Fall of the Argosi

(Paperback)

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Description

New to the ways of the Argosi, the tribe of wandering philosophers who seek to defeat evil by wit and guile, Ferius Parfax encounters a hideous plague - the Red Scream. Highly contagious, caught by the hearing of a deadly verse, it turns its victims into mindless monsters that destroy all human life they come into contact with. With the help of a deaf boy whom she has saved from two horrifying victims of the plague, Ferius sets out to find the source of the Red Scream and overcome its terrifying power. Along the way she is joined by another Argosi, Rosie, who purports to be so much wiser and more adept than Ferius, but who turns out to have her own dark secrets.

Peopled with extraordinary characters and gut-wrenching drama, Ferius's story teaches her hard lessons about the limits of the Argosi's ways. Readers will delight not just in this amazing masterclass in plot pacing and narrative drive, but in the seemingly bottomless well of wit, thought and wisdom that the story brings up and that has changed lives across the globe. It takes the reader on a journey like no other.

Reviews

"A fun, fast-moving adventure, with surprising depth and insight." Jim C. Hines, Hugo Award-winning author, on Spellslinger

"An intriguing system of magic, wry humor, and a twisting plot make for an entertaining series debut. Kirkus Reviews on Spellslinger

"Exotic, original and gripping from the get-go, Spellslinger is a must-read. Jonathan Stroud, New York Times bestselling author, on Spellslinger

"Told with the conviction of Ursula Le Guin and the dash of Alexandre Dumas." New Statesman on Spellslinger

"Spellslinger is the start of something truly special. Sebastien de Castell is a master of breakneck pacing, dagger-sharp dialogue, and twists you didn't see coming--and this series has it all."Nicholas Eames, author ofKings of the Wyld onSpellslinger

"Hugely enjoyable - fast-paced, compassionate, wise and with terrific characters." Amanda Craig, author of Hearts and Minds onSpellslinger

"A tremendously fun read full of wit and action." James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost on Spellslinger

"A bucket-load of tension is offset with humour, power struggles, lots of magic and some great characters. Fantasy junkies will devour with relish."Guardian onSpellslinger

"Written with such obvious joy and brio that it demands to be read."RJ Barker, author ofAge of Assassins on Spellslinger

"There's room for wit and playfulness amid the high-stakes duels and death matches, and Kellen's career is likely to run and run."ObserveronSpellslinger

"We can confidently say that de Castell's new series has hit the ground running." Starburst Magazine on Spellslinger

"It has cliff hangers, pace, humour, life lessons, and a memorably feisty squirrel cat."Sunday Times onSpellslinger

Author Bio

Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way. Sebastien lives in Vancouver with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats. Follow Sebastien www.decastell.com or on Twitter: @decastell