Nominated for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel of the Year. Nominated for the British Fantasy Award. Nominated for the Grand Prix de L'Imaginaire. Nominated for the Prix Jacques Chambon. Nominated for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. Best Fantasy of the Year for versions of Tor.com, The Guardian and Waterstones. A combination of the prose of Charles Dickens, the imagination of China Miéville and the atmosphere of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast. God is dead. His corpse is hidden in the catacombs beneath Mordew. In the slums of a city being destroyed by the sea, a boy named Nathan Treeves lives a miserable existence with his parents. But one day his desperate mother sells him to the mysterious Lord Mordew, who invisibly rules the city. The Lord receives his magical power by feeding on the remains of the god. However, Nathan, despite his low origins and his own fears, also has a power that surpasses everything that the Master has ever known or could do. The power is great enough to destroy everything he has built. If only Nathan learns how to use it. And so the Master begins to weave intrigues, and Nathan will have to face betrayal, uncover ancient secrets and settle personal scores with the strange inhabitants of the city in order to come to the place where the god was killed and eternal darkness reigns. “Attractive a combination of Dickensian social satire and hard fantasy with steampunk elements. Written with sparkle... This is exactly the kind of atmosphere Lovecraft and Hogarth would have created on mescaline.” – The Spectator “Beautifully written... A gripping, suspenseful, action-packed book.” – Irish Times “A strange and wonderful, dark and wonderful novel... It is an extraordinarily vivid account of the creation of the world.” – Sunday Express “Think Great Expectations and Gormenghast, with an ending that hints at an interesting sequel.” – Literary Review “Unusual, extravagant and frightening.” – The Guardian “This novel... Oh my God, this novel. He is awesome!" – Interzone “The book has a compelling premise and is truly ambitious fantasy. It's not an easy or quick read, but it's worth the time and effort to understand its complex nature." – Grimdark Magazine “This is a darkly delicious tale of a boy's rise to greatness, with a strong flavor of Mervyn Peake and a touch of Michael Moorcock.” – The Guardian “The future of fantasy begins here.” – Marlon James