A land of thick jungle and mist-swirled mountains. An enemy moving unseen beneath the lush canopy. The growing threat of thaumics&;a magic wielded by few that threatens to destabilize all. The youth of a kingdom sent to fight in a faraway hell while back home, discord and disillusionment reign&;
Fantasy author Chris Evans masterfully pushes the boundaries of the genre in his brilliant, groundbreaking new epic, a unique and penetrating vision channeling the cultural upheaval, racial animus, and wholesale destruction of the Vietnam War. Here, in the distant nation of Luitox, which is wracked by rebellion, thaumic users copilot mammoth armored dragons alongside fliers who do not trust their strange methods. Warriors trained in crossbow, stealth, and catapult are plunged into sudden chaotic battles with the mysterious Forest Collective, an elusive enemy with a powerful magic of its own. And the Kingdom&;s most downtrodden citizens, only recently granted equality, fight for the dignity they were supposed to have won at home while questioning who the real enemy is.
Of Bone and Thunder is the story of Thaum Jawn Rathim, whose idealized view of the war clashes with its harsh realities and his realization that victory may cost him everything&;of conscripted soldier Carny, awash in a hallucinogenic haze of fear and anger&;of Breeze, the red-haired graduate from the Royal Academy of Thaumology, certain she can transform the very nature of warfare&;if only she can win the trust of the man holding her fate in his hands&;and of Ugen Listowk, a veteran crossbowman who finds solace in the darkest shadows of the jungle and whose greatest fear is failing the men he leads into battle.
Plunging deep into the heart of a moral and mortal darkness, these reluctant soldiers struggle for survival and for meaning amid a blazing drama of blood and magic. They will duel a ghostly enemy, fight to understand their roles in a sprawling maelstrom, and ultimately wage the war their way&;not for glory or the Kingdom, but for one another.
Industry Reviews
A gutsy fantasy set in a world of imperial greed and magical plotting, with an eye for the ordinary soldier's plight that would have done Kipling proud.--Karen Traviss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force -- Revelation and City of Pearl "Library Journal"
A masterful debut -- if J.R.R. Tolkien and Bernard Cornwell had a literary love child, this would be it.--Karen Traviss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force-Revelation and City of Pearl
Evans's first novel heralds the launch of an outstanding military fantasy series unlike any since Glen Cook's beloved Black Company series... Strong storytelling, a compelling cast of heroes and villains, and a keen knowledge of military tactics of the Napoleonic era make this a priority purchase for most libraries and a splendid read for fans of both sf and fantasy military adventure. Highly recommended.
--R. A. Salvatore "Library Journal"
Imagine Napoleon's armies invading Middle Earth, mixing gunpowder with magic, monsters, and heroes. The Iron Elves will march across the landscape of fantasy and claim new territory. Chris Evans gives us an entertaining debut, with the promise of more great adventures to come.--Charles Coleman Finlay, acclaimed author of The Prodigal Troll and Wild Things
