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Dancer's Lament is the first book in the early-empire series, Path to Ascendancy, written by Ian C. Esslemont. It was released in the UK on the 25th of February 2016 and in the US on the 31st of May 2016.[3][4][5]

Publisher's summary[]

It was once a land ravaged by war, minor city states, baronies and principates fight for supremacy, and then the rival cities of Tali and Quon formed an alliance and so Quon Tali came into being.

However that was generations ago, that dynasty has collapsed and the regional powers are now clawing at each others' throats once more. But at the heart of Quon Tali lies the powerful city state of Li Heng which has for centuries enjoyed relative stability under the guidance of the powerful sorceress known as the “Protectress”. She is not someone likely to tolerate the arrival of two particular young men in her domain: one is determined to prove he is the most skilled assassin of his age; the other is his quarry - a Dal Hon mage who is proving annoyingly difficult to kill. The sorceress and her cabal of five mage servants were enough to repel the Quon Tali Iron Legions, so how could two such trouble-makers upset her iron-fisted rule?

And now, under a new and ambitious king, the forces of Itko Kan are marching on Li Heng from the south. His own assassins, the Nightblades, have been sent ahead into the city, and rumours abound that he has inhuman, nightmarish forces at his command. So as shadows and mistrust swirl and monstrous beasts that people say appear from nowhere, run rampage through Li Heng's streets, it seems chaos is come - but in chaos, as a certain young Dal Hon mage would say, there is opportunity . . .

Front matter[]

Dedication[]

For Gerri and the boys

Acknowledgements[]

I offer my deepest appreciation to A. P. Canavan, pre-reader and editor extraordinaire. Also, thanks as always to Simon Taylor and everyone at Transworld for their support; and to Peter and Nicky Crowther, and Howard Morhaim.

Maps[]

Editions[]

Publisher Format/Edition First published Pages ISBN-10 ISBN-13 Notes
UK and Commonwealth — Dancer's Lament
Bantam Hard cover 25 Feb 2016 xxx 0593074343 978-0593074343 First Edition
Cover by Steve Stone
Bantam E-book 25 Feb 2016 544 xxx 978-1473509627 Cover by Steve Stone
Bantam Audio 25 Feb 2016 1009 min xxx 978-1473541436 Cover by Steve Stone
Bantam Mass market paperback 12 Jan 2017 544 xxx 978-0857502834 Cover by Steve Stone
United States — Dancer's Lament
Tor Hard cover 31 May 2016 416 xxx 978-0765379443 Cover by Steve Stone
Tor Trade paperback 31 May 2016 416 xxx 978-0765379450 Cover by Steve Stone
Tor E-book 31 May 2016 416 xxx 978-1466868588 Cover by Steve Stone

Plot summary[]

Dancer's Lament
Dramatis Personae Prelude
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9 Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 13 Chapter 14
Chapter 15 Chapter 16
Chapter 17 Chapter 18
Chapter 19 Chapter 20
Chapter 21 Chapter 22
Epilogue Pagination

Spoiler unsafe

The following summaries contain spoilers
Please access individual chapter summaries via the Chapter infobox

Notes and references[]

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