Michael Cobley
British Pbk Original - Simon & Schuster (2005) |
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Shadowmasque
Book Three of the Shadowkings Trilogy
300 years after the end of the Great Shadowking War,
evil is seeping out into the world once more.
Emperor Magramon is dead and his only son, Ilgarion, will finally ascend to
the Khatrimantine throne, guided by the Archmage Tangaroth and protected
by the Iron Guard. But dark undercurrents are moving beneath the surface
of life in Sejeend, the imperial capital, and the agents of an old and malign
power are plotting and waiting. Only the Order of Watchers, a band of
renegade mages, has any inkling of what is afoot and their investigations lead
to grotesque and violent confrontations.
But Ilgarion is obsessed with the empire’s enemies, imagined or otherwise,
and his pursuit of them can only bring about turmoil. Into this web of
uncertainty, Corlek Ondene, former captain of the Iron Guard, unknowingly
walks and sets in motion a string of clashing events. Can Tashil, Dardan, the
Countess Ayoni, and the other Watcher mages, root out the source of evil
before its terrifying hunger is set loose? And can the poet Calabos, elderly
leader of the Watchers, keep his real identity a secret through all the nightmarish encounters he will undergo?
For the faces of Night dance with the faces of Day, but the weaver of Fate dances alone.
'Darkly different… writing to rival David Gemmell' Guardian
‘Vigorous, violent fantasy adventure’ Interzone
‘Fantasy doesn’t come much better than this’ Alien Online
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First British Edition Earthlight (2003) |
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| Paperback - Simon & Schuster (2004) |
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Shadowgod
Book Two of the Shadowkings Trilogy
A harsh winter is settling in across the land and the Shadowkings` deepest, darkest plans are hatching... the worst is yet to come.
Far to the north, the Shadowking Byrnak broods on his towertop. Mistrustful of his fellow Shadowkings and harried by a ghostly fragment of the Lord of Twilight, he knows he must utterly crush the Imperial remnants and their allies, despite the powers of the Earthmother goddess. But his is not the only power moving in the world...
The forces of light must stand together against the darkness, but their leaders are unsure of their next step. Ikarno Mazaret, now Lord Regent, still grieves over the death of his beloved, the mage Suviel. Ranging forth from the city of Besh-Darok, he takes ever more perilous risks. And although Tauric has been crowned Emperor, he feels increasingly powerless to influence events, and despair begins to taint his every decision. Keren Asherol remains haunted by her shattering encounter with one of the Daemonkind, white her twin, the mirrorchild Nerek, is dogged by sinister omens.
And then the onslaught begins...
‘If you enjoy Gemmell’s clipped, brisk prose style… this is definitely a book you’ll enjoy’ Alien Online
Praise for Shadowkings
‘There is a gritty, desolate tone in depicting the grime and horror of conflict; Cobley’s skill lies in establishing a sense of reality unusual in fantasy’ Timeout
‘Vigorous, violent fantasy adventure’ Interzone
‘Cobley’s impressively unpleasant first fantasy novel’ amazon
| Paperback - Earthlight (2002) |
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First British Edition Earthlight (2001) |
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Shadowkings
Book One of the Shadowkings Trilogy
Sixteen years it has been since the dazzling Khatrimantine Empire fell to the vast hordes of the Mogaun. Sixteen years since the invaders' evil deity, the Lord of Twilight, was shattered into five hosts, five lost souls destined to become the Shadowkings.
Sixteen long years since the forces of the Earthmother and the Fathertree were defeated, and the Rootpower magic itself was destroyed...
But for Suviel, one of the few surviving mages, it was not a final defeat. Nor was it so for Ikarno Mazaret, Lord Commander of the Knights of the Fathertree. They and their companions face a deadly struggle against terrifying odds in their fight for freedom.
Byrnak, one of the many warlords who squabble amid the Empire's ruins, discovers that he is one of the five Shadowkings and thus compelled to bring the Lord of Twilight into fleshly being. Across the battlefields and dreamscapes of the land, he is driven ever closer to this goal.
Tauric is the lost heir to the Imperial throne. He must learn courage and the realities of command if he is to survive the battles that lie ahead.
These lives and uncountable others will be changed forever when the Empire's last valiant defenders take arms against ancient sorceries and new terrors. Shadowkings introduces a world both dark and fascinating from a writer who is a major voice in the future of fantasy fiction.
'One of the best new fantasy sagas that I have read since Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon… I want more' Alien Online
'Cobley's impressively unpleasant first fantasy novel' amazon.co.uk
About The Author
Michael Cobley has had short stories published in magazines and anthologies for a number of years. He attended Strathclyde University and lives in Glasgow.
Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.
Shadowmasque
(Simon & Schuster Pbk,
2005)
Pbk Jun 05
Shadowgod
(Earthlight,
2003)
Simon & Schuster Pbk Mar 04
Shadowkings
(Earthlight,
2001)
Earthlight Pbk Jul 02
Shadowmasque
by Michael Cobley
