Seven Deaths of an Empire

Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of an Empire...A new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark, GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence.The Emperor is dead. Long live the Empire.General Bordan has a lifetime of duty and sacrifice behind him in the service of the Empire. But with rebellion brewing in the countryside, and assassins, thieves and politicians vying for power in the city, it is all Bordan can do to protect the heir to the throne.Apprentice Magician Kyron was assigned to the late Emperor’s honour guard escorting his body on the long road back to the capital.But even a magician’s power may fail when enemies emerge from the forests intent on seizing their precious cargo.Whoever controls the Emperor’s body, controls the Empire...

Paper Plane Reviews

"Truly stellar world-building, which combines all the griminess of cyberpunk with the majesty and terror of the sea." -- Paper Plane Reviews

Super Star Drifter

"It had plenty of twists and turns, and I was on the edge of my submarine pilot seat once or twice. The ending left lots of room for more adventure but wrapped up this particular part of the tale. It was very well done. I like Corin’s sense of humour too, so that was a plus." -- Super Star Drifter

Rapture in Books

“Corin, as a character, has been put through the wringer quite a bit and you feel for him or I certainly did. He’s awesome!” -- Rapture in Books

Fantasy Hive

“Corin Hayes' adventure in Silent City is an altogether more visceral first-person adventure set in a far future where humanity has fled beneath the waves to live in undersea cities. The story is packed with action from the first page which has our hero preparing for a beating to the last where our hero is... (spoilers, as Riversong would say).” -- Fantasy Hive ?

Publishers Weekly

“The plot’s surprising twists and turns will wow fantasy fans.” -- Publishers Weekly

The Fantasy Hive

"Matthews delivers visceral descriptions of battle, the cut and thrust of gladius and pila, the shouldering of shields, the smell of blood and fear – and weaving through this, the delicate nets of magical constructs that can still snap, inflame or explode." -- The Fantasy Hive

Grimdark Magazine

"This is fantasy at its finest." -- Grimdark Magazine

SFX

“Refreshingly original” -- SFX Magazine

Fantasy-Faction

“Both bloody, and bloody well written.” -- Fantasy-Faction

Fantasy Book Nerd

“Full of tension, intrigue, and action” -- Fantasy Book Nerd

British Fantasy Society

"Matthews delivers on the bigger picture stakes" -- British Fantasy Society

Fanfiaddict

"It's exciting at every turn with a wonderfully spun plot that keeps you guessing the entire time." -- FanFi Addict

Aurealis

"A cracking read that will burn the candle in the night." -- Aurealis

The Library Journal

"Older teens and adults will enjoy the novel’s political intrigue and struggle to survive, which are reminiscent of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones or a slightly less fantastical version of Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series." -- Library Journal

Bookworm Blues

"A magnificent, thoughtful, highly readable account, full of political intrigue and dripping with potent, dark atmosphere. This is a must read for fantasy fans who enjoy political machinations." -- Bookworm Blues

A Rambling Reviewer

“It has all the elements you expect from fantasy: magic, battles, power-struggles and impossible odds keeping you gripped.” -- A Rambling Reviewer

Set the Tape

“It’s been a long time since a book made me swear out loud in horror... This is a story about politics, faith, betrayal and the loss of innocence, and I for one will be eagerly looking forward to a sequel.” -- Set the Tape

About the Author

G. R. Matthews began reading in the cot. His mother, at her wits end with the constant noise and unceasing activity, would plop him down on the soft mattress with an encyclopaedia full of pictures then quietly slip from the room. Growing up, he spent Sunday afternoons on the sofa watching westerns and Bond movies after suffering the dual horror of the sounds of ABBA and the hoover (Vacuum cleaner) drifting up the stairs to wake him in the morning. When not watching the six-gun heroes or spies being out-acted by their own eyebrows he devoured books like a hungry wolf in the dead of winter. Beginning with Patrick Moore and Arthur C Clarke, he soon moved on to Isaac Asimov. However, one wet afternoon in a book shop in his hometown, not far from the standing stones of Avebury, he picked up The Pawn of Prophecy and started to read – and soon Sci-Fi gave way to Fantasy.

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