The United Kingdom lies in ruins, torn apart by fear, arrogance, and an inexhaustible supply of stupidity. England teeters on the brink of economic disaster, while behind a giant wall, Scotland labours under the tyrannical rule of the Marischal. The people cry out for a hero. Unfortunately, they’ve got James Macfarlane. The incidental tycoon and aspiring alcoholic is ill-equipped to launch a rebellion. But Mac —as he is warmly known to a dwindling number of people — has his reasons and he’s going to give it his best shot. As he races to keep one step ahead of a merciless police state, leaving chaos in his wake, he is accompanied by an unforgiving bootlegger, a shrewd siren, an eccentric aristocrat, a calamitous hacker, and one of Glasgow’s most violent sons. Can Mac save the country and himself from the wicked regime? It’s not looking good.
Michael Millar: “The simple truth is working with Bryony makes you a better writer. Firstly, she has an extraordinary eye for detail. She spots even the smallest quirks, confusion and errors in character development and story arcs. At the same time she brings a rigorous (and, in my case, much needed) discipline to grammatical structure. Secondly, her enthusiasm is infectious. As she went to town on my manuscript I worried my next draft would be onerous or just downright depressing. It was nothing of the sort. Instead, her engagement with the story and the characters helped turbo-charge my creative zeal.”