Dominion of the Fallen

Paris, turn of the century. The Great War between magical Houses of Fallen angels has devastated the city. The Seine runs black with ashes, the great monuments are blackened ruins, and the Houses still fight. It is a quiet war of alliances and intrigues played in worn drawing-rooms and once-elegant gardens. Silverspires, once the greatest House, is now nothing more than a minor player in those intrigues. Philippe, a young man from the colonies of the East, is caught harming a helpless Fallen, and held prisoner in House Silverpires. His path intersects with Isabelle, the naive Fallen he has wounded; Selene, the insecure Fallen head of the House; and Madeleine, a washed-out alchemist addicted to angel drugs. Together, they will either save the House, or cause its final, irrevocable Fall... Praise for Dominion of the Fallen and Aliette de Bodard: "Fantastic! de Bodard's tale of a post-everything Paris... burns with vengeful magic and a subtle, shining prose." - Max Gladstone, author of the Craft sequence "A Gothic masterpiece of supernatural intrigues, loves and betrayals... wildly imaginative and completely convincing... will haunt you long after you've put it down." - Tim Powers, author of The Anubis Gates "An intense, beautiful, brutal journey written with an eye for the stunning, vivid detail and the cruel demands of duty, loyalty, and leadership. Its portrait of a ruined Paris ruled by fallen angels is one I won't soon forget." - Kate Elliott, author of The Witch Roads

Paris, turn of the century. The magical factions known as Houses intrigue in the ruins of the city to gain power over their rivals. Among these, House Hawthorn is on the rise: now fully recovered from a bloody coup of twenty years earlier, it is now sending a delegation to the Annamite dragon kingdom under the river Seine, hoping to secure a prestigious marriage between sadistic Fallen angel Asmodeus and an imperial prince. Madeleine, a former alchemist working to beat her drug addiction, goes with the delegation and finds herself amidst the plots and dangers of the Annamite culture. Dragon prince Thuan is undercover in House Hawthorn, trying to find the source of a destructive drug traffic. And in the Houseless areas of Paris, Françoise, lover of Asmodeus's Fall-sister, wants protection for their unborn child. As the waters of the Seine rise and the intrigues of West and East come to a head, those three will have to choose between their own safety, and that of House Hawthorn... Praise for Dominion of the Fallen and Aliette de Bodard: "Incredible… one of the most original fantasy settings I've seen." - Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time "Rich, emotional, gripping." - SciFiNow "A dark saga of ruined cities, fallen angels, and awakening dragons… a must read… an intoxicating blend of gothic mystery, apocalyptic fantasy, and Vietnamese myth-meaty, singular, and satisfying." - Joel Cunningham, Barnes and Noble