Blood and Betrayal, the fifth Emperor’s Edge book, is officially out. It’s currently available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. It should be up at Kobo within a couple of days and Apple soon after.
Here’s the blurb:
The last thing Maldynado Montichelu—former aristocrat and current ladies’ man—ever wanted was to be left in charge. After all, the team just blew up a train, crashed a dirigible, and kidnapped the emperor. It’s kind of an important time.
But, with Amaranthe captured by the nefarious Forge coalition, and Sicarius off to find her, the team is lacking in leaders. Also, Sicarius has made it clear that Maldynado’s life may be forfeit should anything happen to the emperor while he’s gone.
To make matters worse, Forge’s cutthroats are after Sespian, and the young emperor believes Maldynado’s loyalties are suspect. As if it’s his fault that his older brother is working with the coalition to usurp the throne. If Maldynado can’t figure out how to earn the emperor’s trust quickly, Sespian will go off to confront their powerful enemies on his own.
Meanwhile, Amaranthe must find a way to escape from the coalition’s newest ally, Master Interrogator Pike, a man who plans to pull all of the secrets from her head, one way or another…
For those who purchased the eARC on my site, you should have received an email with links to download the final ebook (if you have one of the early versions with some missing italics, you can download the file again for the updated copy) as well as the Sicarius & Sespian short story, which, thanks to your help, is now available at Smashwords for free. A big thanks to everyone who bought an ARC as the funds raised allowed me to pay for the editing and cover art, not just for the short story but for EE5 as well.
As always, thank you for reading and for your support. I hope you enjoy this new adventure!
I’m pretty sure I’ve hit Steampunk Heaven this week. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Beth! What other steampunk have you been reading? Anything worth recommending?
Yes! Off to buy it!
Hi Lindsay,
Congrats on the 5th book in the series! You are an inspiration to indie authors!
Thanks, Deanna!
Yessssssss!!!
Awesomeness! I’m going to download it right now!
Hazzah!!
You always have a new book/novella out right when I’m looking for a new one to read. Yay and thank you!
I endeavor to be prolific. 😀
Congratulations, Lindsay! And thanks for making the short story free–something I plan to do with my own work, well, “shortly!” I’m off to tweet your good news now.
P.S. How do you find your work on Apple? According to Smash, mine should be up in ibooks, but is not there.
Thanks, Illana!
When did your story get approved for the premium catalog? It always takes a couple weeks (it took a couple of months for my last one, ugh) for things to get from SW to Apple.
Hi Lindsay,
I’m so excited about reading EE5. When is it coming out on iTunes? As I’ve got an existing account with them, i’d prefer to download via that. Though i wud’ve liked amazon, but I don’t have a kindle to see it on. Neither can I convert the file of .mobi i believe is the format for kindle.
So basically what’s the exact date its’ available on iTunes?
Hi Shikha,
I’m not sure what the exact iTunes date will be. This is my first time attempting to upload a book directly with them (it took 3 months last time, when it was distributed through Smashwords, ugh), but hopefully within a couple of weeks.
BTW, do you have an iPad? If so, you can get the kindle app for free and read Amazon ebooks that way. I buy both ways on my Ipad, but honestly have a lot more Kindle books than iBooks (I just find Amazon an easier store to browse).
Hi Lindsay,
A couple of weeks that’s no good! Oh ok I’m going to have to improvise here. The thing is that I do have an iPad and even an amazon account for that matter. But the thing is I don’t end up reading my books all the time. What I find best is with my Macbook I use their tool of Speech that’s available in their Pages Document to read it to me. It’s really great for me, and serves personally as an audiobook for me. Macbook offers 3 male voices and female voices. And what I listen to is named Alex. Yup Alex reads them pretty greatly to me, and the only time I have to read/rather hear the book is in the night when I’m going to bed. Daytime is completely off limits working and all. But anyways I think I’m going to have to take a leap of faith with Smashwords (having never used it before!). It’s just that Kindle doesn’t allow this capability and neither does an iPad. Let’s see. I’ll work it out. Though I keep feeling the longer I wait to read EE5 the shorter I’ll have to wait for reading EE6, as I consume your books in less than a day flat – granted I don’t have work the next day. Thanks for your suggestions. I just want to say you’re really a unique author. I’ve tried to read other steam punk books after this one, but for some reason I can’t get into them. And that’s why I say you’re unique – cuz its not about steampunk. It’s about your combination of wit and humor and intelligence that comes across in your books that draws everyone like bees to honey. Thank you for all your writing 🙂
Okay so i bought the book, yeahhhh finally from smashwords. Have yet to read it, as been working late nights and all. I’m waiting for the weekend. Or maybe next week perhaps – since I read in a review that the next EE6 will come in 2013. So yeah that’s kinda making me delay reading this one. I’m currently listening to the podiobooks via iTunes, I’m on book 2. I’ll be back to put my review. I really have to find the time to read it in one sitting, as delaying it bit by bit will not do! And I’m already jumping at the chance to read it – that’s why i got it even though there’s clearly no time on my hands! Again I love your work Lindsay:)
Yup I’ve finally read it in 15 hrs flat. It’s great that’s all I’ll say not to give away any spoilers. It makes sense that you would do Encrypted 2 along with EE6, and to be honest that’s exactly the thought that came to be early in the book. I hope later on in the books, cuz I don’t want it to stop just at 6 or 7, it has potential to be a continuing series, that we get to see what led Sicarius and Amaranthe here. What were they like in their younger days, did they ever cross each other’s paths – maybe that’s why she has an affinity to him – 😉 anyways loved the book – Maldynado and everyone else deserves a statue- I’m ready to sign that petition to present to the empire!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the books, Shikha! Also, Maldynado is delighted to hear that you’re in his camp. If you want a hug (or more) of appreciation, you know where to find him… 😀
Yeah, I agree it’s the wit that makes it – Lindsay you really succeed in making the jokes between the characters really fun, I often laugh out loud when reading them, and they really add to the story making it vivid and more than just another adventure.
Sigh, just finished EE5… awesome book! Now I want more. 🙂
like magic, i just read the afterwords of book four where i could look for information about the next book and here i am and already downloading the next one, i wonder if it will be the same with book 6? 😉
I hope so, Fredrick! 🙂
Just bought the book. Off to read.
Thank you so much for writing such exciting books (and so quickly)
You’re very welcome, Kristen. Thanks for reading them!
Just finished the book and I loved it. I can’t wait for number six. 2013 seems like a long time to wait, your readers can get so greedy and demanding, but only because the books are so good we can’t wait for more.
A really, reall good read.
Just so long as I don’t get locked in the dungeon again right away. I’m enjoying a little sunlight atm. 😀
Hi Lindsay, I just read all these comments and I can’t help feeling jealous because I’m reading all your book through the Ebook of Apple and the EE5 didn’t came out yet! Help me please because this waiting it killing me!!
It shouldn’t be more than a week or two, Linh. I know last time it took them 3 months to get Book 4, but things should be speedier this time around!
I’ve been able to get the dead tree versions of your previous books on Amazon, through what seems to be some sort of print-on-demand service. However, I don’t see that for this one yet – I only see a Kindle edition. Is that just because the electronic versions haven’t been through a final editing process yet? If I am suitably patient, will I eventually be able to get a physical copy of this one, too?
Hi Nathan,
I’ll definitely get a paperback version out this fall. I’m just a little slower with that, since it requires different formatting than the ebooks. I usually wait a couple of weeks to get started, too, since someone inevitably sends me a list of typos that made it past the editor. It’s nice to fix as much as possible before immortalizing the text in a dead-tree version. 😉
Thanks for reading!
Good to hear; I guess I’ll just have to bide my time. Or join the 21st century and get an eReader…
Thanks for the reply
I am trying to understand how is it that I have not read your books before! went to bed at 4am because I could not put down Emperor’s Edge! Then naturally, I overslept and was late for work! This will continue until I have read them all 🙂 !
As we say in Jamaica, One Love!
Thanks for giving EE a try, Suan. I’m glad you enjoyed it! And I hope you have understanding employers. :O
I have deeply enjoyed the EE series so far and am anticipating Blood and Betrayal. I’m trying to not crack under the pressure and buy a Kindle but that’s all that’s available on Amazon! I’ve got them all on paperback so far. Maybe my man has taken some hints though and a Kindle is under our purple Christmas tree haha It’s not as gaudy as it sounds!
Keep writing for many, many years and I will keep reading for many, many years! : 3
Thanks for reading, Jessica! I think you’d enjoy a kindle, but the EE5 paperback should appear at Amazon any day. I approved the proof at CreateSpace over a week ago. 🙂