Craft Sequence

A god has died, and it's up to Tara, a first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethras, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring him back to life before his city falls apart. Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without him, the metropolis' steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot. Tara's job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god who's having an understandable crisis of faith. When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb's courts-and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb's slim hope of survival. Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces listeners to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs. Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Epilogue "Max Gladstone has created a fascinating universe and equally fascinating characters. It's a world in which magic is craft and religion has some very practical rules, and he shows it through the stories of some very interesting characters. This is his first novel. I can't wait for his second." "This has so many of my favorite things: an intriguing world, fun characters, a puzzle of a story that manages to be both funky fantasy and legal thriller. Three Parts Dead is simultaneously fast paced and thoughtful, and I thoroughly enjoyed it." "With his first book, Max Gladstone gives promise of being a true star of twenty-first-century fantasy." "[A] fascinating debut...The story remains suspenseful and fast-paced throughout, and the diverse, female-led cast is a joy to follow through the fascinating and unusual landscape." "Absorbing…This is a fresh, strong debut from Gladstone, and I look forward to what he does next." "Fresh, beautiful, surprising language. Not to mention Gladstone's behind-the-scenes parallel to our own failed gods, a trumped economy and the folks who ran it. Smart sf fans should love." "Combining murder mystery, corporate intrigue, and thaumaturgic fireworks, Three Parts Dead gives us not just an excellent urban fantasy but a brilliant new world to explore. I can't wait to see what he does next."

A novel set in the addictive and compelling fantasy world of Three Parts Dead Shadow demons plague the city reservoir, and Red King Consolidated has sent in Caleb Altemoc-casual gambler and professional risk manager-to cleanse the water for the sixteen million people of Dresediel Lex. At the scene of the crime, Caleb finds an alluring and clever cliff runner, crazy Mal, who easily outpaces him. But Caleb has more to worry about than the demon infestation, Mal, or job security when he discovers that his father-the last priest of the old gods and leader of the True Quechal terrorists-has broken into his home and is wanted in connection with the attacks on the water supply. From the beginning, Caleb and Mal are bound by lust, craft, and chance, as both play a dangerous game where gods and people are pawns. They sleep on water, they dance in fire, and all the while the Twin Serpents slumbering beneath the earth are stirring-they are hungry. "If you've been looking for a different kind of fantasy-part urban, part epic, maybe something in between-you'll thoroughly enjoy this novel." "It's not a typical transparent fantasy quest story, but is, instead, a satisfying story that muses about environmental catastrophes, troubling father-son relationships, and corporate mergers." "Gladstone outdoes himself in this exciting and imaginative return to the brilliantly realized world of Three Parts Dead…The alternate Los Angeles that is Dresediel Lex is charged with its own versions of ethnic tensions and environmental strain, and Caleb is an engaging protagonist for this taut and unique blend of legal drama, fantasy, and noir." "Gladstone follows his acclaimed debut, Three Parts Dead, with another fast-paced fantasy thriller set in the same world. This time, he focuses on the sprawling city of Dresediel Lex, rich in a history and culture reminiscent of the Aztecs, which serves as a dramatic backdrop for the novel's action. This worthy sequel should receive attention from fans of China Miéville and Steven Erikson." "Two Serpents Rise is an epic, solidly city-based fantasy with strong characters and a wonderfully built world. It's also a fast-paced thriller, thoroughly entertaining." "Another highly unusual fantasy (Three Parts Dead, 2012) set in the same carefully constructed, Aztec-inspired world of gods, magic and sacrifice."