Lays of the Hearth-Fire

Stories from the world of Zunidh, focusing particularly on the saga of Cliopher Mdang, tanà of the Wide Seas Islanders and bureaucrat extraordinaire.

Cliopher "Kip" Mdang originated as the viewpoint character of a vignette intended to show what the Last Emperor of Astandalas was like at a certain point in his life. It did not take more than a few pages to discover that Cliopher himself was a fascinating man with a great deal to say.

The story begins with The Hands of the Emperor and continues directly with At the Feet of the Sun. Then there are some shorter companion works: Petty Treasons is from His Radiancy's perspective; Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander explores an event in The Hands of the Emperor from another character's point of view; and Those Who Hold the Fire describes an important moment in the life of the young Kip.

After you have read these, the next in chronological order is The Return of Fitzroy Angursell, which follows on shortly after the end of The Hands of the Emperor and crosses with the Red Company stories.