Corver’s hand came up to sting, but shaking so badly that he could not aim. Instead he brought it back until it was before his face. His Art was locked within it, that had killed the Empire’s enemies since he had first donned the black and gold. He reached for it, felt the warmth of his sting building, staring into his own hand, willing it to become his executioner.
But: Oh, warrior, whispered Argastos’s voice once more, and Corver knew that he did not have the will. He was no tragic Mantis hero to die on his own blade. All his human sensibilities could not eclipse that animal part of him that desired life, at whatever cost.
Go to your Empress, Argastos instructed him – and despite it all Corver found himself echoing, Empress? – but Argastos was continuing, that dry voice etching the words on his mind, Go to her and tell her: I am here, and ready for her. When she seeks me, she shall find me waiting.
Who knows? Perhaps she will bring you with her, when she comes.
Praise for Shadows of the Apt
‘A novel brimming with imagination and execution’
SciFiNow
‘Epic fantasy at its best. Gripping, original and multi-layered storytelling from a writer bursting with lots of fascinating ideas’
WalkerofWorlds.com
‘Superb world building, great characters and extreme inventiveness’
FantasyBookCritic blog
‘Adrian is continuing to go from strength to strength. Magic’
FalcataTimes blog
‘Reminiscent of much that’s gone before from the likes of Gemmel, Erikson, Sanderson and Cook but with its own unique and clever touch, this is another terrific outing from Mr Tchaikovsky’
Sci-Fi-London.com
‘I still cannot deny the greatness of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s books . . . a glorious success of fantasy literature’
LECBookReviews.com
‘Tchaikovsky’s series is a pretty great one – he has taken some classic fantasy elements and added a unique (as far as I’m aware) twist and element to his characters and the world . . . Tchaikovsky has created a world that blends epic fantasy and technology’
CivilianReader blog
‘Tchaikovsky manages to blend these insect characteristics with human traits convincingly, giving a fresh slant to the inhabitants of his classic tale’
SFReader.com
War Master’s Gate
Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself 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, has trained in stage-fighting, and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind, possibly excepting his son.
Catch up with Adrian at www.shadowsoftheapt.com for further information plus bonus material including short stories and artwork.
War Master’s Gate is the ninth novel in the Shadows of the Apt series.
Acknowledgements
The same giants whose shoulders I have clambered up for previous volumes remain very much in support for this one: Annie, my wife; Simon Kavanagh, my agent; Peter Lavery, my line editor; and all the many useful people at Tor. I would also like to thank Keris McDonald for getting me and the Second Army out of a bit of a tactical dilemma partway into the plot.
At this stage, though, drawing towards the conclusion of a series, I sometimes feel that the people I need to thank the most are the characters themselves, who by now are really writing large swathes of the plot without much intervention needed by me. For which their reward, all too often, is a final one.
BY ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY
Shadows of the Apt
Empire in Black and Gold
Dragonfly Falling
Blood of the Mantis
Salute the Dark
The Scarab Path
The Sea Watch
Heirs of the Blade
The Air War
War Master’s Gate
First published in 2013 by Tor
This electronic edition published 2013 by Tor
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
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www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-0-230-77140-6
Copyright © Adrian Czajkowski 2013
Map artwork © Hemesh Alles
The right of Adrian Czajkowski to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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