The Year of our War by Steph Swainston

The Year of our War

Steph Swainston

You'll need a strong stomach for the battle scenes and concentration to piece together this highly original fantasy world. A drug-addicted Immortal who can fly is the best hope the Fourlands have of defeating their foe, the giant Insects. Sensual, beautiful, disgusting, surreal: I was sorry to wake up!

Extract
I charged downhill, and when I thought I'd reached top speed, I found a little more. A little more, a little more, till it was too fast to breathe.
Speed is a state of bliss.
I forced down half-spread wings. Feathers slapped the ground, but on the next beat I jumped and their downward movement pushed me up. I felt a metre of lift but the effort was agony.
I jump, and I keep going up.
My body took over, my mind dull with pain. Every beat tore at the muscles in my waist .... I looked down and saw tiny people.
Parallels
  • Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
  • Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
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Violence
Explicit sexual content