"An original fantasy filled with magic and culture, the story of a character torn between two names, two loyalties, and two definitions of good and evil."--Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Spine of the Dragon Wen Alder was born into two worlds. On his father's side, a legacy of proud loyalty and service to the god-like Sienese Emperor spanning generations. And it is expected that Alder, too, will follow this tradition by passing the Imperial exams, learning the accepted ways of magic and, if he serves with honor, enhancing his family's prominence by rising to take a most powerful position in Sien--the Hand of the Emperor. But from his mother he has inherited defiance from the Empire, a history of wild gods and magic unlike anything the Imperial sorcerers could yet control. It began when his spirited, rebellious grandmother took Alder into the woods and introduced him to her ways--ways he has never been able to forget. Now, on the verge of taking the steps that will forge the path of his life, Alder discovers that the conflict between the Empire and the resistance is only the beginning of a war that will engulf both heaven and earth, gods and man--and he may be the key to final victory for whichever side can claim him as their own... "Sublime prose and pin-sharp characterisation combine to produce a captivating epic of conflicted loyalties and dangerous ambition." --Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author "The Hand of the Sun King is not the gentle story of a boy's rise to power; instead, it digs its fingernails into the layers of an empire that would consume and erase half that boy's identity. Brilliantly told and immediately engrossing, filled with magic, mistakes and their merciless consequences." --Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter "The Hand of the Sun King is an outstanding debut novel with very well-conceived world building and an excellent, original magic system, and twists that will keep you reading late into the night and guessing until the very end. The thing that really makes it shine is the main character--I really loved his development throughout the story. Alder is a character I look forward to following for multiple books to come." --Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series "A great coming of age story about a foolish boy who seeks to unravel the secrets of magic and maybe do something good in the process. I absolutely loved it." --Nick Martell, author of Kingdom of Liars "Well written