In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers plan the long-prophesied uprising referred to as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in proportions and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in another of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and having a baby to legends…. Set in a brilliantly realized globe ravaged by dark, uncontrollable magic, this thrilling novel of battle, intrigue, and betrayal confirms Steven Erikson as a storyteller of breathtaking skill, creativity, and originality – a fresh get better at of epic dream. “Give me the evocation of the rich, complex, yet ultimately unknowable other world, with a persuasive suggestion of complex background and mythology and lore. Give me mystery amid the grand narrative. Give me a global where every sea hides a crumbled Atlantis, every mess up has a tale to tell, every mattock cutting tool is usually a silent legacy of challenges unknown. Provide me, quite simply, the fantasy function of Steven Erikson.” – Andrew Leonard, Salon