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Overview
In this stunning follow-up to his epic fantasy debut, Alan Campbell propels readers into a captivating city battling for its own survival—and that of humankind—in a world of deities and demons, fallen angels and killers.
After a destructive battle, the ancient swaying city of Deepgate has been overtaken. Most of the chains that suspend it have given way, and the temple now dangles upside down above the once-uncharted abyss. The victorious Spine have initiated martial law and are ruthlessly pursuing all who attempt to leave. But amid the turmoil, two captives are returned: the young angel Dill, now toughened by war, and traitor assassin Rachel Hael.
Incarcerated in the crumbling temple, the prisoners await their fate—while ghosts rise through the abyss from the open gates of Hell. But as the city teeters on the brink, plans for vengeance are set in motion. And in the coming battle between gods, it is the world of men that is at stake.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
While not so complexly plotted as to repel new readers, this grim middle volume (after 2006's Scar Night ) also does little to attract them. Most strikingly, the novel lacks a protagonist. Virtually every character is a pawn in the ongoing war between a dysfunctional family of desperate gods and King Menoa, the mad ruler of the Mesmerists. Rogue assassin Rachel Hael mostly disappears halfway through; the skyship-towing giant John Anchor is purely a tour guide; and angel Dill only reacts to abrupt shifts in reality. Death is relative, with characters translating unpredictably among Hell, the mortal realm and a bizarre reality called the Maze. Sex and romance are virtually absent, but stylized gore is everywhere, perhaps reflecting Campbell's background in video-game design. Despite the vivid descriptions and genuinely unusual setting, readers who make it through to the cliffhanger ending of this installment may well not care enough to seek out the forthcoming concluding volume. (May)
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