Book excerpt: Emperor Tenet intends to pull all people into the Sienese Empire. Wen Alder must play a dangerous game if he wants to protect his people, as he enters the service of the empire to learn all its magical secrets. 'The closest I've ever come to finding something comparable to The Name of the Wind ' The Chronicler My name is Wen Alder. My name is Foolish Cur. All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: my father's, whose family trace their roots back to the right hand of the Emperor. My mother's, whose family want to bring the Empire to its knees. I can choose between them - between the safety of empire or the freedom of rebellion - or I can seek out a better path . . . one filled with magic and secrets, unbound by suffocating legacy, but one which could shake my world to its very foundation. For my quest will bring me face to face with the gods themselves. And they have been watching. Waiting to make their move . . . The first book in the Pact and Pattern series. Fans of Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War will love the magic running through every page. Read what everyone is saying about The Hand of the Sun King: 'A debut of incredible quality' Richard Swan, Sunday Times bestselling author 'Brilliantly told and immediately engrossing' Andrea Stewart, critically acclaimed author of The Bone Shard Emperor 'Seriously, this book has everything . . . a beautiful and breathtaking fantasy work' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'A captivating epic of conflicted loyalties and dangerous ambition' Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Pariah 'I cannot praise this book highly enough, it's just brilliant' Fantasy Book Nerd 'Greathouse's writing flows like silk . . . a complex magic system, a coming of age story, a morally conflicted protagonist, ancient and mysterious gods and a massive world-spanning empire . . . full of magic, intricate detail and richly imagined fantasy elements' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The magic system is complex and fascinating . . . also, J.T. Greathouse's prose is beautiful and poetic . . . It has an intricate plot. political manoeuvring, and tragic events that Robin Hobb's fans would love' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'I felt fear and excitement and never being able to predict what was to come next aided in my helpless immersion into this story' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Alder is a phenomenal main character . . . As close to a perfect debut as any fantasy fan could ask for' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'An exciting new voice in epic fantasy' SFX