The Steel Remains: A Land Fit for Heroes Novel

Overview

In just a few short years, Richard K. Morgan has vaulted to the pinnacle of the science fiction world. Now he turns his iconoclastic talents to epic fantasy, crafting a darkly violent, tautly plotted adventure sure to thrill old fans and captivate new readers. The Steel Remains is the first of a trilogy-a stunning reinvention of the fantasy genre that places Morgan in the elite company of modern mythmakers like China Mieville and George R. R. Martin.

A dark lord will rise. Such is the prophecy that dogs the footsteps of Ringil Eskiath-Gil, for short-a washed-up mercenary and onetime war hero whose world-weary cynicism is surpassed only by the quickness of his temper and the speed of his sword. That sword, forged by a vanished eldritch race known as the Kiriath, has brought him unlooked-for notoriety, as has his habit of poking his nose where it doesn't belong.

Gil is estranged from his aristocratic family, but that doesn't stop his mother from enlisting his help in freeing a cousin sold into slavery. Grumbling all the way, Gil sets out to track her down. But it soon becomes apparent that more is at stake than the fate of one luckless young woman. Grim sorceries that have not been seen for centuries are awakening in the land. Some speak in whispers of the return of an all-but-legendary race known as the Aldrain, cruel yet beautiful demons feared even by the Kiriath.

Now Gil and two old comrades-Egar, a fierce warrior from the savage Majak tribes, and Archeth, a half-Kiriath fighter still mourning her departed brethren-are all that stand in the way of a prophecy whose fulfillment will drown an entire world in blood. But with heroes like these, the cure is likely to be worse than the disease.

Editorial Reviews

Noir SF author Morgan (Thirteen) delivers a promising but obscenity-laden epic fantasy trilogy opener. As the Yhelteth Empire recovers from a devastating war, embittered veterans Archeth, Egar and Ringil embark on parallel but vastly different journeys. The emperor sends drug-abusing Archeth to gather details about a rumored invasion. Egar becomes a steppes clanmaster, but the other horsemen despise him for seducing teenagers rather than leading. Ringil attempts to locate and free a cousin sold into slavery. All three soon discover the dwenda, a race of magical beings thought long dead. Despite stereotypical plot elements, including a prophecy that states A dark lord will rise, the well-developed characters and realistic battle scenes ring true, as do some gruesomely explicit sex scenes. The intriguing conclusion to the dark, gritty tale will have readers hoping for a more plot-heavy and less visceral sequel. (Jan.)
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Author Information

Bio of Richard K. Morgan

Richard K. Morgan is the acclaimed author of Market Forces, Broken Angels, and Altered Carbon, a New York Times Notable Book that also won the Philip K. Dick Award. Morgan sold the movie rights for Altered Carbon to Joel Silver and Warner Bros. His third book, Market Forces, has also been sold to Warner Bros. He lives in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

• Not enough action and too much gay sex.

  Posted November 06, 2009 by Slav B. Shuravesky, East Brunswick

  No, the title is not a joke, though I wish it were. I am not a homophobe, far from it. And I could deal with the main character of the novel being gay. But this novel is chock full of explicitly described gay sex scenes. And when I say gay I mean man on man...or man on almost man in some cases. A lot less explicit gay sex and a lot more explicit heroic sword play would have gone a long way to making this novel readable. As is, I wish I could get my money back. Because this was a huge disappointment.

Additional Info

Imprint

Ballantine Books

Filesize

1.86 MB

Number of Pages

432

eBook ISBN

9780345513441