Things are going badly for the Clan in this SF novel of the Merchant Princes, the immensely popular series by Charles Stross. Locked in a vicious civil war for control over the kingdom of Niejwein, their army is bottled up inside a fortress under siege in two parallel universes at once. Duke Angbard, the Clan's leader, has been laid low by a stroke: plotters are already conspiring in readiness for the deadly dance to come. Miriam, rescued from a tight spot in New Britain, finds the hopes of the young, progressive faction focused on her. But, do they want her as a leader or a figurehead? She soon finds herself thrown into a desperate struggle for power. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the Clan, researchers working for the US government have achieved a technological breakthrough.
"Politics, intrigue, and striking plot twists make this story a compelling read. The fast-paced and complex interpersonal and political maneuvering will leave readers hard-pressed to put this book down before finding out how it ends."
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
"[These books] are, first and foremost, great fun. Charles Stross's Merchant Princes novels are economic science fiction worth reading."
Paul Krugman, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of The Great Unraveling
