Blade of Dream (preorder)

(preorder—to be published in early 2025)

Dust jacket illustration by Ed Fairburn.

In Blade of Dream, Daniel Abraham returns to the living, breathing city of Kithamar that he introduced in Age of Ash. The stakes remain high, the action gripping, and the atmosphere vital as we encounter the son of a merchant house, Garreth Left, and the daughter of the city’s prince, Elaine a Sal, each soon to be entangled in conspiracy and treason, even as they find themselves equally entangled with one another.

Garreth’s family is on its last legs, risking all on a trade relationship with another culture which will see their eldest son married to a foreign woman. Garreth’s relationship with his betrothed gets off to a rocky start—they do not even share a language—and only gets rockier after he meets Elaine.

Elaine’s father has inherited rulership of the city from his recently departed uncle, elevating Elaine to the position of heir apparent. Noble families with marriageable sons begin to circle like vultures. Elaine’s rebellion takes the form of a secret night out in the city with her cousin, a night that ends with her in the arms of a certain merchant’s son.

But the relationship of these two viewpoint characters is far from the only thread woven in the skillfully braided Blade of Dream. The blade of the title will be known to readers of Age of Ash. It is still missing, it is still hunted by gods and men, and it still poses an existential threat to the city. Garreth and Elaine get swept up in events they at first cannot understand, events related to this blessed, cursed blade.

In The Kithamar Trilogy, readers will fully inhabit this memorable city over the course of a single year, moving between sets of characters, as in this second volume Blade of Dream. Abraham is also one half of James S. A. Corey, author of the beloved bestselling novel and TV series The Expanse, and has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. In this series, he brings his considerable powers to the task of creating an unforgettable, fresh vision of epic fantasy.

Lettered: 26 signed leatherbound copies, housed in a custom traycase

Limited: 400 signed numbered hardcover copies

From Publishers Weekly (Starred Review):

“Bestseller Abraham’s rich second Kithamar epic fantasy (after Age of Ash) takes an unexpected path; rather than directly continuing the prior volume’s complex tale, Abraham instead provides a parallel narrative, making this clever outing equally accessible as a standalone... Abraham’s patient storytelling pays off, perfectly setting up the trilogy’s finale, and his intricate worldbuilding makes Kithamar a pleasure to explore. Readers will not be disappointed.”

From Kirkus (Starred Review):

“[This book] continues to highlight a favorite Abraham theme: the complex outcomes stemming from personal choice... Great character work and interesting plot development make this an exceptional middle volume.”

From Joe Abercrombie:

“An atmospheric and fascinating tapestry, woven with skill and patience.”