Brought to you by Penguin.
Cities have been broken before. Empires have fallen. But this is the end of an age.
The city of Darien's power has grown, but not without a price. Victory has drawn the gaze of a fierce enemy from the North.
The Féal Empire is determined to claim Darien's magic and use it to take the throne. With nowhere else to turn, the twelve families enlist the help of the Sword Saint.
Alongside five outcasts - a gambler, a hunter, a young thief, a sorceress and a battle-scarred warrior - the sword saint must travel into the very heart of the invading army.
Darien was once the Empire of Salt's greatest stronghold - now it will be the final battleground. And the Sword Saint their last hope.
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Shiang by C. F. Iggulden, read by Daniel Weyman.
IF THESE STONES COULD SPEAK, THEY WOULD CALL FOR WAR.
In Shiang, the young king rules without dissent. Mazer swordsmen stand watch on every corner, looking for the first sign of rebellion. This city is a place of quiet and slow dignity, like a man eating rice with a razor pressed against his throat. Yet with one sharp movement, order is overturned. The balance of centuries is undone in the sudden spill of blood - and in the darkness, something terrible returns to Shiang.
Far to the west, four Shiang masters approach the city walls of Darien. The sword saint and his companions have crossed a continent to bring an old man home for punishment. They will not be denied, even if the whole city stands in their way.
TWO ANCIENT CITIES. ONE FINAL WAR.
A master storyteller - Sunday Express
Iggulden is in a class of his own - Daily Mirror
One of our finest historical novelists - Daily Express
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Darien by C.F. Iggulden, read by Daniel Weyman.
TWELVE FAMILIES. ONE THRONE. WELCOME TO THE EMPIRE OF SALT.
The city of Darien stands at the weary end of a golden age. Twelve families keep order with soldiers and artefacts, spies and memories, clinging to a peace that shifts and crumbles. The people of the city endure what they cannot change.
Here, amongst old feuds, a plot is hatched to kill a king. It will summon strangers to the city - Elias Post, a hunter, Tellius, an old swordsman banished from his home, Arthur, a boy who cannot speak, Daw Threefold, a chancer and gambler, Vic Deeds, who feels no guilt - and Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all.
As the sun sets, their arrival inside the walls will spark a series of explosive events. Before the sun returns, six destinies will have been made - and lost - in Darien.
