Lives of Bitter Rain: A Tyrant Philosophers Novella*2026 LOCUS FINALIST FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST SERIES* City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring 'Perfection' and 'Correctness' to an imperfect world. But before these ruthless Tyrant Philosophers send in their legions, they despatch Outreach – the rain before the storm. Outreach is that part of the Pal machine responsible for diplomacy - converting enemies into friends, achieving through words what an army of five thousand could not, urging the oppressed to overthrow the bloody-handed priests, evil necromancers and greedy despots that subjugate them. Angilly, twelve-years-old, a child of Pal soldiers stationed in occupied Jarokir, does not know it yet, but a sequence of accidents and questionable life choices will lead her to Outreach. As she travels from Jarrokir to Bracinta, Cazarkand, Lemas, The Holy Regalate of Stouk and finally, Usmai, she'll learn that the price of her nation's success is paid in compromise and lost chances, and that the falling rain will always be bitter. THE TYRANT PHILOSOPHERS A world steeped in magic of all flavours: divination, demonology, necromancy, alchemy, gods, monsters, portals to other dimensions and worlds - and what happens when it collides with an implacable foe - the Tyrant Philosophers - determined to bring reason, logic and 'perfection' to the exuberant magical chaos. 1. City of Last Chances: portrait of Ilmar, a city under Palleseen occupation 2. House of Open Wounds: portrait of the Palleseen war machine at work. 3. Days of Shattered Faith: portrait of a kingdom consumed, piece-by-piece, by Palleseen diplomatic subterfuge and espionage. 3.1 Lives of Bitter Rain: a prequel novella to Days of Shattered Faith, portrait of a life in the Palleseen diplomatic corps. 4. Pretenders to the Throne of God: portrait of a city under siege. 5. The Grave of Perfection: return to Ilmar, the 'City of Last Chances' where our story began. |
Contents
The Stick | 18 |
Ashes and Sparks | 33 |
Foxes | 53 |
The Usmai Situation | 69 |
The Ways of the Duel | 85 |
Behind the Mask | 105 |
Authors Note | 125 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alborandi Alkhalend Alkhand Allor Angilly Angilly's Archipelago asks Aunt Ostrephy baton Benallers says Bracinta Cohort-Invigilator Companion-Invigilator conjuration Correct Appreciation Correct Speech cult Dekamran demonist demons desk diplomatic Dogs of War everything Exceptional Stratagems eyes face Farasland father feel Fellow-Invigilator Lasaret fire Flockersly foreign garrison going gone Gorbudan Halseder hand hear howdah Invigilator Jarokir Kaleithi Lasaret says looks Loruthi magic Magister mask means Meller merchants monks mother nods Ostrephy says Outreach Palinet Pallesand Palleseen Resident Palleseen Sway Peor Peosts perfection perhaps phal phalanstery pools priests probably rain rapier realised robes Sage-Inquirer Sage-Invigilator she’s shoulders Sindler skia skull smells smoke soldiers someone sort stands stare Storry sure Tarcomir TCHAIKOVSKY tells temple there's things throne tin cup Tinsly Tomelly turn uniform Usmai Usmiat Usmiri Vesalreder viziers warrior prince watch Waygrove woman words Woret