Deadhouse Landing
(Path to Ascendancy: 2): the enthralling second chapter in Ian C. Esslemont's awesome epic fantasy sequence
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4.8 • 30 Ratings
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- £5.99
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
Fantastic world-building meets spellbinding storytelling in this must-read fan-favourite from Esslemont. Ideal for fans of Steven Erikson, David Gemmell and Brandon Sanderson.
'The world building is truly impressive . . . the action scenes well written . . . Esslemont's writing style addictive and engaging . . .' -- RISING SHADOW.NET
'Esslemont . . . seamlessly weaves great characters, action sequences and genuine humour into a fascinating narrative . . .' -- THE CRITICAL DRAGON.COM
'Never really slows down and the book is so engrossing I finished it within a week' -- ***** Reader review
'Ian C Esslemont strikes again!' -- ***** Reader review
'Another winner' -- ***** Reader review
'Absolutely brilliant' -- ***** Reader review
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After the disappointments of Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over. To do so they join forces with a small band of Napans who have fled a civil war on their own home island. The plan, however, soon goes awry as Kellanved develops a strange and dangerous fascination for a mysterious ancient structure found on the island...
The chaos in the region extends to the metaphysical planes also as a young priest of D'rek starts to question the rot at the heart of the worship of the god of decay. And back in Li Heng, Dassem, now the proclaimed Sword of Hood, finds himself being blamed for a plague which leads him to a crisis of faith - and searching for answers.
During all this, war with the neighbouring island of Nap threatens, recruited allies wonder at Kellanved's sanity, and powerful entities take more of an interest in the little mage from Dal Hon. Dancer faces a hard choice: should he give up on his partnership? Especially when the fellow's obsession with shadows and ancient artefacts brings the both of them alarmingly close to death and destruction.
After all, who in his right mind would actually wish to enter an Elder mystery known to everyone as the 'Deadhouse'?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Esslemont fills this tremendous prequel to his Malazan Empire series with pirates, priests, warriors, mages and exiles. Princess Sureth of the Napan Isles watches her capital fall to the forces of her brother, Tarel; on neighboring Malaz, retired battle mage Nedurian senses something new in the wind. The assassin Dancer and his partner, Wu, a practitioner of rare shadow magic, plot to control Malaz, where they have recently arrived. Their chosen headquarters is the same building that the exiled and disguised Napan contingent uses as their base. The pirate admiral of Malaz, Mock, seeks to be recognized as a king by the new king of Nap, while his mistress, battle mage Tattersail, plans to become his official consort. Esslemont never stints on the combat or wizardry, delighting fans of truly epic fantasy. Maps, a dramatis personae, and sufficient backstory will help new readers feel right at home in this grand adventure.)
