Robert Jackson Bennett

Sent to a backwater colony that was once a god-supported conquering power, spymaster Shara Divani investigates the brutal murder of a historian and uncovers evidence that the city's divine protectors may still be alive. Original. 25,000 first printing.

A Novel

City of Stairs

An eccentric detective and her long-suffering assistant untangle a web of magic, deceit, and murder in this sparkling fantasy reimagining of the classic crime novel—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy. In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible. Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver,magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home. Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect. Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

The Tainted Cup

Locklands

'The exciting beginning of a promising new epic fantasy series. Prepare for ancient mysteries, innovative magic, and heart-pounding heists' Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of Oathbringer She thought it was just another job. But her discovery could bring the city to its knees . . . In the city of Tevanne, you either have everything, or nothing. For escaped slave Sancia Grado, eking out a precarious living in the hellhole known as the Commons, nothing is just one misstep away. So when she is offered a lucrative job to steal an ancient artefact from a heavily guarded warehouse, she leaps at the chance. But instead of a way out of Tevanne, she finds herself the target of a murderous conspiracy. Someone powerful wants the artefact, and Sancia dead. To survive, Sancia will need every ally and every ounce of wits at her disposal - because if her unknown enemy unlocks the artefact's secrets, the world - and reality - will never be the same. 'Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience' Brent Weeks 'An altogether terrific read' Sebastien de Castell 'Intricate worldbuilding, fascinating magic, and engaging characters. More please!' Felicia Day 'Inventive, immersive, and thrilling . . . Do yourself a favor and pick this up!' Kevin Hearne

a dazzling new series from the author of The Divine Cities

Foundryside

A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett “Superbly blends mystery and fantasy . . . Give me more of this world and these characters ASAP!”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Gardiner In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect. By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.

The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

An Ana and Din Mystery

A Drop of Corruption

In an opulent mansion at the borders of the Empire, an Imperial officer lies dead - killed when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even here, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to solve the crime is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricity. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory.

Soon, the mystery leads to a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself. For Ana, all this makes for a deliciously thorny puzzle - at last, something to truly hold her attention. And Din? He'll just have to hold on for the ride.

Shadow of the Leviathan vol. 1

'A refreshing look at magic - featuring a heroine every reader will root for - from one of the smartest writers I know', says Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Demon Cycle The upstart firm Foundryside is struggling to make it. Orso Igancio and his star employee, former thief Sancia Grado, are accomplishing brilliant things with scriving, the magical art of encoding sentience into everyday objects, but it's not enough. The massive merchant houses of Tevanne won't tolerate competition, and they're willing to do anything to crush Foundryside. But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that's not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees - especially Sancia. Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself - before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.

Shorefall

In the Shadows of Men

Once, Sancia Grado was just a thief with a grudge and a rare talent. Then she learned how to use that talent, and beat the great merchant houses of Tevanne at their own game. With Clef and Berenice, she even saw off an immortal hierophant - but the war they're fighting now is one they know they can't win. 'Absolutely riveting . . . A magnificent, mind-blowing start to a series I'm hungry for' - Amal El-Mohtar, co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War, in the New York Times on Foundryside This time, they're not facing robber-baron elites or an immortal hierophant, but an entity whose intelligence is spread over half the globe: a ghost in the machine using the magic of scriving to possess and control not just objects, but human minds. Despite all their efforts their enemy marches on, implacable, unstoppable - and it's closing in on its true prize: an ancient doorway that leads to the centre of creation itself. 'One of the best fantasy writers on the scene today' says Kirkus Reviews Sancia and her friends glimpse a last desperate opportunity to stop this unbeatable foe - but to do so, they'll have to unlock the centuries-old mystery of scriving's origins and pull off the most daring heist they've ever attempted. And as if that weren't enough, their adversary might just have a spy in their ranks - and a last trick up its sleeve . . .

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire's reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air-somehow abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol. Before long, Ana's discovered that they're not investigating a disappearance, but a murder-and that the killing was just the first chess move by a thief who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana's moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's most brilliant minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction will be terrible indeed--and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn. Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his brilliant superior has met an enemy she can't defeat.

Shadow of the Leviathan vol. 2

Merdivenler Kenti

Foundryside. The Founders

Die Stadt der tausend Treppen

Einst war die Stadt Voortyashtan der Sitz von Voortya, der Göttin des Krieges und Todes. Heute ist die Göttin tot, die alte Stadt im Meer versunken, auf ihren Ruinen wurde eine neue erbaut. Als dort eine Geheimagentin spurlos verschwindet, wird Turyin Mulagesh, Generalin a. D., ausgesandt, die heikle Angelegenheit zu untersuchen. Die kriegsmüde Soldatin zweifelt daran, dass sie noch das Zeug zur Heldin hat, doch sie hat keine Wahl. Denn sie stößt auf ein Geheimnis, das die Welt für immer zerstören könnte ...

Roman

Die Stadt der toten Klingen

SANCIA GRADO È UNA LADRA, e una ladra tremendamente brava. Il suo ultimo obiettivo, un magazzino sorvegliatissimo sul molo di Tevanne, non sembra per niente fuori della sua portata. Ciò che Sancia non sa è che quello che le hanno chiesto di rubare è un manufatto dal potere inimmaginabile, che potrebbe rivoluzionare la tecnologia magica delle istoriazioni. Le compagnie mercantili che controllano questo potere - l'arte di usare speciali segni per far diventare gli oggetti quotidiani senzienti - l'hanno già usato per trasformare Tevanne in una spietata macchina capitalista. E se dovessero riuscire a decifrare i segreti del manufatto, riscriverebbero il mondo stesso per adattarlo ai loro scopi. Nemici potenti vogliono Sancia morta e il manufatto per sé. E nella città di Tevanne non c'è nessuno che possa fermarli. Per avere una possibilità di sopravvivere e di fermare il letale processo che si è messo in moto, la ragazza dovrà schierare alleati improbabili, imparare a sfruttare il potere del manufatto e, soprattutto, dovrà trasformarsi in qualcosa che non avrebbe mai immaginato.

Robert Jackson Bennett

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