The Merchant Emperor
core novel 2014 Symphony of Ages
Record
| First published | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.98 (1,081 ratings, collected 2026-09-13) |
| Page count | 432 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781250311689 |
| Internal chronology | 7 |
Synopsis
The seventh novel finds Ashe and Rhapsody, now leading the Cymrian Alliance, confronting a war they had long dreaded and can no longer avoid. As open conflict draws near, allies rally around them: the young Gwydion Navarne supports Ashe's efforts, while the seasoned commander Anborn takes charge of mustering and directing their forces. Rhapsody, meanwhile, withdraws into hiding to keep their infant son safe from the dangers the coming war will bring. Opposing them is Talquist, a merchant poised to seize the imperial throne of Sorbold, whose ambitions threaten to reshape the balance of power across the continent. The novel follows the alliance's scramble to prepare for the confrontation with Talquist even as its leaders try to protect their family amid the gathering storm.
Where it sits
- Universe: Symphony of Ages
- Series: The Symphony of Ages core; position 7 of 9 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Elizabeth Haydon
Notes
- From the series record (The Symphony of Ages): Publication order = internal chronology throughout, confirmed by the author directly (Fantasy-Faction 'Cauldron Interview', 2018): a first trilogy, two bridge novels, a second trilogy, and a capper. Corrects several commonly-repeated years: Destiny is 2001 (not 2000), The Merchant Emperor is 2014 (not 2010), The Hollow Queen is 2015 (not 2013).
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Symphony of Ages: position 7 of 9: previous The Assassin King (2006) · next The Hollow Queen (2015)
Sources
← Symphony of Ages dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.