An electrifying blend of high fantasy and futuristic warfare…
A desperate team of rebels fights to free a long-imprisoned goddess in McGowan’s sprawling fourth volume in the Players of the Game series. War has engulfed the supercontinent of Trojis. Ashe Stelfire and his allies launch a high-stakes mission to liberate Celsis Kri, the tattooed goddess of conquest, from an extra-dimensional ice fortress where she’s been muzzled and chained for 1,600 years. But first, they must hold the line in Findenton, a beleaguered frontier city facing annihilation from the Holy Alliance and its nightmarish forces.
McGowan juggles dozens of characters and multiple war fronts without losing focus. A legendary pyromancer, Ashe is powerful but weary. Ed, still grappling with the trauma of Corsis’s claws and the strange new visions they’ve unlocked, is no grandstanding hero. He’s just someone trying to keep others alive while losing parts of himself along the way. Matt’s calm contrasts Ed’s barely contained fire. Tamona, a living echo of the imprisoned goddess, anchors the team’s spiritual drive.
McGowan’s writing is vivid and brisk. The dialogue feels lived-in and the humor dry and cutting. The action is relentless, yet the emotional beats hit just as hard. Despite its many plot threads, the novel holds together by focusing on one central question: how do you win a rigged game? Corsis, the eternal manipulator, ensures every loss and every win serves him. Yet the heroes come to understand that winning isn’t about playing better; it’s about breaking the rules. Fans of the series will find plenty to savor. Newcomers will be tempted to dive into book one.
Ambitious, gritty, and emotionally charged.
Coming soon