Steel Remains (Hardcover)

"An epic tale of gods and magic, betrayal and survival ... The Steel Remains will not disappoint. Morgan writes with an immediacy and frankness often hard to come by in fantasy, and his themes have great relevance to today's society. His portrayals of sex and violence are not for the squeamish reader, and his language is down-to-earth, but for those who prefer to have the sugar coating removed , THE STEEL REMAINS is a fantastic example of the modern fantasy genre." WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY "After five science-fiction novels that explored the seamier side of corporate machinations in grittily realised futures, Morgan turns his hand to classic fantasy. What remains constant is his flair for setting, complex political feuding, and strong characters forever on the outskirts of society. Ringil's character and his complex relations with those around him lift this novel far above the average." -- Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN "Morgan has taken traditional sword and sorcery tropes and given them a hard, contemporary kick. The antithesis of the cosy fairytale, this is one for big boys." -- Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES "It compels you to read on with its gritty, visceral writing and intelligent plot. It's tense and fascinatingly people and given that the follow ups will doubtless be tremendous, you're encouraged to jump on from the start. Just, ahem, steel yourself." -- Dave Bradley SFX "Richard Morgan's first foray into fantasy territory is, without a doubt, a grand success. Great characters in a great story are what drives all good books, and you get that here, with acres of bloody space for your imagination to gambol and play in. This is far, far better than any other fantasy you'll pick up this year." -- Guy Haley DEATHRAY "What raises the bar here from your run-of-the-mill fantastical hyper-narrative is the fact Morgan has written such a character-driven novel. All genres survive and thrive through reconfiguration and what Morgan has done with The Steel Remains is take a familiar template and rework it into something original, a novel that bends the traditional fantasy conventions to give a uniquely individual spin. Fast-paced and epically evocative." -- James Jones GAYDAR NATION "The Steel Remains is a dark, sometimes brutal tale that ably demonstrates why Morgan is one of the most adventurous fantasy writers around today." -- Wayne Clews ATTITUDE "The Steel Remains excels when Morgan steps back from the challenges to the reader, and the world-building, and really lets loose and has fun. Even at the bleakest moments in the book, the crisp, earthy dialogue between the characters never feels forced. Similarly, the action - sometimes quick and deadly, sometimes lavishly detailed - is always sleek, cinematic and brutal. Like rubber-necking at a collision of F1 cars." PORNOKITSCH "Dark, brooding, bloody, visceral and absolutely takes no prisoners. But the story it is telling is compelling, the characters are well-defined and the world throws up some refreshingly new ideas and concepts" THE WERTZONE "Think 'The Dying Earth' with added barbarian badassery - this is some very superior genre-blending. Brutal fantasy fun." SANDSTORM REVIEWS "In a genre area currently filled with diamonds amongst the rough, it is one of the best books I've had the fortune to read this year. Those who know of Richard's SF, and like Fantasy, will be most impressed by The Steel Remains. There are going to be people who read this, not having read Richard's SF, who will be in for a shock. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. This was an eagerly awaited book which didn't let me down. Very highly recommended." SFFWORLD.COM "It's extremely good. Morgan is a gifted writer, and his gifts are lavishly on display here. The Steel Remains is a powerful turn-everything-up-to-eleven reading experience. It's the most impressive Fantasy novel I've read in a very long time: a big, brave, bollocks-out and often brilliant novel. It's not perfect, but it's a major novel for all that. I can't wait for vol 2." -- Author of "Swiftly" ADAM ROBERTS "TSR would make an excellent introduction to Morgan's strengths as a writer of adrenaline-tinged, throught-provoking, memorable speculative fiction. An enjoyable, engrossing read." -- Simon Petrie ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS "A thoroughly entertaining read. If you're a fantasy fan (or fan of Richard Morgan's sci-fi work) then this is a book that you need to read this year. I'm already looking forward to the sequel!" GRAEME'S FANTASY BOOK REVIEW "Morgan has succeeded in keeping the scope and scale of the best in the genre, while making it more realistic through the introduction of more complex, fallible characters, with vices, doubts and fears (I wonder what Tolkein's Aragorn would make of Ringil). With his trademark hard-bitten, cynical characters, sex scenes that are more explicit than genre norms, and an effective, sparse writing style, Richard Morgan has really delivered the goods here." BOOKGEEKS.CO.UK "Since debut Altered Carbon, Richard Morgan has made a name for himself with taut science fiction thrillers; he now turns the same brutal energy to "fantasy noir". Our three protagonists are embittered, exiled, an embarrassment to the world they saved. They're dragged out of retirement to face a new threat, but the book's interest is as much in the psychology of these damaged, nostalgic veterans as in the gory action which ensues. Should appeal to both his fans and fantasy's." -- Alex Sarll PRESS ASSOCIATION "Bold, brutal, and making no compromises - Morgan doesn't so much twist the cliches of fantasy as take an axe to them. Then set them on fire." -- Author of "The Blade Itself" JOE ABERCROMBIE "A tautly-woven multi-layered fantasy tapestry with never-ending new discoveries and revelations, The Steel Remains kept me entranced and turning pages rapidly to learn the next new event or denouement. Author Richard Morgan truly delivers with this novel, which ought to appeal even to readers who don't usually pick up a story in the fantasy genre. I highly recommend this novel." RAINBOW READS "The characters are well drawn and detailed, and come complete with drug habits, taboo-breaking sex lives and shady pasts. It is a credit to Morgan that he makes such 'warts-and-all' characters with all their attendant flaws so engaging, and he has a real knack for crafting believable dialogue. Fans of character driven, low-fantasy rejoice. Richard Morgan takes to the genre easily and rewards his readers with blood, sweat, tears and black humour." -- Den Patrick DREAMWATCH TOTAL SCI-FI "British novelist Richard K. Morgan, best known for his hardboiled science fiction (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies, etc.) dips his toe into the fantasy genre with his new book The Steel Remains. Okay, he doesn't so much dip his toe as wade in tooth and claw swinging a broadsword." SCIFI DIMENSIONS "If you thought that the only thing missing from Lord of the Rings was some hot Aragorn and Legolas action, then The Steel Remains may be the book for you. Slaying dragons, saving worlds and sucking cock are all in a day's work for hero Gil Eskiath in this gripping sci-fi fantasy. Richard Morgan's first foray into fantasy has produced a stark, dark, brutalist vision. The characters themselves display a startling realism and depth that moves beyond the realms of fantasy." THE PINK PAPER "An explicit, eagerly awaited fantasy story that's full of brutality and grit." MIDLANDS ZONE

Ringil, the hero of the bloody slaughter at Gallows Gap is a legend to all who don't know him and a twisted degenerate to those that do. A veteren of the wars against the lizards he makes a living from telling credulous travellers of his exploits. Until one day he is pulled away from his life and into the depths of the Empire's slave trade. Where he will discover a secret infinitely more frightening than the trade in lives. Archeth - pragmatist, cynic and engineer, the last of her race - is called from her work at the whim of the most powerful man in the Empire and sent to its farthest reaches to investigate a demonic incursion against the Empire's borders. Egar Dragonbane, steppe-nomad, one-time fighter for the Empire finds himself entangled in a small-town battle between common sense and religious fervour. But out in the wider world there is something on the move far more alien than any of his tribe's petty gods. Anti-social, anti-heroic, and decidedly irritated, all three of them are about to be sent unwillingly forth into a vicious, vigorous and thoroughly unsuspecting fantasy world. Called upon by an Empire that owes them everything and gave them nothing. Richard Morgan brings his trademark visceral writing style, turbo-driven plotting and thought provoking characterisation to the fantasy genre and produces a landmark work with his first foray.