A Crown for Cold Silver

by Alex Marshall

Overview

"It was all going so nicely, right up until the massacre."

Twenty years ago, feared general Cobalt Zosia led her five villainous captains and mercenary army into battle, wrestling monsters and toppling an empire. When there were no more titles to win and no more worlds to conquer, she retired and gave up her legend to history.

Now the peace she carved for herself has been shattered by the unprovoked slaughter of her village. Seeking bloody vengeance, Zosia heads for battle once more, but to find justice she must confront grudge-bearing enemies, once-loyal allies, and an unknown army that marches under a familiar banner.

Five villans. One Legendary General. A final quest for vengence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316277990
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	04/14/2015
Series:	The Crimson Empire , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	281,578
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Alex Marshall is a pseudonym for Jesse Bullington, acclaimed author of several novels in different genres including The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart and The Enterprise of Death. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/02/2015
The sprawling, warring cast and magical-medieval setting of Marshall’s series launch may look familiar at first, but exceptional writing, a middle-aged warrior heroine, and organically infused gender nonconformity make this fantasy epic a first-rate trailblazer. From the first, when former rebel leader and queen Cobalt Zosia all but dismantles the young officer sent to destroy her life, Zosia’s assurance and intelligence establish a commanding presence. Believing her successor responsible for the massacre of Zosia’s husband and village, she abandons her 20-year self-imposed exile and sets out with aching joints, palpable grief, and hearty libido to revive her rebel army. Marshall blends character, background, history, and action to create a seamless fantasy realm of weary mercenaries, randy adrenaline-fueled nobles, conflicted religious fanatics, old grudges, new betrayals, and one endearing demon dog. With a tactician’s skill, Marshall introduces elements of plot and character that are enlarged and enveloped in the central story line, but careful structuring never precludes chaotic action or emotion, nor does it undermine any of the third-act surprises. The hidden identity of the highly skilled, pseudonymous author adds an interesting wrinkle, and the splendid storytelling, wry humor, and unresolved intrigue will leave readers hungry for the sequels. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"This is my favorite kind of fantasy — alternatively irreverent and brutal, with a cast of wonderfully scarred and nasty people. Any fans of Steven Erikson, Mark Lawrence, or Joe Abercrombie will love A Crown for Cold Silver; I've just finished it, and I'm already eager for more."—Django Wexler

"Alex Marshall builds a sprawling world that grows larger and deeper with every page. Instantly believable. Zosia and her Five Villains are as fun as they are twisted."—David Dalglish

"An epic fantasy that will surprise you. When was the last time you read one of those? Marshall deftly sets up and subverts expectations at every turn. If you think you know what's coming, think again."—Kameron Hurley

"Brimming with imagination and invention... Fabulous!"—John Gwynne

"Exceptional writing, middle-aged warrior heroine, and organically infused gender nonconformity make this fantasy epic a first-rate trailblazer... splendid storytelling, wry humor, and unresolved intrigue."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"This brawny revenge fantasy feels like a Tarantino movie: a hugely entertaining mix of adventure and comedy, punctuated by moments of darkness, with clever dialogue and explosive set-pieces... A pure joy to read."—Booklist (Starred Review)

"This sweeping adventure is a first from Marshall and delivers a colorful cast. It sparkles with details that make a fantasy world come alive: echoes of cultures jumbled together in new ways, drug addicts who allow poisonous insects to sting them for a high, and unusual gender roles and depictions."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Full of bloody battles, intimidating monsters and incredible feats, fans of thoughtful storytelling, tough-as-nails heroines and absorbing fantasy will love this novel."—RT Book Reviews

"Marshall's rich cast of characters .... are driven by passion, duty and humanizing, terrifying flaws... A Crown for Cold Silver drags epic fantasy through the mud - but it does so with wit, wonder and wisdom."—NPR Books

"Looking forward to see[ing] more of this complicated and dark world."—Philadelphia Free Press

"A complex, mold-breaking fantasy protagonist."—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

"This lusty debut will have you gasping in one breath and laughing in the next with its cast of multicultural characters, gender-bending soldiers, same-sex coupled kings and warrior women of all ages who throw themselves into the fray. By the latter half of the novel, you realize Marshall is playing a long, glorious game."—Washington Post

From the Publisher

★ 03/15/2015
Having left her crown behind and allowed the world to believe her dead, Zosia is furious when she understands that the queen of the Crimson Empire sent a regiment to kill everyone in her village, including her husband. Determined to get revenge, she sets out to gather old allies to destroy the queen. All the while, a young princess has taken up Zosia's banner (assuming the dead queen would have no need of it) and built an army. The two groups are on a collision course, and Zosia's old allies who now ride with the princess will be pretty surprised to find her still very much alive. VERDICT This sweeping adventure is a first from Marshall (apparently a pseudonym of an acclaimed author) and delivers a colorful cast. It sparkles with details that make a fantasy world come alive: echoes of cultures jumbled together in new ways, drug addicts who allow poisonous insects to sting them for a high, and unusual gender roles and depictions.

Library Journal

2015-02-17
What begins as a typical revenge story veers into an epic tale of invasion, civil war, and divine incursion in the apparent first of a series by a pseudonymous author.More than 20 years ago, Gen. Cobalt Zosia, her Five Villains, and her peasant army assassinated King Kaldruut of the Crimson Empire and placed Zosia on the throne. When the nobles and the merchants actively sabotaged her efforts to create a more equitable society, she faked her death, married a courtesan, and lived a happy, peaceful life in the rural village of Kypck…until a brash, inexperienced colonel ordered his regiment to slaughter everyone in Kypck except for her. Zosia immediately embarks upon a campaign against the one she's sure is responsible—the current ruler, Queen Indsorith. But as the Crimson Empire faces conflict between the queen and the power-hungry Church of the Burnished Chain, unrest with a rival empire, and a new outlaw army headed by a rebellious princess posing as Zosia, can the aging bandit really be sure as to the identity of her foe? The famous warrior violently forced out of retirement and thrust into renewed conflict has been done many times and in many genres, and for a good portion of the book, there seems to be little to distinguish this from its predecessors. But it gradually becomes clear that Marshall is playing a wider and more interesting game. Ultimately, Zosia isn't truly the protagonist (or at least, not the only one) nor the primary catalyst for events, which lends the story greater potential, both here and in future volumes. A promising start.

Kirkus Reviews