Obsidian and Blood / Aliette de Bodard

“Amid the mud and maize of the Mexica empire, Aliette de Bodard has composed a riveting story of murder, magic and sibling rivalry.”
- Elizabeth Bear

“I haven’t enjoyed a proper detective story this much in ages, and the rich setting, monsters and magic just added an extra layer of delight.”
- David Devereux

A massive fantasy omnibus containing all three novels in the Obsidian and Blood series:

Servant of the Underworld: Year One-Knife, Tenochtitlan – the capital of the Aztecs. The end of the world is kept at bay only by the magic of human sacrifice. A priestess disappears from an empty room drenched in blood. Acatl, high priest, must find her, or break the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Harbinger of the Storm: The year is Two House and the Mexica Empire teeters on the brink of destruction, lying vulnerable to the flesh-eating star-demons – and to the return of their creator, a malevolent goddess only held in check by the Protector God’s power. The council is convening to choose a new emperor, but when a councilman is found dead, only Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, can solve the mystery.

Master of the House of Darts: The year is Three Rabbit, and the storm is coming… The coronation war for the new Emperor has just ended in a failure, the armies retreating with a mere forty prisoners of war – not near enough sacrifices to ensure the favor of the gods. When one of those prisoners of war dies of a magical illness, Acatl, High Priest for the Dead, is summoned to investigate.

File Under: Fantasy [ Magical Murder | Aztec Mystery | Human Sacrifice | The Gods Walk ]

This omnibus edition contains all three volumes of the Aztec Mystery series:

1. Servant of the Underworld
2. Harbinger of the Storm
3. Master of the House of Darts

Praise and Reviews:

“A vivid portrayal of an interesting culture in a truly fresh fantasy novel.”
- Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Winds of Dune

“A gripping mystery steeped in blood and ancient Aztec magic. I was enthralled.”
- Sean Williams

“The world-building is exquisite and we *believe* we are transported to the 15th century Tenotichtlan and together with the superb voice they formed the main reason I enjoyed this book so much… Highly recommended… Ms. de Bodard is a writer to watch.”
- Fantasy Book Critic

“Servant of the Underworld is an incredibly strong and promising debut, showing her talents at full effect – she can create amazing, believable worlds; her characters are solid and relatable, and she knows how to do interesting magic, great action and creepiness in spades.”
- Fantasy and SciFi Weblog

“Servant of the Underworld is a highly original debut novel. Thanks to a solid mystery plot and Aliette de Bodard’s extensive research into pre-Conquest Meso-America, this novel should strike a chord with more than just fantasy readers.”
- FantasyLiterature.com

“de Bodard weaves a substantial air of magic and wonder into her narrative.”
- Booksquawk

“Part murder mystery, part well-researched historical novel and part fantasy… The fantasy element blends neatly with the other parts. 4****”
- SFX Magazine

“The book starts out a slow, steady pace and builds momentum from there. It’s not some huge action scene that hooks you. It’s the atmosphere. The blood spilled to gain favor from the gods. The cultural details Bodard infuses in each moment.”
- Examiner.com

“From page one I was drawn into Acatl’s world… a remarkable historically-based fantasy, using the myths and legends of the Aztec people as a background to a twisting murder mystery.”
- Speculative Book Review

“de Bodard’s writing is polished and striking, as she convincingly fills in the colorful elements of the Aztec culture–even if those colors tend to be of blood and bile as well as flowers and hummingbirds… beautiful, grimy, breathtaking, and morbid. 5 *****”
- Examiner.com

“The [Aztec] setting of these books is wonderful, and de Bodard creates a really immersive sense of place that draws you in and encourages you to find out more for yourself.”
- The Saint, Halos and Anvils

“This is one of the greatest stories ever told. Aliette de Bodard has brought Noir, Aztec and Fantasy together for an explosive and engaging mix worthy of being called a new trend in the genre. If you have ever wanted to experiment with your reading, then you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than read the story of Acatl, High Priest of the Dead.”
- Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields

“This is top notch fantasy with moments of horror and lots of action. A must have for fantasy fans, and a bargain to boot!”
- Theresa Derwin, Terror Tree

OBSIDIAN AND BLOOD (OMNIBUS}
Aliette de Bodard
Fantasy

UK/RoW
5 Jul 2012
896pp B-format paperback
£12.99 UK
ISBN 9780857662354

US/CAN
26 Jun 2012
896pp trade paperback
$15.99 US / $16.99 CAN
ISBN 9780857662361

eBook
26 Jun 2012
£9.99
ePub ISBN 9780857662378