Peace has defined the Lowlands for generations, but the quiet masks a danger that only Stenwold Maker is willing to confront. As an ageing artificer, statesman, and master of secrets, he sees what others refuse to acknowledge. A distant empire is expanding with relentless discipline, testing new weapons and tactics as it prepares to strike the prosperous city states next.
While leaders cling to comfort, Stenwold races to gather allies and send warnings across the Lowlands. His mission grows perilous as enemy agents move in the shadows and assassins close in on every step he takes. Survival becomes the first battle in a much larger war.
The opening volume of the acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, Empire in Black and Gold launches a richly imagined epic of politics, espionage, and approaching conquest.
