In this breathtaking debut novel by Felix Gilman, one man embarks on a thrilling and treacherous quest for his people’s lost god—in an elaborate Dickensian city that is either blessed …or haunted. Arjun arrives in Ararat just as a magnificent winged creature swoops and sails over the city. For it is the day of the return of that long-awaited, unpredictable mystical creature: the great Bird. But does it come for good or ill? And in the service of what god? Whatever its purpose, for one inhabitant the Bird sparks a long-dormant idea: to map the mapless city and liberate its masses with the power of knowledge. As the creature soars across the land, shifting topography, changing the course of the river, and redrawing the territories of the city’s avian life, crowds cheer and guns salute in a mix of science and worship. Then comes the time for the Bird’s power to be trapped—within the hull of a floating warship called Thunderer, an astounding and unprecedented weapon. The ship is now a living temple to the Bird, a gift to be used, allegedly, in the interests of all of Ararat. Hurtled into this convulsing world is Arjun, an innocent who will unwittingly unleash a dark power beyond his imagining—and become entangled in a dangerous underground movement that will forever transform Ararat. As havoc overtakes the streets, Arjun dares to test the city’s moving boundaries. In this city of gods, he has come to search among them, not to hide. A tour de force of the imagination, and a brilliant tale of rebellion, Thunderer heralds the arrival of a truly gifted fantasy writer who has created a tale as rich, wondrous, and captivating as the world in which it is set.

One man embarks on a thrilling and treacherous quest for his people's lost god--in an elaborate Dickensian city that is either blessed or haunted.--From publisher description.

HMS Thunderer was the third Orion class battleship, one of the Super Dreadnoughts built to counter German naval expansion, and was laid down one hundred years ago in April 1910. At 22,200 tons she was the largest ship ever built on the Thames but she was to be responsible for the bankruptcy of her builders, the Thames Iron Works. The author’s 1/96 scale museum-quality model of this ship reflects the massive engineering of the prototype and brings to life the power and potency of the Super Dreadnoughts. Every aspect of the building is covered, from the hull to wireless equipment, and all the different techniques required to bring a complex model battleship to completion are clearly explained, including casting in metal and GRP, silver brazing, soft soldering, metal fabrication in steel, brass, copper, aluminium and pewter, and lathe turning and milling operations for the production of guns and propellers. The author also covers the contemporary American battleship, USS Texas, the only remaining ship of that type and era, and an inspiration for any modeller setting out to tackle this subject. Not just a superb ‘how to’ manual, the book is also an eloquent testimony to the skills of the designers and the original builders as well as a wonderful evocation of the great ships that fought at the battle of Jutland. WILLIAM MOWLL has been building large-scale ship models for more than twenty-five years. His interest is focussed on the iron ships of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and he has completed superb models of SS Great Britain and HMS Warrior, both on display at the sites where the prototypes were built.

'Stockwin creates a knotty narrative, writing with authority about Britain's Georgian navy and the physical world at sea with intrigue, captivating characters, and deft storytelling. Thunderer is a suspenseful journey' Quarterdeck 1812. Arriving back in England after his successes in the Adriatic, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is bestowed with honours. In London he's greeted by the Prince Regent who, despite Kydd's protestations that he's happy with his present command, insists he be given a bigger ship - HMS Thunderer, a 74-gun ship of the line. But she's old, and being part of a standing fleet Kydd's chances of further fame and distinction are slim indeed. Winning over his new command is fraught with challenges. A hostile crew, abysmal levels of gunnery and sail-handling capabilities are intolerable to a fighting captain like Kydd. With the ship short of men and no incentives to attract more, can he ever bring Thunderer to a proper state of fighting preparedness? Kydd is sent to reinforce the Baltic squadron as Bonaparte's vast army invades Russia. News reaches him of French victory at the Battle of Borodino. The road to Moscow is now open. To avert total French victory, Kydd must lead a vital convoy through battle and tempest to the aid of Britain's last ally. Praise for Julian Stockwin's Kydd series 'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' Daily Express 'This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail' Nautical Magazine 'Fans of fast-paced adventure will get their fill with this book' Historical Naval Society

The expert ship modeler’s a step-by-step guide to building a large-scale model of the dreadnaught that fought in the WWI Battle of Jutland. Laid down in April of 1910, HMS Thunderer was the last Orion-class dreadnaught battleship built for the Royal Navy. The author’s 1/96 scale museum-quality model of this ship brings to life the power and potency of the Super Dreadnoughts. In this comprehensive guide, every aspect of model building is covered, from the hull to wireless equipment. All the different techniques required to bring a complex model battleship to completion are thoroughly explained, including casting in metal and GRP, silver brazing, soft soldering, metal fabrication in steel, brass, copper, aluminum and pewter, and lathe turning and milling operations for the production of guns and propellers. The author also covers the contemporary American battleship, USS Texas, the only remaining ship of that type and era, and an inspiration for any modeler setting out to tackle this subject. Not just a how-to manual, the book is also an eloquent testimony to the skills of the designers and the original builders as well as a wonderful evocation of the great ships that fought at the Battle of Jutland.

'Stockwin creates a knotty narrative, writing with authority about Britain's Georgian navy and the physical world at sea with intrigue, captivating characters, and deft storytelling. Thunderer is a suspenseful journey' Quarterdeck 1812. Arriving back in England after his successes in the Adriatic, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is bestowed with honours. In London he's greeted by the Prince Regent who, despite Kydd's protestations that he's happy with his present command, insists he be given a bigger ship - HMS Thunderer, a 74-gun ship of the line. But she's old, and being part of a standing fleet Kydd's chances of further fame and distinction are slim indeed. Winning over his new command is fraught with challenges. A hostile crew, abysmal levels of gunnery and sail-handling capabilities are intolerable to a fighting captain like Kydd. With the ship short of men and no incentives to attract more, can he ever bring Thunderer to a proper state of fighting preparedness? Kydd is sent to reinforce the Baltic squadron as Bonaparte's vast army invades Russia. News reaches him of French victory at the Battle of Borodino. The road to Moscow is now open. To avert total French victory, Kydd must lead a vital convoy through battle and tempest to the aid of Britain's last ally. Praise for Julian Stockwin's Kydd series 'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' Daily Express 'This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail' Nautical Magazine 'Fans of fast-paced adventure will get their fill with this book' Historical Naval Society