Ancestral Machines: A Humanity's Fire novel

by Michael Cobley

Overview

It was named Bringer of Battles, three hundred worlds orbiting a single artificial star, three hundred battlefields where different species vie for mastery and triumph. It is a cage where war is a game -- brutal, savage and sudden. In this arena, all must bend the knee to the Lords of Permutation and the ancient sentient weapons with which they have merged. Or suffer indescribable agonies.

Trapped in this draconian crucible of death, Brannan Pyke, captain and smuggler, must fight his way to freedom.

Because in the Bringer of Battles, the game of war is played to the death and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316221184
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	01/12/2016
Series:	Humanity's Fire Series
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	193,667
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Michael Cobley was born in Leicester, England and has lived in Glasgow, Scotland for most of his life. He has studied engineering, been a DJ and has an abiding interest in democratic politics.

His previous books include the Shadowkings dark fantasy trilogy and Iron Mosaic, a short story collection. Seeds of Earth, The Orphaned Worlds, and The Ascendant Stars, books one, two and three of the Humanity's Fire sequence, were his first full-length forays into space opera.

Editorial Reviews

"Proper galaxy-spanning Space Opera ... a worthy addition to the genre."—Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth

"The invention is endless."—SFX on Seeds of Earth

"A well-constructed space opera...a thick and satisfying 10-course meal of starchy pageantry, meaty characters, bitter losses, and sweet romance."—Publishers Weekly on Seeds of Earth

"Seeds of Earth has everything: well-realised extraterrestrials, scheming artificial intelligences, set-piece space battles and bizarre technology from the dawn of the galaxy."—The Guardian (UK) on Seeds of Earth

"Space opera has never been in more capable hands."—The Guardian (UK) on The Orphaned Worlds

"Michael Cobley has added a fine piece of work to a grand tradition."—SF Crow's Nest on The Ascendant Stars

From the Publisher

"Proper galaxy-spanning Space Opera ... a worthy addition to the genre."

Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth

"The invention is endless."

SFX on Seeds of Earth

"Seeds of Earth has everything: well-realised extraterrestrials, scheming artificial intelligences, set-piece space battles and bizarre technology from the dawn of the galaxy."

The Guardian (UK) on Seeds of Earth

"Space opera has never been in more capable hands."

The Guardian (UK) on The Orphaned Worlds

"Michael Cobley has added a fine piece of work to a grand tradition."

SF Crow's Nest on The Ascendant Stars