Sal the Cacophony returns looking as badass as ever in the cover for TEN ARROWS OF IRON, the sequel to Sam Sykes’s widely acclaimed SEVEN BLADES IN BLACK. Check it out below! Sykes’s latest trilogy, The Grave of Empires, is an unforgettable epic fantasy that follows an outcast mage caught between two warring empires.

Design by Lauren Panepinto; Illustration by Jeremy Wilson

Sal the Cacophony – outlaw, outcast, outnumbered – destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.

When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself.

Praise for SEVEN BLADES IN BLACK:

“Sykes is a master at taking familiar elements of fantasy and stirring them to a wicked, wholly original churn. In Sal the Cacophony, Sykes has crafted a protagonist for the ages. Ludicrous, wicked, delightful.”    — Pierce Brown, New York Times bestselling author

“Seven Blades in Black offers villains that are as memorable and unique as the heroes. Action, magic, romance and humor mingle well in this mammoth tale. It’s an immersive read in a well realized world.”  — Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

“Exciting and inventive. I never realized how much I needed wizard-hunting gunslingers in my life.”  — Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author

“Seven Blades in Black is terrific. The tale of Sal the Cacophony is delightfully sarcastic and deeply sorrowful.”  — Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld 

“Gunslingers and mad mages and monsters, oh my. Sykes’ latest is a brutal and vulgar epic yet still fun enough that – and I say this as the highest of compliments – makes me wish like hell it ends up with an adaptation into a role-playing game.”  — Chuck Wendig, New York Timesbestselling author

“Sykes’ writing is full of heart, hilarity, and the frank understanding that as humans we are all disasters. Come for the adventures, stay for the weirdos.”  — R. F. Kuang, author of The Poppy War 

“By the end of the first page, you’ll know Sam is in love with his characters. By the end of the second, you’ll know you are too.”  — Myke Cole, author of The Armored Saint 

“A love letter to Final Fantasy and badass women, told with with an irresistible mix of passion and wit.”  — David Dalglish, author of Soulkeeper 

“With skillful worldbuilding, unexpected humor, and characters real enough to touch, this is easily Sykes’s best book to date.”  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Compulsive from start to finish.”  — Kirkus (starred review)