Scar Night
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4.0 • 13 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Suspended by chains over a seemingly bottomless abyss, the ancient city of Deepgate is home to a young angel, an assassin, and a psychotic murderer hungry for revenge—or redemption. But soon a shocking betrayal will unite all three in a desperate quest. . . .
The last of his line, Dill is descended from legendary Battle-archons who once defended the city. Forbidden to fly and untrained even to wield the great sword inherited from his forebears, he has become a figurehead for a dying tradition. Now he lives a sheltered existence in one of Deepgate’s crumbling temple spires under the watchful eye of the Presbyter who rules the city.
Spine assassin Rachel Hael has better things to do than oversee the Presbyter’s angel. Each dark moon she must fight for her life among the city chains, hunting an immortal predator with a taste for blood.
But when a traitor brings enemies to Deepgate’s doorstep, Dill and Rachel are forced into an uneasy alliance with the city’s oldest and most dangerous foe. They must journey down into the uncharted chasm to save their sprawling metropolis—and themselves—from annihilation. Once they descend however, they learn that what lies below is far more sinister than what they’ve been taught to expect.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Campbell sets his stunning debut fantasy in Deepgate, a town wreathed in chains that keep it hanging suspended over a bottomless abyss, peopled by worshippers of Lord Ulcis, the god of chains, and tormented by a mad angel named Carnival. The author, who was a video game designer, renders Deepgate beautifully. It's a complex city of creaking metal links, stone and shadow, inhabited by priests, assassins and the boy-angel Dill, who will lead a journey into the abyss in a desperate attempt to save the city. Campbell has Neil Gaiman's gift for lushly dark stories and compelling antiheroes, and effortlessly channels the Victorian atmospherics of writer and illustrator Mervyn Peake as well. This imaginative first novel will have plenty of readers anxiously awaiting his follow-up.
Customer Reviews
A Dark, Brooding Novel
While not perfect, Campbell has created a fascinating world with flawed (in the good way) characters. While not all of the characters are not fully characterized (I am looking at you, Dill) they are memorable and interesting. It's a world full of despair and misery, with little hope. However the plot is fairly fast moving, you get glimmers of hope here and there, and the descriptions are fascinating and detailed. Ultimately, if you are a fan of dark, gory, fantasy, then you will probably really enjoy this novel.
Utterly incredible
I came across this book many many years ago, and I am still in awe of the sheer mastery of world building displayed in this singular book. The two that follow each have their own unique feel and vibe but do carry in the story. This will forever be one of my all time favorite books.
Perfect debut
I was blown away, utterly astonished by the descriptive layers of poetic prose that Campbell seemingly flows without through the entire story. I was held captivated by the city of Deepgate hanging it's nest of link and chain.