Book description
THE ACCLAIMED SEQUEL TO THE CHOSEN
In desperation, the Ruling Lord Suth searches within the sacred
walls of Osrakum for Carnelian, his son, and Osidian, the God Emperor
elect. He suspects the Empress Ykoriana is behind their disappearance
and knows that if they are not found soon it is her other son,
Osidian's brother Molochite, who will rule - with fearful consequences
for the Three Lands.
Captive of the tribes of the Earthsky, Carnelian is - for the moment
- safe, and succumbs readily to the seasonal rhythms of tribal life,
he is convinced by unexpected discoveries that it is fate that has
bought him there. He grows to love these simple people and hopes for
sanctuary among them. But the dark forces Carnelian helped unleash in
Osrakum begin to cast their shadow over his adopted home. He is
witness to the awful oppression that the Masters - whom the tribesmen
call the Standing Dead - have been inflicting on them for millennia.
But even more terrible is the presence Carnelian has unwittingly
brought with him. Potent and terrifying, it threatens everything he
now holds dear in this new-found world.
With The Standing Dead, Ricardo Pinto gives us a tumultuous new
chapter in the Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy and confirms his
place as one of fantasy's most singular and literate voices.
Ricardo Pinto is Portuguese, but has lived and studied in Scotland
since he was a child. Previously he designed and programmed computer
games. This is his second novel. He lives in Edinburgh and is currently
working on the final volume in this trilogy.
