King Tsongor is getting old. Having governed his immense empire peacefully for many years, he prepares to give his lovely daughter Samilia away to her official suitor, the Prince of the Lands of Salt. But on the eve of the wedding, a lone, mysterious rider appears instead to claim Samilia s hand. Within days, two great nations prepare for a senseless conflict over a beautiful woman, and an old, sad king looks on as his world and his family fall apart. Bursting with color and raw emotion, and embracing grand themes of loyalty, family, honor, and war, The Death of an Ancient King reads like the lost fragment of a Greek tragedy.

About Laurent Gaude

In addition to The Death of an Ancient King, winner of the Prix Goncourt de lycenes and the Prix des Libraires, Laurent Gaude is the author of The House of Scorta, also winner of the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award, and an accomplished playwright.