Pretenders to the Throne of God

The Tyrant Philosophers, Book 4

By: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Bloomsbury presents Pretenders to the Throne of God, read by David Thorpe and written and introduced by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller returns to a world steeped in magic – and the Tyrant Philosophers' campaign to bring reason, logic and ‘perfection’ to it.

As the Palleseen’s campaign to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world rages on, Eres Ffenegh – “the City on the Back of a Crab” – is the next state slated for conquest. But its citizens won’t give up sovereignty easily.

The siege has dragged into winter and the defenders – both locals and Pal renegades – hold an uneasy alliance against the enemy at the gates, while the Pal army is looking over its shoulder for the next self-destructive dictate of their government back home.

Within the city, Devil Jack, a good man apprenticed to the notorious conjurer known as the Widow, is driven to bargaining with hell to get back what he’s lost. Meanwhile Kiffel ea Leachan is the city’s champion, a child of privilege who’s just lost everything to the invaders. Both must try to survive the siege and make their own destinies in a world that’s cut them loose.

Outside the city, Pal reinforcements have arrived to take the city, but it’s the sort of help that might just damn them all...

THE TYRANT PHILOSOPHERS
1. City of Last Chances: portrait of Ilmar, a city under Palleseen occupation
2. House of Open Wounds: portrait of the Palleseen war machine at work.
3. Days of Shattered Faith: portrait of a kingdom consumed, piece-by-piece, by Palleseen diplomatic subterfuge.
3.1 Lives of Bitter Rain: a prequel novella to Days of Shattered Faith, portrait of a life in the Palleseen diplomatic corps.
4. Pretenders to the Throne of God: portrait of a city under siege.
5. The Grave of Perfection: will take us back to Ilmar, the 'City of Last Chances' where our story began.

©2026 Adrian Tchaikovsky (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Part five can come soon enough!

The worst part about being caught up with a series this early after release is the long wait until the next installment. But I suppose that's the perfect time for a re-run of the series!

Misery and Wickedness

So good to come back to this world! Enjoy this next phase in its evolution.

Another winner!

Tchaikovsky has done it again - another creative, fun, thought-provoking story abounding with fabulous characters -brought to life by David Thorpe’s masterful narration -and magical settings. How long must we wait for the next installment? I want it NOW!

Love it!

I really enjoy this world the author has built. I like getting to know the characters and really enjoyed the story as a whole.

best book in the series so far

im really starting to feel like this is Tchaicovsky's best series, and I liked this book most. I am really looking forward to the next. Tchaicovsky is one of the few authors who I will blindly pre-order anything they write and not worry about ever regretting it.