Those Above: The Empty Throne Book 1 - Hardcover

Polansky, Daniel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1444779893 ISBN 13: 9781444779899

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2015

Synopsis

They enslaved humanity three thousand years ago. Tall, strong, perfect, superhuman and near immortal they rule from their glittering palaces in the eternal city in the centre of the world. They are called Those Above by their subjects. They enforce their will with fire and sword.

Twenty five years ago mankind mustered an army and rose up against them, only to be slaughtered in a terrible battle. Hope died that day, but hatred survived. Whispers of another revolt are beginning to stir in the hearts of the oppressed: a woman, widowed in the war, who has dedicated her life to revenge; the general, the only man to ever defeat one of Those Above in single combat, summoned forth to raise a new legion; and a boy killer who rises from the gutter to lead an uprising in the capital.

Those Above is the first of an extraordinary new fantasy epic by the author of the acclaimed Low Town series that will sweep the reader into a wholly alien, wholly recognizable world of rebellion and revenge, of love and of death, of intrigue and pitiless war.

About this title

Review

Machiavellian clockwork glory. (Mark Lawrence, author of Prince of Thorns)

Those looking for well-createed and beautifully created fantasy, which also happen to be both darkly comic and devastatingly grim, will find themselves swiftly addicted. (Starburst)

Dark fantasy with a decidedly military bent, THOSE ABOVE is the perfect opener for Daniel Polansky's career beyond Low Town. With his unmistakeable voice and his highly original new world, he draws the reader slowly in until it's impossible to put the book down and escape back to reality. A brilliant start to what is sure to be one of the fantasy epics of all time, THOSE ABOVE is the work of an author at the top of his game and brings with it the promise of a lot more to come. (Reader Dad)

THOSE ABOVE is I, Claudius by way of Tolkien and filtered through Chandler. That is to say, really damn good. (Pornokitsch)

From low conflict to high skulduggery, this is Daniel Polansky's most assured and engrossing novel yet. (The Sci Fi Bulletin)

Gripping... Polansky has pulled off a polished fantasy thriller that's very much in the George RR Martin/Joe Abercrombie vein, but has still given the book its own distinctive style and voice, alongside plenty of evocative world-building. The Empty Throne (series) looks set to be fascinating and provocative. (SFX)

"With THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE, Polansky pushed the envelope of modern fantasy. With TOMORROW THE KILLING, he tears through the envelope and pushes for horizons yet unseen." (Myke Cole, author of Control Point)

'In Tomorrow the Killing, Polansky shows us he is no one-book wonder... If you haven't read Polansky yet, you must remedy this ASAP. He writes gripping, addictive stories with a grim eloquence...Very, very highly recommended. Polansky is definitely among my new favourite authors. Essential reading.' (civilian-reader.blogspot.com)

'Tomorrow The Killing delivers more of the same noir-esque brilliance that placed The Straight Razor Cure amongst the top releases of last year.' (The British Fantasy Society)

Praise for THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE

'Quite brilliant... The Straight Razor Cure is as good a debut as I've read in along time. [It] has it all - and as the name suggests, it is sharp, steely and viciously bloody. Highly recommended'

(John Berlyne, SF Revu)

Book Description

The first in an explosive new epic fantasy series by Daniel Polansky, perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1444779893
• ISBN 13: 9781444779899
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400