The Great War was supposed to be the war to end all wars-and maybe it would have been, had an even greater, otherworldly foe not arisen to extinguish the conflict. Overnight, as guns blazed away in France and Flanders, village after village in the quiet British countryside were swallowed by the Forest. And within the Forest lurk the Huldu-an ancient fae race, monstrous in their inhumanity, who have decided that mankind’s ascendency over the world can endure no longer.
Enter Duncan Silver. Scarred by the war, fueled by a rage deeper than the trenches in which he once fought, Duncan is determined to show the Huldu that the world is not theirs for the taking. Armed with a cut-down trench gun filled with iron shot and a deadly iron knife, Duncan will stop at nothing to return the children the Huldu have stolen from the arms of their families. No matter how many Huldu he may have to slaughter along the way.
But when he is hired by a mother to return her four-year-old daughter, Miriam-taken by the Huldu six months past and replaced with a Changeling-all hell breaks loose. Miriam is a pawn in a much bigger game for dominance than Duncan ever expected, and several long-buried secrets from his past are about to be violently resurrected.
Enter Duncan Silver. Scarred by the war, fueled by a rage deeper than the trenches in which he once fought, Duncan is determined to show the Huldu that the world is not theirs for the taking. Armed with a cut-down trench gun filled with iron shot and a deadly iron knife, Duncan will stop at nothing to return the children the Huldu have stolen from the arms of their families. No matter how many Huldu he may have to slaughter along the way.
But when he is hired by a mother to return her four-year-old daughter, Miriam-taken by the Huldu six months past and replaced with a Changeling-all hell breaks loose. Miriam is a pawn in a much bigger game for dominance than Duncan ever expected, and several long-buried secrets from his past are about to be violently resurrected.
Reviews
A sheer pyrotechnic triumph: wonderfully imaginative, written in overdrive, mercilessly violent... A twisted conundrum and a hell of a ride!
Super fluid action thriller... amped-up Chandler in space.
A violent and intense grimdark tale in a dark fantasy world
A hugely entertaining and smartly written book.
An absorbing, brutal read perfect for fans of C. Robert Cargill . . . this stand-alone grimdark fantasy marks a shift from Morgan's (Thin Air) usual works, yet retains his signature hardboiled edge and gritty intrigue. Whether writing science fiction or fantasy, Morgan creates atmospheric, lived-in worlds with flawed, complex characters
No Man's Land comes out of the forest swinging fists and iron fury in this triumphant face-stomping, heart-clutching, milk-curdling hardboiled adventure of man vs Elfland, with war veterans, changelings, maidens in distress, murderous elves and some very horny trees all along for the rush-along ride. You'll never look at an elf the same way again.
No Man's Land delivers on every front. It's a refreshingly original action-packed rollercoaster ride of a book, set in a fascinating period of history given a unique and original twist. Duncan Silver is both a wonderful and a monstrous creation
Richard Morgan's No Man's Land is a jolting, bare-knuckled cage match between history and myth - addictive, propulsive, and unputdownable. This one hits so hard it'll rattle your teeth
'This addictive hardboiled fantasy from Arthur C. Clarke Award winner Morgan (Altered Carbon) takes its attitude from the disillusionment triggered by WWI. . . . Morgan pits the forces of ancient magic and modern warfare against each other and studs the plot with clever clues. . . . Readers will be hooked
'Morgan has created a disturbing world of deep forests, arcane spells, and haunted and haunting characters. It's rich and vividly imagined, so much so that you can smell the dank undergrowth, taste the spilled blood . . . and feel the dread in every scene. One of my favourite books of the year, destined to be a classic'
The Dark Defiles is best of the series. Morgan built a fascinating world, dirt and all, and populated it will heroes that were also real people. Morgan dissects the idea of hero and looks at it from every angle. Our three protagonists aren't anti-heroes they are just flawed. While they deal with their flaws they realize that in the end heroes don't get to live happily ever after.