How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It

Name: How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It
Brand: Hachette Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: K. J. Parker
ISBN: 9781549157868

Author: K. J. Parker

Narrator: Ray Sawyer

Unabridged: 12 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 08/18/2020

Categories: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Action & Adventure, Humorous Fiction

Synopsis

"Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun." - SFX on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City
This is the history of how the City was saved, by Notker the professional liar, written down because eventually the truth always seeps through.
The City may be under siege, but everyone still has to make a living. Take Notker, the acclaimed playwright, actor, and impresario. Nobody works harder, even when he's not working. Thankfully, it turns out that people enjoy the theater just as much when there are big rocks falling out of the sky.
But Notker is a man of many talents, and all the world is, apparently, a stage. It seems that the empire needs him -- or someone who looks a lot like him -- for a role that will call for the performance of a lifetime. At least it will guarantee fame, fortune, and immortality. If it doesn't kill him first.
In the follow up to the acclaimed Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, K. J. Parker has created one of fantasy's greatest heroes, and he might even get away with it.
For more from K. J. Parker, check out:Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City
The Two of SwordsThe Two of Swords: Volume OneThe Two of Swords Volume TwoThe Two of Swords: Volume Three
The Fencer TrilogyColours in the SteelThe Belly of the BowThe Proof House
The Scavenger TrilogyShadowPatternMemory
Engineer TrilogyDevices and DesiresEvil for EvilThe EscapementThe CompanyThe Folding KnifeThe HammerSharps

About K. J. Parker

Having worked in journalism, numismatics and the law, K. J. Parker now writes for a precarious living. He is the author of Devices and Desires, Evil for Evil, The Devil You Know, and other novels, and has won the World Fantasy Award twice. Parker also writes under the name Tom Holt.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews on May 10, 2023

Absolutely marvelous in every way. Such an ingenious plot that will stick with me forever. Watch my video review by clicking here.......more

Goodreads review by Liviu on July 16, 2020

This is the direct sequel (and most likely ending) of the series that started with Sixteen Ways to Defend a walled City, taking place some 7 years later. It follows the pattern on the first book with a personal narration of the (anti)-hero of the book, a city boy from a Theme family who didn't like......more

Goodreads review by Lukasz on October 10, 2020

I don’t have to convince Parker’s fans to buy his books; they’ll do it anyway - even his weaker books beat most of the low fantasy published nowadays. How to Rule the Empire and Get Away With It is a loose sequel to Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, but it works as a standalone. And it’s great No......more

Goodreads review by Heidi on June 26, 2022

"... what the people want is something that looks at first sight like real life, but which actually turns out to be a fairy tale with virtue triumphant, evil utterly vanquished, a positive, uplifting message, a gutsy, kick-ass female lead and, if at all possible, unicorns." pg 11, ebook K.J. Parker (......more

Goodreads review by Bradley on December 13, 2021

If anything, this one might be a better read than the first, but only because I fell in love with the different characters a bit more. The first was a very engineering kind of novel. This one takes place in the same city, but years apart, and the focus is quite amusing. Acting. I mean, sure, we've got......more

Quotes

"Parker's latest epic fantasy proves that all the world is, indeed, a stage, and Parker himself is a master impresario. Readers will enjoy his comedic take on how politics are comprised of equal parts lies, incompetence, and the foolishness of humanity-with just enough flashes of brilliance to save the day. Recommended for fans of Terry Pratchett."—Library Journal

"Readers are ensured a good time and a barrel of laughs to boot."—Publishers Weekly

“Truly, this IS the performance of a lifetime.”—FanFiAddict

“An impressive work of fiction. Like all Parker books I have read, Empire is an interesting experience from start to finish – funny and fresh from page one.”—The Quill to Live

“Parker has created a world full of wit, ingenuity, unlikely tactics and reluctant heroes and there is nothing else quite like it.” —Fantasy Hive

"Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun."—SFX on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

"Launches a witty adventure series . . . Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world."—Publishers Weekly on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

"As with most of Parker's work, there is a melancholy undercurrent that gives the humor weight. As heroes go, Orhan is a reluctant and flawed one . . . . [but] when Orhan works the problem, we can't help but watch."—Locus on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

“With a steady pacing, solid, lean writing and variety of twists, the novel keeps on surprising the reader."—Fantasy Book Critic on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City