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The Serpent Gates #1
by A. K. Larkwood
A. K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name is a stunning debut fantasy about an orc priestess turned wizard's assassin.
What if you knew how and when you will die?
Csorwe does―she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.
But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin―the wizard's loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.
But Csorwe will soon learn―gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.
"[P]henomenal...Lyrical, immersive prose masterfully conveys complex worldbuilding. Epic fantasy fans are sure to be impressed by this expertly crafted adventure." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Lushly detailed with incredible worldbuilding, Larkwood's debut is a singular take on orcish fantasy, filled with fierce fighting and magic." - Library Journal (starred review)
"[I]maginative but never fully convincing...A moderately promising entry that should find an audience." - Kirkus Reviews
"A fun, fresh take on the traditional fantasy quest, and an adventure I couldn't put down!" - S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
"Astounding...written with skill and stunning assurance. The worlds this story spans are as exotic and dangerous as the characters who traverse them. From its flawless first page to its bittersweet last, The Unspoken Name is unlike anything I've read before." - Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
"What a glorious book! Richly detailed, enthralling, and extraordinary, with brilliant nods to such luminaries as Ursula K. Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones. A.K. Larkwood's book hooked me in from the first page and never let go. Fabulous, in every meaning of the word." - Jenn Lyons, author of Ruin of Kings
This information about The Unspoken Name was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
A.K. Larkwood studied English at St John's College, Cambridge, and now lives in Oxford with her wife and a cat. The Unspoken Name is her debut novel.
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