For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch, a fantasy about a
clever young beggar who bargains his way into an apprenticeship with a
company of thieving magicians and uses his newfound skills in a vendetta
against a ruthless crime lord.
Ashes lives in Burroughside--the dirtiest, most crime-ridden district in
the huge city of Teranis. His neighbors are gangs of fellow orphans,
homeless madmen, and monsters that swarm the streets at nightfall.
Determined to escape Burroughside, Ashes spends his days begging,
picking pockets, and cheating at cards. When he draws the wrath of Mr.
Ragged, Burroughside's brutal governor, he is forced to flee for his
life, only to be rescued by an enigmatic man named Candlestick Jack.
Jack leads a group of Artificers, professional magicians who can
manipulate light with their bare hands to create stunningly convincing
illusions. Changing a face is as simple as changing a hat. Ashes seizes
an opportunity to study magic under Jack and quickly befriends the rest
of the company: Juliana, Jack's aristocratic wife; William, his exacting
business partner; and Synder, his genius apprentice. But all is not as
it seems: Jack and his company lead a double life as thieves, and they
want Ashes to join their next heist. Between lessons on light and
illusion, Ashes begins preparing to help with Jack's most audacious
caper yet: robbing the richest and most ruthless nobleman in the city.
A dramatic adventure story full of wit, charm, and scheming rogues, The
Facefaker's Game introduces an unforgettable world you won't soon want
to leave.
