An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham, book three Long Price Quartet

Denver Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club

AN AUTUMN WAR
by
DANIEL ABRAHAM

An Autumn War (2008)
The Long Price Quartet - Book Three

Cover art by Stephan Martiniere

Tor hardcover
366 pages (left)

Tor fantasy paperback
422 pages (right)

From the back cover of the paperback:
       A War to Decide the Fates of All....
       The cities of the Khaiem have lived in peace for generations, protected by the magical powers of the andat. They have no need of armies or fortifications or the burdens of war. But after centuries of complacency, all that is about to end. Galt, the ancient enemy of the Khaiem, has a new leader: the charismatic, principled, obsessed general Balasar Gice. Armed with a secret weapon that can strip the Khaiem of their unique defenses, he has amassed the greatest army the world has ever seen. His goal: the permanent destruction of the andat and the cities they protect.
       Only Otah Machi, ruler of the great city of Machi, sees the precipice on which his world stands. He has no choice but to gather the cities of the Khaiem together in a struggle for which they are not prepared. As total war descends upon the cities of the Khaiem, Otah must face the slaughter of his nation, and the one desperate chance to save it. But the price of winning the approaching war may be worse than losing it....

From the inside flaps of the hardcover:
       In the first two novels of the Long Price Quartet, Daniel Abraham took readers to a fascinating world both hauntingly exotic and yet also disturbingly familiar in its social and political dynamics. Poised between a medieval society as seen in the cities of the Khaiem and the technology-driven, militarily ambitious empire that threatens to destroy it, the world, as seen through the eyes of Otah Machi, is full of potential for magic and humanistic achievement...and for catastrophic disaster.
      Otah, unlike most citizens of the Khaiate cities, understands the precipice on which his world is balanced. Machi and the other cities have no physical defenses or standing army. They rely on the magical andat -- created beings with magical powers that can destroy any invading force. The andat have protected the cities of the Khaiem for generations, but all that is about to change.
       For centuries, the Galtic Empire has looked hungrily upon the riches of the Khaiem. But because of the threat of the vast powers of the andat, Galt has never dared attack. Enter Balasar Gise, ruthless general of the Galtic Army, who understands the power of the andat and is obsessed with preventing them from wreaking terrible destruction on the world, as has happened in centuries past. And now General Gice has a secret weapon that if employed would leave the Khaiem open to complete annihilation.
      With the Galtic army fast approaching, Otah Machi must rally the Khaiate cities and quickly raise an army. It will take a great deal of persuasion to get all the cities to accept a common leader, but if they do not soon form a unified front, there will be nothing to stop the Galts from sweeping down upon them in a vast, devouring horde.

Read for group discussion on November 11, 2009

RATINGS:
How we each rated this book

Dan	-	Amy	-	10 Wow! Don't miss it 8-9 Highly recommended 7 Recommended 5-6 Mild recommendation 3-4 Take your chances 1-2 Below average; skip it 0 Get out the flamethrower! U Unfinishable or unreadable - Skipped or no rating given
Cheri	9	Barb	-
Aaron	-	Cynthia	-
Jackie	9.5	Ron	9

Our book group has read the following books by Daniel Abraham
-- A Shadow in Summer in November 2007
-- A Betrayal in Winter in November 2008

Bibliography:
Daniel Abraham is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. He lives in New Mexico.

The Long Price Quartet
--A Shadow in Summer (2006)
--A Betrayal in Winter (2007)
--An Autumn War (2008)
--The Price of Spring (2009)

Other works
--Hunter's Run (2008, with Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin)
--"Shadow Twin" (2004, novella, with Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin)
--George R.R. Martin's Wald Cards: The Hard Call (2008, graphic novel with art by Eric Battle)

Pseudonymous urban fantasy, The Black Sun's Daughter series
--Unclean Spirits (2008, as M.L.N. Hanover)
--Darker Angels (2009, as M.L.N. Hanover)

Links:
Our book club's page for A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
Our book club's page for A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham
Aaron's review of A Shadow in Summer on Fantastic Reviews
Daniel Abraham -- Works and Information
BookLoons Reviews - Autumn War by Daniel Abraham
Harriet Klausner reviews AN AUTUMN WAR
An Autumn War: Book 3 In The Long Price Quartet Series | Sci Fi UK
Locus Online: Daniel Abraham interview excerpts (2008)

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This page was last updated November 22, 2009