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Lives of Bitter Rain

A Tyrant Philosophers Novella

Adrian Tchaikovsky

$34.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English
Bloomsbury
03 February 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST SERIES 2025

City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring ‘Perfection’ and ‘Correctness’ to an imperfect world. But before these ruthless Tyrant Philosophers send in their legions, they despatch Outreach – the rain before the storm.

Outreach is that part of the Pal machine responsible for diplomacy — converting enemies into friends, achieving through words what an army of five thousand could not, urging the oppressed to overthrow the bloody-handed priests, evil necromancers and greedy despots that subjugate them.

Angilly, twelve-years-old, a child of Pal soldiers stationed in occupied Jarokir, does not know it yet, but a sequence of accidents and questionable life choices will lead her to Outreach. As she travels from Jarrokir to Bracinta, Cazarkand, Lemas, The Holy Regalate of Stouk and finally, Usmai, she’ll learn that the price of her nation’s success is paid in compromise and lost chances, and that the falling rain will always be bitter.

LIVES OF BITTER RAIN is a novella in Adrian Tchaikovsky's award-winning Tyrant Philosopher series. It is a prequel to the third novel in the sequence, DAYS OF SHATTERED FAITH.
By:  
Imprint:   Bloomsbury
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 232mm,  Width: 152mm,  Spine: 18mm
Weight:   300g
ISBN:   9781035911448
ISBN 10:   1035911442
Series:   Tyrant Philosophers
Pages:   144
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Adrian Tchaikovsky is a British science-fiction and fantasy writer known for a wide-variety of work including the Children of Time, Final Architecture, Dogs of War, Tyrant Philosophers and Shadows of the Apt series, as well as standalone books such as Elder Race, Doors of Eden, Spiderlight and many others. Children of Time and its series has won the Arthur C Clarke and BSFA awards, and his other works have won the British Fantasy, British Science Fiction and Sidewise Awards.

Reviews for Lives of Bitter Rain: A Tyrant Philosophers Novella

PRAISE FOR THE TYRANT PHILOSOPHERS SERIES: 'Exceptional.... Not to be missed' - Publishers Weekly, Starred review 'Brilliant' A Daily Mail Book of the Year 'An intriguing tangle, dense, dark, ingenious, ironic, complex, often funny, and always smart' * Locus * 'Delightful … Written in the same breezy style as the novels, this will delight those who’ve read the series, or it could serve as a wonderful prequel.' - Booklist 'Lives of Bitter Rain is an enjoyable read … The prose is smooth, the pace, as noted, quick-moving, and the universe as fascinating as it has been through the novels. There’s also a wonderfully wry sense of humor that runs throughout.' - Fantasy Literature 'Lives [of Bitter Rain] is able to balance the epic and succinct in one 123-page novella…The world and character of Angilly are brought to life in quality fashion by Tchaikovsky’s writing…There is elegant prose to understand and complex politics to uncover, but it is all very readable.' - SF Book Reviews


  • Commended for Hugo Award (Series) 2025

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