No Present Like Time (Gollancz)
Series: Castle (2)
Publisher: Gollancz; Orion Publishing Group, Limited
Published: April 21, 2005
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9780575070066
Subjects: Fantasy
First sentence: On this soft night I followed the Moren River valley, flying back to the Castle, hearing the chimes of clock towers in the Plainslands villages as I passed high above.
Description: Insects last swarmed the Fourlands, five years ago, leaving behind countless dead and the land devastated. Reconstruction is proceeding very slow, but for Jant, the Emperor's winged messenger, things are moving too fast. Now the Emperor has commanded that Jant join the small group of immortals who will travel as an embassy to the new land. Just perfect for a man terrified of ships and the sea. Jant suspects that he's a pawn in an ancient political game.