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Lives of Bitter Rain
The Tyrant Philosophers (Related to this series)
- Author
- Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrator
- David Thorpe
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 14 October 2025
- Run Time
- 4 hours 25 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Fantasy, Dark fantasy
What to expect
SHORTLISTED FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST SERIES 2025
City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring ‘Perfection’ and ‘Correctness’ to an imperfect world. But before these ruthless Tyrant Philosophers send in their legions, they despatch Outreach – the rain before the storm.
Outreach is that part of the Pal machine responsible for diplomacy — converting enemies into friends, achieving through words what an army of five thousand could not, urging the oppressed to overthrow the bloody-handed priests, evil necromancers and greedy despots that subjugate them.
Angilly, twelve-years-old, a child of Pal soldiers stationed in occupied Jarokir, does not know it yet, but a sequence of accidents and questionable life choices will lead her to Outreach. As she travels from Jarrokir to Bracinta, Cazarkand, Lemas, The Holy Regalate of Stouk and finally, Usmai, she’ll learn that the price of her nation’s success is paid in compromise and lost chances, and that the falling rain will always be bitter.
LIVES OF BITTER RAIN is a novella in Adrian Tchaikovsky's award-winning Tyrant Philosopher series. It is a prequel to the third novel in the sequence, DAYS OF SHATTERED FAITH.
Critics Review
-
Striking and visually effective
Locus
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An outstanding companion novella to the Tyrants Philosophers series third novel, it bites, it proclaims, it satisfies and rewards in equal measure.
LoveReading
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Elegant prose to understand and complex politics to uncover, but it is all very readable
SFbook.com
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PRAISE FOR THE TYRANT PHILOSOPHERS SERIES:
'Exceptional.... Not to be missed' - Publishers Weekly, Starred review
'Brilliant' A Daily Mail Book of the Year
'An intriguing tangle, dense, dark, ingenious, ironic, complex, often funny, and always smart'Locus
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrator
- David Thorpe
- Duration
- 4 hours 25 minutes
- Release Date
- 14 October 2025
- ISBN
- 9781035911486
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Fantasy, Dark fantasy
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky, read by David Thorpe.SHORTLISTED FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST SERIES 2025City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring ‘Perfection’ and ‘Correctness’ to an imperfect world. But before these ruthless Tyrant Philosophers send in their legions, they despatch Outreach – the rain before the storm. Outreach is that part of the Pal machine responsible for diplomacy — converting enemies into friends, achieving through words what an army of five thousand could not, urging the oppressed to overthrow the bloody-handed priests, evil necromancers and greedy despots that subjugate them.Angilly, twelve-years-old, a child of Pal soldiers stationed in occupied Jarokir, does not know it yet, but a sequence of accidents and questionable life choices will lead her to Outreach. As she travels from Jarrokir to Bracinta, Cazarkand, Lemas, The Holy Regalate of Stouk and finally, Usmai, she’ll learn that the price of her nation’s success is paid in compromise and lost chances, and that the falling rain will always be bitter.LIVES OF BITTER RAIN is a novella in Adrian Tchaikovsky's award-winning Tyrant Philosopher series. It is a prequel to the third novel in the sequence, DAYS OF SHATTERED FAITH.
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