Alan Campbell's debut novel Scar Night was an impressively atmospheric celebration of fantasy phantasmagoria. It was set in an ancient city suspended by enormous chains over an abyss in which a dark god resides, eagerly awaiting the bodies of the city's dead. Throughout, Scar Night was filled with a sense of twisted history, of ritual preserved for so long that it had become mere nonsensical babble in the mouths of clueless priests. There was a lot of shadow and a lot of dust within its pages, and the effect was grim, gothic, and gritty. Against this backdrop Campbell offered a story that was equally well drawn -- a solid narrative with drive and momentum. It was a very impressive début. Equally impressive was Campbell's Subterranean Press novella,Lye Street, released last year, set in the same world and capturing once more the very essence of what made Scar Night such an affecting read.

Product Description:
In this stunning follow-up to his epic fantasy debut, Alan Campbell propels readers into a captivating city battling for its own survival—and that of humankind—in a world of deities and demons, fallen angels and killers.

After a destructive battle, the ancient swaying city of Deepgate has been overtaken. Most of the chains that suspend it have given way, and the temple now dangles upside down above the once-uncharted abyss. The victorious Spine have initiated martial law and are ruthlessly pursuing all who attempt to leave. But amid the turmoil, two captives are returned: the young angel Dill, now toughened by war, and traitor assassin Rachel Hael.

Incarcerated in the crumbling temple, the prisoners await their fate—while ghosts rise through the abyss from the open gates of Hell. But as the city teeters on the brink, plans for vengeance are set in motion. And in the coming battle between gods, it is the world of men that is at stake.

(Source: Spectra)