The war is over. The enemy won.

Jia's people learned the hard way that there are no second chances. The Egril, their ancient enemy, struck with magic so devastating that Jia's armies were wiped out. Now terror reigns in the streets, and friend turns on friend just to live another day.

Somehow Tinnstra - a deserter, a failure, nothing but a coward - survived. She wants no more than to hide from the chaos.

But dragged into a desperate plot to retake Jia, surrounded by people willing to do anything to win the fight, this time Tinnstra will need to do more than hide.

If Jia is to get a second chance after all, this time she will need to be a hero.

With all the grit of Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence and Ed McDonald, this is fantasy with the sharpest of edges.

"Likely the next Game of Thrones, and the best book I've read in several years. Erikson, Martin and Rothfuss are going to have to shove over and make room at the bar." ― Glen Cook, author of The Black Company

"A fantastic, enthralling debut. Imagine if Akira Kurosawa and Joe Abercrombie wrote a fantasy thriller with a pace that moves at the speed of light." ― Jeremy Szal, author of Stormblood

"Brutal, emotional and utterly gripping, it was an absolute rollercoaster of a book." ― Bibliophile Book Club

"Mike Shackle's The Last War is required reading for any true fantasy fan as far as I'm concerned. The entire trilogy just kicks so much ass." ― Out Of This World SFF