British Science Fiction Association Awards
City of Last Chances (Tyrant Philosophers, 1)
A dark fantasy set in the occupied city of Ilmar, where a city's history and a new spark of unrest collide. Multiple viewpoints weave together as the signs of revolution slowly build.
Work Information
In Ilmar, the city of last chances, the spark of revolution spreads quietly.
A long-form fantasy novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky that layers occupation, the criminal underworld, and an ancient curse into the life of the city of Ilmar.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Ad Astra
- Published
- 2024-05-28
- Pages
- 501 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 12.95 x 3.56 x 19.69 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9781801108447
- ISBN-10
- 1801108447
- Price
- 2264 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Science Fiction & Fantasy/Fantasy/Epic
Arthur C. Clarke winner Adrian Tchaikovsky's triumphant return to fantasy with a darkly inventive portrait of a city under occupation and on the verge of revolution . There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse. What will be the spark that lights the conflagration? Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood – that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores. Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world and the gateway to a thousand worse places. Ilmar, City of Long Shadows. City of Bad Decisions. City of Last Chances. Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky: 'Brilliant science fiction and far out worldbuilding' James McAvoy 'Entertaining, smart, surprising and unexpectedly human' Patrick Ness 'A refreshingly new take on post-dystopia civilizations, with the smartest evolutionary worldbuilding you'll ever read' Peter F. Hamilton
Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. He subsequently ended up in law and has worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives. Married, he is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and has trained in stage-fighting. He's the author of Children of Time , the winner of the 30th Anniversary Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Sunday Times bestseller Shards of Earth. Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. He subsequently ended up in law and has worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives. Married, he is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and has trained in stage-fighting. He's the author of Children of Time , the winner of the 30th Anniversary Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Sunday Times bestseller Shards of Earth . Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. He subsequently ended up in law and has worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives. Married, he is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and has trained in stage-fighting. He's the author of Children of Time , the winner of the 30th Anniversary Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Sunday Times bestseller Shards of Earth .
Reviews
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Gorgeously dark and shockingly hilarious
Ilmar: a city of magic, revolution, gods, superstition, oppression, gang warfare, music, hope, and violence. The city of bad decisions and last chances. Enter our cast: Yasnic, the reluctant last priest of God, struggling to make rent and keep sane; Blackmane, a pawnbroker, magician, and collector of rare and magical items; Ruslav, a gangster with a bone to pick with the world and a fist to throw at it; Lemya, a student and an idealist yearning for a free Ilmar; Langrice, the keeper of the Anchorage and the warden of the Port to Nowhere. Together and apart, they’ll traverse a city in the grips of occupation and on the edge of uprising, encounter strange monsters and even stranger curses, thwart the clutches of the Reproach (a corner of the city no one dares enter, and few ever truly leave), make questionable pacts with gods, and rise up against the Palleseen Occupiers who rule with the iron fist of logic and reason. I loved this. Like, it’s not quite what I’d normally go for in terms of enjoyment, but there are so many characters and they’re all so fun and their lives are woven together so beautifully. The writing style is so confident and funny and dark and emotional, and I could not wait to see what happened next. My favourite part was probably all the stuff with the Reproach; it reminds me of faerieland, where nothing is as it seems and the air itself wants to keep you there, dancing to music only you can hear long after you’re dead and gone. I highly recommend this, especially if you like slower fantasy that’s funny and dark and complex and all together a wild ride.
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Llegó bien.
Bien empaquetado, y envío rápido.
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Fantasy as it's best
Tchaikovsky is a master. The characters come to life, breathing, speaking, dancing...Even the Woods, the City and its Occupiers. I couldn't put it down.
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If You’ve Been Looking for a New Fantasy Series, Look No Further
After being a big fan of Tchaikovsky’s epic sci fi series, i decided to give his fantasy writing a go and ended up loving it. I originally bought it as an audiobook but it was worth buying it again in print (and reading it again) just so my wife and I could share it together.
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A very entertaining read with interesting characters.
I read just a few books last year which I found really memorable and this was certainly one of them. It had a distinct Discworld feel about it and a good story line.