In Dark Service: Chapter One

In Dark Service- preorder nowHappy Friday, Gollancz Blog Readers! We’re delighted to share with you the first chapter of Stephen Hunt’s incredible novel In Dark Service. In Dark Service is our book of the month and Gollancz Geeks title for May so you will be hearing a lot more about it over the next few weeks. In Dark Service is also one of our 2014 Gollancz Debuts so you can preorder your copy now for just £1.99! Be quick bcause our price crash ends on the 23rd May!

But, what is In Dark Service about? We thought you might ask that . . .

Wars will be started. Empires will fall. And the Carnehan family will be reunited, one way or another…

Jacob Carnehan has settled down. He’s living a comfortable, quiet life, obeying the law and minding his own business while raising his son Carter … on those occasions when he isn’t having to bail him out of one scrape or another. His days of adventure are – thankfully – long behind him.

Carter Carnehan is going out of his mind with boredom. He’s bored by his humdrum life, frustrated that his father won’t live a little, and longs for the bright lights and excitement of anywhere-but-here. He’s longing for an opportunity to escape, and test himself against whatever the world has to offer.

Carter is going to get his opportunity. He’s caught up in a village fight, kidnapped by slavers and, before he knows it, is swept to another land. A lowly slave, surrounded by technology he doesn’t understand, his wish has come true: it’s him vs. the world. He can try to escape, he can try to lead his fellow slaves, or he can accept the inevitable and try to make the most of the short, brutal existence remaining to him.

… unless Jacob gets to him first and, no matter the odds, he intends to. No one kidnaps his son and gets away with it – and if it come to it, he’ll force Kings to help him on his way, he’ll fight, steal, blackmail and betray his friends in the name of bringing Carter home.

Intrigued? You can read the first chapter below.

In Dark Service by Stephen Hunt