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Quick-witted and cocksure, young upstart Capac Raimi arrives in the City determined to make his mark. As he learns the tricks of his new trade from his Uncle Theo -- extortion, racketeering, threatening behaviour -- he’s soon well on his way to becoming a promising new gangster. Then he crosses paths with The Cardinal, and his life changes forever.The Cardinal is the City and the City is The Cardinal. They are joined at the soul. Nothing moves on the streets, or below them, without the Cardinal’s knowledge. His rule is absolute.As Capac begins to discover more about the extent of the Cardinal’s influence on his own life he is faced with hard choices. And as his ambition soars ever higher he will learn all there is to know about loss, and the true cost of ultimate power...
When ambitious newcomer Capac Raimi enters the City to build a criminal empire, he inadvertently entangles his fate with the omnipotent and mysterious figure known as The Cardinal. Capac seeks to ascend the ranks of the underworld through extortion and racketeering under the tutelage of his uncle, but his rapid rise is checked by the absolute control exerted by the City's hidden ruler. The narrative follows Capac's descent into a web of influence where the boundaries between the man and the metropolis blur. As he navigates this dangerous hierarchy, he must weigh his hunger for power against the devastating personal cost of challenging an entity that sees and controls everything.
This work is characterized by its gritty, fast-paced exploration of underworld dynamics and the psychological toll of criminal ambition. The narrative style leans into the conventions of urban noir, emphasizing the claustrophobic atmosphere of a city governed by a singular, unseen force. Readers often note the sharp, cynical voice of the protagonist, which serves to ground the more surreal elements of the City's connection to its ruler. The text functions as a cautionary study on the nature of power, suggesting that in such a setting, every gain is balanced by a significant, often tragic, loss.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2008-01-01
Publisher:
Harper Voyager
ISBN-10:
0007261314
ISBN-13:
9780007261314
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