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Blackwing

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Blackwing

By: Ed McDonald
Narrated by: Colin Mace
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“A remarkably assured fantasy debut that mixes of the inventiveness of China Miéville with the fast paced heroics of David Gemmell.”—Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Legion of Flame

Set on a postapocalyptic frontier, Blackwing is a gritty fantasy debut about a man’s desperate battle to survive his own dark destiny...
Hope, reason, humanity: the Misery breaks them all.

Under its cracked and wailing sky, the Misery is a vast and blighted expanse, the arcane remnant of a devastating war with the immortals known as the Deep Kings. The war ended nearly a century ago, and the enemy is kept at bay only by the existence of the Engine, a terrible weapon that protects the Misery’s border. Across the corrupted no-man’s-land teeming with twisted magic and malevolent wraiths, the Deep Kings and their armies bide their time. Watching. Waiting.

Bounty hunter Ryhalt Galharrow has breathed Misery dust for twenty bitter years. When he’s ordered to locate a masked noblewoman at a frontier outpost, he finds himself caught in the middle of an attack by the Deep Kings, one that signifies they may no longer fear the Engine. Only a formidable show of power from the very woman he is seeking, Lady Ezabeth Tanza, repels the assault.

Ezabeth is a shadow from Galharrow’s grim past, and together they stumble onto a web of conspiracy that threatens to end the fragile peace the Engine has provided. Galharrow is not ready for the truth about the blood he’s spilled or the gods he’s supposed to serve… Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Sword & Sorcery Fiction War Scary Royalty
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Critic reviews

Praise for Blackwing

“Blackwing quickly gained the rare distinction of being one of those books that felt as if it had been written especially for me...Ed McDonald handles the action with a deft hand and has created a compelling central character who remains likeable despite a lengthy list of flaws.”—Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Legion of Flame

“Original world-building and unforgettable characters make Blackwing a dark, powerful debut.”—Brian Staveley, author of Skullsworn

“Blackwing is a bloody, gritty fantasy novel that manages not to sacrifice its heart. I love the world, which feel strange and lived-in, and the strength of the voice is fantastic. Fans of Glen Cook’s The Black Company or Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series will be very happy with this one.”—Django Wexler, author of The Guns of Empire

“Blackwing is potent, gritty, bloody, and splendid.”—Faith Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of Cold Reign

“Vivid characters, visceral combat and a twist of an ending that I really should have seen coming and didn’t...Suffice to say, I bloody loved it and I am officially an Ed McDonald fan. He deserves to go far.”—Elspeth Cooper, author of The Songs of Earth

“Gritty and immersive, Blackwing is a hugely enjoyable tale.”—Edward Cox, author of The Watcher of Dead Time

Continue the series
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Immaculate Worldbuilding • Unique Magic System • Perfect Pacing • Relatable Characters • Gritty Storytelling

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This was my kind of dark.
Love the characters and the story was deep but easy to follow.
I will definitely finish the series.

Loved it

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I absolutely love the writing, the characters, and the story. Brilliant in so many ways. How have I missed out on this author for so long? The only problem I had was that I had to slow the narration speed down to 0.85 in order to make any sense of it. That's more of a personal preference, but I thought I'd mention it. Still though, great job!!!

I loved this book and can't wait to read the rest!

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it's like if the most hard boiled detective ever was stuck in elden ring. loved it

ludicrously hard boiled

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Well written, well performed and well worth the credit. This book is fast paced and gritty with good action. Buy it.

Good book.

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I really enjoyed this story. Within the fantasy genre, I tend to be a little wary of the "bitter, old-ish soldier" type main character and while Galharrow does fall into this category, it's pulled off very well. He's not a walking stereotype, but rather a multidimensional character. The same goes for the other characters, many of which, refreshingly, are female. There's no meek, pretty girl waiting for rescue, they're all interesting personalities in their own rights.
The story itself is also entertaining and much better than I thought it would be based on the summary. Definitely going to listen to the next book as well!

Great story with multifaceted characters

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