And, indeed, he went out of the way to surprise and delight me with the kinds of twists and turns in this book. Strangely, I got the feeling that the author was worried about the same thing. The second one already blew my mind with a certain bloody scene, so I was frankly a little worried that this one would be yet another huge build-up and betrayal. I mean, seriously, I've never read a more grimdark tale of friendship and betrayal in the name of a cause. If Baru had absolute power over the Imperial Republic, she could force Falcrest to abandon its colonies and make right its crimes.Īfter the first two books in the Masquerade, the third would have to pull off a miracle to outdo what has already been done.

Now she must choose between genocidal revenge and a far more difficult path-a conspiracy of judges, kings, spies and immortals, puppeteering the world's riches and two great wars in a gambit for the ultimate prize. Baru's own mind teeters on the edge of madness or shattering revelation. Is that justice? Is this really what Tain Hu hoped for when she sacrificed herself?īaru's enemies close in from all sides. If it escapes quarantine, the ancient hemorrhagic plague called the Kettling will kill hundreds of millions.not just in Falcrest, but all across the world. The secret society called the Cancrioth is real, and Baru is among them.īut the Cancrioth's weapon cannot distinguish the guilty from the innocent. After fifteen years of lies and sacrifice, Baru Cormorant has the power to destroy the Imperial Republic of Falcrest that she pretends to serve. Seth Dickinson's epic fantasy series which began with The Traitor Baru Cormorant, returns with the third book, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant.

The baru cormorant