Those Above The Empty Throne Book 1, Daniel Polansky
Those Above The Empty Throne Book 1, Daniel Polansky
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Those Above: The Empty Throne Book 1
An epic fantasy adventure

Author: Daniel Polansky

Narrator: Andrew Wincott

Unabridged: 14 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Hodderscape

Published: 02/26/2015

Categories: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic

Synopsis

They enslaved humanity three thousand years ago. Tall, strong, perfect, superhuman and near immortal they rule from their glittering palaces in the eternal city in the centre of the world. They are called Those Above by their subjects. They enforce their will with fire and sword.

Twenty five years ago mankind mustered an army and rose up against them, only to be slaughtered in a terrible battle. Hope died that day, but hatred survived. Whispers of another revolt are beginning to stir in the hearts of the oppressed: a woman, widowed in the war, who has dedicated her life to revenge; the general, the only man to ever defeat one of Those Above in single combat, summoned forth to raise a new legion; and a boy killer who rises from the gutter to lead an uprising in the capital.

Those Above is the first of an extraordinary new fantasy epic by the author of the acclaimed Low Town series that will sweep the reader into a wholly alien, wholly recognizable world of rebellion and revenge, of love and of death, of intrigue and pitiless war.

(P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton

About Daniel Polansky

Daniel Polansky was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He can be found in Brooklyn, when he isn't somewhere else. His debut novel, THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE, received great acclaim. TOMORROW, THE KILLING is the second novel in his 'Low Town' series, with the third publishing in 2013.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on February 25, 2025

Before I get into this I need to headline that Daniel Polansky is a brilliant writer who annoys me by writing stuff I know I would do a less good job on. Those Above is a very good book that you should go out and buy. A wonderfully written book. Those focused on plot may enjoy it less than I did. I did......more

Goodreads review by Sean Barrs on February 13, 2016

Those Above, by Daniel Polansky, is one of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read. Not just because it was poor but, because it could have so easily been something good. It has such a good write up that just doesn’t quite fit the novel; the cover art is fantastic but, the sword is so irrelevant......more

Goodreads review by Bradley on February 09, 2017

I've surprised myself by expecting less and receiving more from this book. Honestly, I've read so many epic fantasies by this point that I either have to read something that is written extremely well or it comes with an extraordinary number of innovations, or both, before I get truly wowed. I'm not q......more

Goodreads review by Matthew on May 05, 2015

They enslaved humanity three thousand years ago. Tall, strong, perfect, superhuman and near immortal they rule from their glittering palaces in the eternal city in the centre of the world. They are called Those Above by their subjects. They enforce their will with fire and sword. Twenty five years a......more

Goodreads review by Choko on June 22, 2019

*** 3.41 *** I really should have loved everything about this book. On paper, it checks off all my favorite things. It is imaginative, it has some historical influences mixed with some myth, it is shaping up to be Epic in nature and still has the four different POV's of very different backgrounds, gi......more

Quotes

Machiavellian clockwork glory.

Those looking for well-createed and beautifully created fantasy, which also happen to be both darkly comic and devastatingly grim, will find themselves swiftly addicted. Starburst

Dark fantasy with a decidedly military bent, THOSE ABOVE is the perfect opener for Daniel Polansky's career beyond Low Town. With his unmistakeable voice and his highly original new world, he draws the reader slowly in until it's impossible to put the book down and escape back to reality. A brilliant start to what is sure to be one of the fantasy epics of all time, THOSE ABOVE is the work of an author at the top of his game and brings with it the promise of a lot more to come. Reader Dad

THOSE ABOVE is I, Claudius by way of Tolkien and filtered through Chandler. That is to say, really damn good. Pornokitsch

From low conflict to high skulduggery, this is Daniel Polansky's most assured and engrossing novel yet. The Sci Fi Bulletin

Gripping... Polansky has pulled off a polished fantasy thriller that's very much in the George RR Martin/Joe Abercrombie vein, but has still given the book its own distinctive style and voice, alongside plenty of evocative world-building. The Empty Throne (series) looks set to be fascinating and provocative. SFX

"With THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE, Polansky pushed the envelope of modern fantasy. With TOMORROW THE KILLING, he tears through the envelope and pushes for horizons yet unseen." Myke Cole, author of Control Point

'In Tomorrow the Killing, Polansky shows us he is no one-book wonder... If you haven't read Polansky yet, you must remedy this ASAP. He writes gripping, addictive stories with a grim eloquence...Very, very highly recommended. Polansky is definitely among my new favourite authors. Essential reading.' civilian-reader.blogspot.com

'Tomorrow The Killing delivers more of the same noir-esque brilliance that placed The Straight Razor Cure amongst the top releases of last year.' The British Fantasy Society

Praise for THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE

'Quite brilliant... The Straight Razor Cure is as good a debut as I've read in along time. [It] has it all - and as the name suggests, it is sharp, steely and viciously bloody. Highly recommended' John Berlyne, SF Revu

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