Description:

**From the depths of a valley rises the city of Mahala

**It's a city built upwards, not across - where streets are built upon streets, buildings upon buildings. A city that the Ministry rules from the sunlit summit, and where the forsaken lurk in the darkness of Under.

Rojan Dizon doesn't mind staying in the shadows, because he's got things to hide. Things like being a pain-mage, with the forbidden power to draw magic from pain. But he can't hide for ever.

Because when Rojan stumbles upon the secrets lurking in the depths of the Pit, the fate of Mahala will depend on him using his magic. And unlucky for Rojan - this is going to hurt.

Review

A savage stab at organised religion and social control ... emotionally powerful SUN Brilliantly explored and a great metaphor for urban corruption DAILY MAIL Full of fierce energy, fast-paced and inventive Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Shadows of the Apt series The world building is crazy interesting, the characters are very noir, and the plot was enough to keep me on my toes ... I'm very excited to read the second in the series! Felicia Day A very strong debut from a novelist of vision who has built an intriguing sandbox to play in, with plenty of twists, turns and surprising moments FANTASY FACTION A great fantasy debut ... The beginning of something really quite brilliant ... very highly recommended CIVILIAN READER Knight's debut recalls the vibrant, urban-based fantasies of China Mieville Library Journal Full of witty quips, strong emotion, broken yet charming characters, and jam packed with astonishing revelations and fantastic ideas, Fade to Black is a must-read for 2013 WILDER'S BOOK REVIEW Top notch prose alongside a cast that really adds flavour all round makes this a cracking debut Falcata Times A thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns, and darkness enough to make the title perfectly apt. Highly recommended TheBookBag.co.uk

About the Author

Francis Knight was born and lives in Sussex, UK. She has held a variety of jobs from being a groom in the Balearics, where she punched a policeman and got away with it, to an IT administrator. When not living in her own head, she enjoys SFF geekery, WWE geekery, teaching her children Monty Python quotes and boldly going and seeking out new civilisations.