A Fortress in Shadow
A Chronicle of the Dread Empire
Once a mighty kingdom reigned, but now all is chaos. In the vast reaches of the desert, a young heretic escapes certain death and embarks on a mission of madness and glory. He is El Murid – the Disciple – who vows to bring order, prosperity and righteousness to the desert people of Hammad al Nakir. El Murid incites rebellion against the godless kingdoms and tribes as he plots to execute the justice of the desert. After four long centuries, El Murid is the savior who is destined to build a new empire from the blood his enemies.
Or so it
seems. El Murid has victory in his grasp, the desert tribes of Hammad
al Nakir are rallying around him, and the last remaining thread of the
royal lineage wanders the desert with only Heathens to help him. But
all is not as it seems, and the sinister forces pulling the strings of
empire come into the light. Who and what lies behind El Murid's vision
of a desert empire?
Steven Erikson, author of the Malazan series, will contribute an introduction.
A Fortress in Shadow collects the two Dread Empire prequels, The Fire in His Hands and With Mercy Towards None.
Jacket illustration by Raymond Swanland.
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Glen Cook
Glen Cook is the author of dozens of novels of fantasy and science fiction, including The Black Company, The Garret Files, Instrumentalities of the Night, and the Dread Empire series. Cook was born in 1944 in New York City. He attended the Clarion Writers' Workshop in 1970, where he met his wife. He currently makes his home in St. Louis, MO.
The Dread Empire (prequels)
The Dread Empire (prequels) consists of two primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Main series The Dread Empire
