The Memory in the Blood

(Hardback)

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When her quest to destroy the Gods began, Buc was a child of the streets. Now she is a woman of steel, shaped by gaining and losing power, tempered by love and betrayal, and honed to a fine edge by grief and her desire for vengeance. A perilous, clandestine mission to a hidden library uncovers information that is key to destroying both the Dead Gods and their enemy, the Goddess Ciris. Ciris's creation, Sin, who lives inside Buc, gives her superhuman abilities and tempts her with hints of even greater power. With that power, she could achieve almost anything-end the religious war tearing her world apart, remake society at a stroke-but the price would be the betrayal of everything she has fought for . . . and the man she loved would still be dead. In the middle of this murderous, magical maelstrom, a coded message smuggled out of the heart of the Dead Gods' cathedral reveals that the Dead Gods intend to destroy Ciris-and much of the world with her. This. Will. Not. Stand. If Buc has to destroy all Gods, eat the rich, and break the world's economy to save the people, she will do it. Even if it costs her everything.

Reviews

"The worldbuilding is as expansive as ever...Messy, bloody, and complex, this offers some serious payoff for both the characters and the reader." --Publishers Weekly

"A fast-paced ride over high seas, through secret libraries and dark cathedrals, and into the heart of a volatile heroine." --Library Journal

Additional Praise for The Fall of the Gods series:

"An intriguing fantasy, mixing plenty of mystery and magic to create a smart, fast-paced ride across the seas." --Library Journal, starred review on The Sin in the Steel

"Starts with a bang and never slows down, rollicking through naval battles, sudden betrayals, and plenty of dark magic. This fast-paced high-seas adventure will satisfy genre fans looking for swashbuckling fun."--Kirkus Reviews

"Ryan Van Loan delivers a swashbuckling romp, demons, pirates, dead gods, (30-50) feral hogs, a war-weary Watson and a guttersnipe Holmes. I can't wait to see what's next." --Max Gladstone, author of Empress of Forever

"A blisteringly paced, amazingly fun and thoughtful read!" --Fran Wilde, Nebula Award-winning author on The Sin in the Steel

"In the spirit of A New Hope, Buc and Eld conclude a story, but stand on a precipice of a much larger narrative that promises to blow the scope of The Sin in the Steel out of the water. If Scott Lynch wrote Pirates of the Caribbean, it'd be a lot like The Sin in the Steel." --Tor.com

"The mysteries are carefully crafted to capture the imagination, and the hectic unravelling of schemes and unearthing of secrets are well worth the effort needed to keep pace."--BookPage on The Sin in the Steel

"Van Loan's swashbuckling Watson and Holmes fantasy debut The Sin in the Steel is like a wild ride on a pirate ship. He's created a vivid and amazing world that readers are going to love from page one." --K.B. Wagers, author of Behind the Throne

"The Sin in the Steel is a fun book with great characters and a whole lot of adventure. It gets my recommendation for fans of fantasy, and for those looking for their next great maritime read, this is it."--FanFi Addict

Author Bio

RYAN VAN LOAN served six years in the U.S. Army Infantry, on the front lines of Afghanistan. He now works in healthcare innovation. His debut novel was The Sin in the Steel, first volume in The Fall of the Gods; it was followed by The Justice in Revenge. Van Loan and his wife live in Pennsylvania.