to be sent unwillingly forth into a vicious, vigorous and thoroughly unsuspecting fantasy world. Called upon by an Empire that owes them everything and gave them nothing.

Richard Morgan brings his trademark visceral writing style, turbo-driven plotting and thought provoking characterisation to the fantasy genre and produces a landmark work with his first foray.

About this title

Review

An epic tale of gods and magic, betrayal and survival . . . The Steel Remains will not disappoint. Morgan writes with an immediacy and frankness often hard to come by in fantasy, and his themes have great relevance to today's society. His portrayals of sex and violence are not for the squeamish reader, and his language is down-to-earth, but for those who prefer to have the sugar coating removed , THE STEEL REMAINS is a fantastic example of the modern fantasy genre. (WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY)

After five science-fiction novels that explored the seamier side of corporate machinations in grittily realised futures, Morgan turns his hand to classic fantasy. What remains constant is his flair for setting, complex political feuding, and strong characters forever on the outskirts of society. Ringil's character and his complex relations with those around him lift this novel far above the average. (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN)

Morgan has taken traditional sword and sorcery tropes and given them a hard, contemporary kick. The antithesis of the cosy fairytale, this is one for big boys. (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES)

"It compels you to read on with its gritty, visceral writing and intelligent plot. It's tense and fascinatingly peopled and given that the follow ups will doubtless be tremendous, you're encouraged to jump on from the start. Just, ahem, steel yourself." (Dave Bradley SFX)

"Richard Morgan's first foray into fantasy territory is, without a doubt, a grand success. Great characters in a great story are what drives all good books, and you get that here, with acres of bloody space for your imagination to gambol and play in. This is far, far better than any other fantasy you'll pick up this year." (Guy Haley DEATHRAY)

What raises the bar here from your run-of-the-mill fantastical hyper-narrative is the fact Morgan has written such a character-driven novel. All genres survive and thrive through reconfiguration and what Morgan has done with The Steel Remains is take a familiar template and rework it into something original, a novel that bends the traditional fantasy conventions to give a uniquely individual spin. Fast-paced and epically evocative. (James Jones GAYDAR NATION)

The Steel Remains is a dark, sometimes brutal tale that ably demonstrates why Morgan is one of the most adventurous fantasy writers around today. (Wayne Clews ATTITUDE)

The Steel Remains excels when Morgan steps back from the challenges to the reader, and the world-building, and really lets loose and has fun. Even at the bleakest moments in the book, the crisp, earthy dialogue between the characters never feels forced. Similarly, the action - sometimes quick and deadly, sometimes lavishly detailed - is always sleek, cinematic and brutal. Like rubber-necking at a collision of F1 cars. (PORNOKITSCH)

Dark, brooding, bloody, visceral and absolutely takes no prisoners. But the story it is telling is compelling, the characters are well-defined and the world throws up some refreshingly new ideas and concepts (THE WERTZONE)

Think 'The Dying Earth' with added barbarian badassery - this is some very superior genre-blending. Brutal fantasy fun. (SANDSTORM REVIEWS)

Book Description

Epic fantasy is about to be worked-over, in classic Richard Morgan style.

Edition details

• Publisher: Gollancz
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0575077921
• ISBN 13: 9780575077928
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352