Akin to the works of both Fritz Leiber and Scott Lynch but bringing it's own energy and humorous vigour the writing of Sam Sykes sets itself apart from the dour feel of Grimdark fantasy and brings a fresh vigour to fantasy fiction.Cier'Djaal, once the crowning glory of the civilised world, has gone from a city to a battlefield, and from a battlefield to a graveyard. Foreign armies clash on streets laden with bodies. Cultists and thieves wage shadow wars, tribal armies gather outside the city's walls, and haughty aristocrats watch the world burn from on high.As his companions struggle to keep the city from destroying itself, Lenk must travel to the Forbidden East in search of the demon who caused it all. But dark whispers plague his thoughts. The demon promises him a world free of war where Lenk can put down his sword at last. And Lenk finds it hard not to listen . . .