Book details

Book description

In the penultimate book of Michael Pryor's brilliant steampunk adventure series, the war that has loomed for so long is finally declared. Can Aubrey's magic save him this time? The unthinkable has happened: Albion is at war. Aubrey and George are swept up into the military - but not in the way they expect. With Caroline drafted into the Special Services, Aubrey is sure the combination of his magic, George's practical skills and Caroline's fighting secrets will make them a formidable team. But what if the military hierarchy has other ideas? When Aubrey's top secret espionage unit is sent to Gallia to investigate mysterious magical emanations, what they discover is intelligence gold. Holmland is about to unleash an unstoppable horror upon the world. It could win the war within weeks. Aubrey is in a dilemma: should he obey orders and simply observe, or should he and his friends do their best to stop a bloodbath? Saving thousands of lives could cost Aubrey his own. But that's never stopped him before. Michael Pryor has published more than twenty-five fantasy books and over forty short stories, from literary fiction to science fiction to slapstick humour. Michael has been shortlisted six times for the Aurealis Awards, has been nominated for a Ditmar award, and six of his books have been CBCA Notable Books, including three books in the Laws of Magic series. Michael's most recent books include The Chronicles of Krangor series for younger readers, The Laws of Magic series and The Extraordinaires series for older readers, as well as 10 Futures, a collection of interlinked stories imagining what our next 100 years might be like.