Emperor of Ruin


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
 Copyright © 2023 by Django Wexler
 Excerpt from The Bladed Faith copyright © 2022 by David Dalglish
 Excerpt from The Stardust Thief copyright © 2022 by Chelsea Abdullah
 Cover design by Lauren Panepinto
 Cover illustration by Scott Fischer
 Cover copyright © 2023 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
 Map and chapter ornaments by Charis Loke
 Author photograph by Rachel Thompson
 Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
 The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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 First Edition: February 2023
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 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
 Names: Wexler, Django, author.
 Title: Emperor of ruin / Django Wexler.
 Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Orbit, 2023. | Series: Burningblade & Silvereye ; book 3
 Identifiers: LCCN 2022015615 | ISBN 9780316519663 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780316519649 (ebook)
 Subjects: LCGFT: Fantasy fiction. | Novels.
 Classification: LCC PS3623.E94 E47 2023 | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20220401
 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022015615
 ISBNs: 9780316519663 (trade paperback), 9780316519649 (ebook)
 E3-20230204-JV-NF-ORI
 
 
 
 Contents
 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Copyright
 Dedication
 Map
 Cast of Characters
 Series Recap
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Chapter Fourteen
 Chapter Fifteen
 Chapter Sixteen
 Chapter Seventeen
 Chapter Eighteen
 Chapter Nineteen
 Chapter Twenty
 Chapter Twenty-One
 Chapter Twenty-Two
 Chapter Twenty-Three
 Chapter Twenty-Four
 Epilogue
 Acknowledgments
 Discover More
 Glossary
 Extras
 
 Meet the Author
 A Preview of "The Bladed Faith"
 A Preview of "The Stardust Thief"
 
 
 Also by Django Wexler
 Praise for the Burningblade & Silvereye Trilogy
 
 
 
 
 Begin Reading
 Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
 Praise for the Burningblade & Silvereye Trilogy
 Praise for Ashes of the Sun
 “Wexler’s post-apocalyptic world is rich with history and fascinating in its inventive combination of magic, alchemy, and technology. This standout series opener is a winner: intricate, immersive, and irresistible.”
 —Booklist (starred review)
 “Ashes of the Sun is fantasy at its finest: deliciously inventive, brimming with ancient evils, fallen empires, mysterious technology, and devastating magic. Best of all, however, are its characters, each one crafted with deliberate care and developed in meaningful ways as their story unfolds.”
 —Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
 “Impressive post-apocalyptic fantasy.… Familial tension, magic, and politics combine to kick this series off to a powerful start.”
 —Publishers Weekly
 “Magic, mutants, and mayhem abound in Django Wexler’s Ashes of the Sun, but there’s also plenty of brain food to be had in this tale of a post-catastrophe world suffering under the yoke of unbending authoritarian rule. A fast-paced and highly entertaining ride through a compelling and original world.”
 —Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Song
 Praise for Blood of the Chosen
 “An outstanding adventure with a swiftly paced narrative and fully developed characters who readers come to care about, Blood of the Chosen shows how the power 
 
 BY DJANGO WEXLER
 BURNINGBLADE & SILVEREYE
 
 Ashes of the Sun
 Blood of the Chosen
 Emperor of Ruin
 THE SHADOW CAMPAIGNS
 
 The Thousand Names
 The Shadow Throne
 The Price of Valor
 The Guns of Empire
 The Infernal Battalion
 
 
 
 
 For ZeraMax
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Cast of Characters
 (as of the end of Blood of the Chosen)
 Yora’s crew in Deepfire
 Yora—daughter of the famous failed revolutionary Kaidan Hiddenedge, and leader of a group of thieves and rebels opposed to the rule of Dux Raskos Rottentooth. Killed by Tanax in the centarchs’ ambush of her group.
 Gyre Silvereye—also known as Halfmask for the mask he wore to hide his missing eye. See the series recap.
 Sarah—an arcanist and scavenger. Badly wounded by blaster fire in the centarchs’ ambush, losing an arm, which was later replaced by a ghoul prosthetic. Traveled with Gyre to Khirkhaz and formed a relationship with Elariel. Escaped from the Purifier with Gyre and Maya.
 Nevin—a thief and Sarah’s boyfriend. Disappeared after the centarchs’ ambush.
 Ibb—a scavenger. Abandoned the group for civilian life when Kit’s assignments proved too dangerous.
 Harrow—a scavenger and animal handler. Tunnelborn, with a crush on Yora. Killed by a ghoul construct on