Go back to the “vivid and unusual” (Kirkus Testimonials) globe of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s The Burning City, where in fact the open fire god has retreated into myth, leaving the citizens of Tep’s Town unprotected for the very first time in their background.

Sadly, a fiery destiny isn’t the just danger Tep’s City can be facing. Monsters are arriving forth from the desert-great wild birds with blades rather than wings, driven by some unidentified force. Although they could be killed, the risk these “terror parrots” pose can be worse than loss of life. Danger in the highways means no trade; simply no trade means the extinction of Tep’s City.

Sent to discover the way to obtain the terror birds, Lord Sandry and his beloved, Burning Tower, have to travel right into a world where magic continues to be strong-and where somebody or something waits to destroy them.

Filled with the sweeping experience, memorable characters, and imaginative world-building which have defined the novels of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, Burning Tower is certainly another triumph.