Synopses & Reviews
Trial of Flowers by Campbell Award-winning author Jay Lake explores the world of the City Imperishable. Gods long since laid to rest now spread terror in the night, while invading armies race the oncoming snows of winter to besiege the walls. The City Imperishable's secret master and heir to the long-vacant throne has vanished from a locked room, as politics have turned deadly in a bid to revive the city's long-vanished empire. The city's dwarfs, stunted from spending their childhoods in confining boxes, are restive. Bijaz the Dwarf, leader of the Sewn faction among the dwarfs, fights their persecution. Jason the Factor, friend and apprentice to the missing master, works to maintain stability in the absence of a guiding hand Imago of Lockwood struggles to revive the office of Lord Mayor in a bid to turn the City Imperishable away from the path of destruction. These three must contend with one another as they race to resolve the threats to the city.A decadent urban fantasy in the tradition of Perdido Street Station, City of Saints and Madmen and The Etched City, Trial of Flowers showcases one of speculative fiction's hottest talents.
Review
"Lake's masterfully atmospheric prose, littered with odd and endearing minutiae, sustains unforgettable characters, making this essential reading in the increasingly popular subgenre of urban fantasy." Booklist
Review
"Trial of Flowers is more than just a guilty pleasure...and several Big Ideas are visible through the viscera....Lake proves himself a good tour guide, offering new neighborhoods to explore, and while his language may not reach the pyrotechnic intensity of some of his predecessors, it is nonetheless as flavorful and decadent as the characters it describes." William Alexander, Rain Taxi (read the entire Rain Taxi review)
Synopsis
The City Imperishable's secret master and heir to the long-vacant throne has vanished from a locked room, as politics have turned deadly in a bid to revive the city's long-vanished empire. The city's dwarfs, stunted from spending their childhoods in confining boxes, are restive. Bijaz the Dwarf, leader of the Sewn faction among the dwarfs, fights their persecution. Jason the Factor, friend and apprentice to the missing master, works to maintain stability in the absence of a guiding hand. Imago of Lockwood struggles to revive the office of Lord Mayor in a bid to turn the City Imperishable away from the path of destruction. These three must contend with one another as they race to resolve the threats to the city.
About the Author
Jay Lake lives and works in Portland, Oregon, within sight of an 11,000 foot volcano. He is the author of over two hundred short stories, four collections, and a chapbook, along with novels from Tor Books, Night Shade Books and Fairwood Press. Jay is also the co-editor with Deborah Layne of the critically-acclaimed Polyphony anthology series from Wheatland Press. His next few projects include The River Knows Its Own (Wheatland Press), Madness of Flowers (Night Shade Books) and Stemwinder (Tor). In 2004, Jay won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He has also been a Hugo nominee for his short fiction and a three-time World Fantasy Award nominee for his editing.