Douglas Hulick
Roc, 417 p., $7.99
This is a first novel, but it doesn't read like a first novel. It's polished, complex, fast-moving, and keeps you off balance. In other words, it's a great deal of fun. If you like Scott Lynch or Stephen Brust, this one is probably your cup of tea.
To briefly explain the setup. Ildrecca is an ancient city, seat of an ancient empire. An empire with a very old emperor. A number of centuries ago, the Angels split the soul of the Emperor Dorminikos into three parts. Each of the three parts was then reincarnated as the emperors Markino, Theodoi, and Lucien. When one dies, the next in the cycle assumes the throne. That way there is always one aspect of the original in power at any time. Sort of a sovereignty-by-time-share.
This arrangement has worked for centuries and allowed for a (mostly) unbroken sequence of rule, with only a few interruptions when someone has attempted kill off the present incarnation and take over before the next incarnation can be identified. There's only one problem. Each incarnation is starting to show signs of insanity, and each incarnation is showing those signs earlier in his life than his predecessors.
