Must read heroic fantasy that fans of Joe Abercrombie, David Gemmell and Mark Lawrence will enjoy. Readers have described this as fast-paced and action packed, whilst praising the strong female characters and enjoying the self-contained story without the usual epic fantasy tropes.

There are many stories about the Lost Company. Were they heroes or villains? Saviours or traitors? Or merely legend. But all legends have a grain of truth they say, and all stories have a beginning.

The Aenean Empire, the godless Empire of the Fist, stretches from the Wall of Civilization in the east to the Cold Sea in the west. The small, proud kingdom of Ethylund is the last bastion of freedom in the western world. These warrior people are tied to the land and worship the spirits that reside there; but what chance do they have against the all-conquering Empire?

Yet hope remains. Led by the legendary swordsman Harold Hadrin and the fearsome Captain Roma, the Ethyl have won a historic victory against the Aeneans, sending shockwaves across the land and spelling a change in the war.

But when catastrophe strikes - for reasons no one understands - and the Ethyl army are forced to fight a desperate retreat, one company finds itself behind Imperial lines with enemies all around them. It falls to the indomitable Captain Roma, who is said to be wedded to death, Sergeant Tuggs, a man held back by guilt, and the cowardly squad-mage Mane, whose own men despise him as much as the enemy, to get the company home.

Their struggle will see mountains toppled, ancient powers awoken, and the embers of rebellion fanned to life.

But with enemies within the company as well as without, and a strange dark presence haunting their every step, will they have the strength and courage to bring the lost company home?