'When so many fantasy sagas are tired, warmed-over affairs, a writer like K.J. Parker is more of a hurricane than a breath of fresh air.' - Dreamwatch

'This is grown-up fantasy blessed with humour, intelligence and... panache. A bravura display of intricate storytelling and artfully-doled-out revelations.' - SFX

Condemned to death, the engineer Ziani Vaatzes escaped from Mezentia. His implacable determination to return home led him to contrive an intricate plan to bring down the Republic, a plan which require a war. He regrets the deaths. But he had no choice.

Duke Valens dragged his people into the war to save the life of one woman. Then he killed her husband. Now, allied to the nomadic barbarians who have the manpower to defeat Mezentia, the Duke regrets the evil he's done. But he had no choice.

Secretary Psellus never wanted to rule the Republic, or fight a desperate siege for its survival. Trying to make sense of how it all happened, he finds himself compelled to investigate the circumstances of Vaatzes' crime. He is terrified of what he might find out, but he has no choice.

The machine has been built. All that remains is to set it in motion.

The stunning conclusion to The Engineer Trilogy - a fast-moving mix of politics, action and intelligent world-building - that continues to push the boundaries of fantasy fiction.

Books by K.J. Parker:

Fencer Trilogy
The Colours in the Steel
The Belly of the Bow
The Proof House

Scavenger Trilogy
Shadow
Pattern
Memory

Engineer Trilogy
Devices and Desires
Evil for Evil
The Escapement

Saloninus
Blue and Gold
The Devil You Know

Two of Swords
The Two of Swords: Part 1
The Two of Swords: Part 2
The Two of Swords: Part 3

Novels
The Company
The Folding Knife
The Hammer
Sharps
Savages
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City
My Beautiful Life

• We started tracking this book on May 15, 2012.
• This book was £4.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 30 times in the past 4,930 days.
• The current price of this book is £2.99 last checked 4 hours ago.
• The lowest price to date was £2.99 last reached on November 12, 2025.
• This book has been £2.99 9 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £8.99 last reached on July 25, 2015.
• This book has been £8.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Publication Date: November 5, 2009
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 436 Pages
• File Size: 752 KB