The City: 1 - Softcover

"An astonishing book."--James Barclay, author of the Legends of the Raven series

"Exciting, intelligent, emotional."--SFFWorld

"Gemmell proves more than capable of standing on her own with this powerful epic fantasy...Richly textured prose and settings distinguish this novel, and fans of grimdark fantasy will hope it spawns many sequels."--Publishers Weekly

"Every chapter ends in another question, making it nearly impossible to put the book down...The characters' complexities are a marvel, making them relatable and believable."--RT Book Reviews

"[Gemmell] is an excellent writer...A gripping climax and wonderful multidimensional characters...A new and very powerful voice in the world of fantasy."--Parmenion Books

The City is ancient, layers upon layers. Once a thriving metropolis, it sprawled beyond its bounds, inciting endless wars and creating a barren wasteland of what was once green and productive.

In the center of the City lives the emperor, a man in his prime though he should be very old. Some grimly speculate that he is no longer human, if he ever was. A small number have come to the desperate conclusion that the only way to stop the war is to end the emperor’s unnaturally long life.

From the mazelike sewers below the City to the blood-soaked fields of battle, the rebels pin their hopes on one man—Shuskara. The emperor’s former general, he was betrayed long ago and is believed to be dead. But he has survived, hiding from his immortal foe. The time has come for him to engage in one final battle to free the City from the creature who dwells at its heart, pulling the strings that keep the land drenched in gore.