The Ninth Rain (The Winnowing Flame Trilogy 1)

Book excerpt: **Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel** The first book in the award-winning Winnowing Flame trilogy. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff. 'Fantasy adventure at its very best' Starburst 'Williams excels at eldritch world-building' Guardian 'An original new voice in heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die while the realm of his storied ancestors falls to pieces - talk about a guilt trip. Better to be amongst the living, where there are taverns full of women and wine. When eccentric explorer, Lady Vincenza 'Vintage' de Grazon, offers him employment, he sees an easy way out. Even when they are joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the prospect of facing down monsters and retrieving ancient artefacts is preferable to the abomination he left behind. But not everyone is willing to let the Eboran empire collapse, and the adventurers are quickly drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure'lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall... What readers are saying about THE NINTH RAIN: 'The Ninth Rain was an amazing and captivating start to a trilogy; simple as that. I have a really good feeling that The Winnowing Flame Trilogy will become a new and long-awaited addition to my list of favorite trilogies of all time' 'What a world! What characters! What beasties! WHAT A BOOK!' 'I loved everything about this book: the characters, the plot, the monsters, the twists and turns. Masterfully handled and beautifully written'