Blood of the Mantis (Shadows of the Apt, 3)

Adrian tchaikovsky, author of the Arthur C. Clarke award-winning children of time, brings you an epic fantasy series of war and empire. In this third volume, stenwold must rally his allies for battle. Blood of the mantis is the third novel in Adrian tchaikovskys richly imagined shadows of the apt series, following dragonfly falling. Stenwold must rally his allies for battle against the empire, even as it seeks a dangerous art if Act of enormous power. A dread ritual casts a deadly shadow. Achaeos the seer has finally tracked down the stolen shadow box. But he has only days before this magical artefact will be lost to him forever. Meanwhile, the empires dread forces are Mustering for their next great offensive. Stenwold and his followers have only a short time to gather allies, before the enemys soldiers March again - to conquer everything in their path. If stenwold cannot hold them back, the hated black and gold flag will fly over every city in the lowlands before the years end. Yet a more insidious threat awaits. Should the shadow box fall into the hands of the power-mad emperor, nothing will save the world from his relentless ambition. Blood of the mantis is followed by salute the dark, the fourth book in the shadows of the apt series.