Empire in Black and Gold is the first instalment in the critically-acclaimed fantasy series Shadows of the Apt. It's brought to you by Adrian Tchaikovsky, winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

The days of peace are over . . .

The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace and prosperity for decades, hailed as bastions of civilization and sophistication. That peace is about to end.

Far from the Lowlands, an ancient empire has been conquering city after city with its highly trained armies and sophisticated combat techniques. Now it's set its sights on a new prize.

Only the ageing Stenwold Maker - spymaster, artificer and statesman - can see the threat. So it falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people. For war will sweep across their lands, burning away everything in its path. Yet first, he must stop himself from becoming the empire's latest victim.

Empire in Black and Gold is followed by the second book in the Shadows of the Apt series, Dragonfly Falling.