Daniel Polansky Books In Order

Publication Order of The Empty Throne Books

Publication Order of Low Town Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Biography Profile Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Daniel Polansky
Daniel Polansky is an urban fantasy, crime, thriller, and science fiction writer best known for his Hugo nominated book The Builders. His other notable works include Tomorrow, The Builders, She Who Waits, and The Killings. Polansky is also well known for reinventing and inverting well-worn genres. The Baltimore born author can mostly be found in Los Angeles when he is not traveling to all corners of the world.

Low Town
Low Town is the first book in the Low Town series. It features Warden, an ugly, disgraced intelligence agent currently an independent drug dealer.
Five years ago, Warden fell from grace and turned to a life of crime and drugs. Since he’s also an addict, there isn’t much left from his business, so every day is a struggle that involves hustling new clients and competing with the likes of Ling Chi and Tancred the Harelip.
Warden’s life changes when he discovers the body of a child at the end of a street.

This is not the first child to die, and Warden can no longer ignore what is happening around him.

Having worked with the secret police, Warden knows that murder is a common thing in Low Town. It is evident that these cases will not be investigated, so he finds himself back in the investigative world again.

What he doesn’t know is that this case will lead him down a dangerous path filled with deception and psychotic individuals.
Once again, Warden has to accept that people in this town cannot be trusted, and there are powers beyond him controlling whatever goes on in his hood. So, who would kill a child, and what was the motivation?

Will Warden be able to bring the killers to book without getting help from anyone else?

As he tries to solve this mystery, Daniel Polansky allows the reader into dirty and crime-infested Low Town. A plague destroyed this town some years ago. The few who survived are all grown now, but the horror of what happened remains in their minds. Warden is one of the survivors, and now, it seems like there is no way to escape the horrors of the past. The author has done an excellent job with world-building and bringing Low Town to life with all its criminals and conflicts. There is some magic involved and a diverse cast that add a lot of character to this story.

Warden is a perfect anti-hero. Despite his numerous mistakes, he is, at times, capable of doing some good. Warden takes pride in his ability to survive on the streets even though he has to bribe some law enforcement officers, and engage in numerous battles to do so. His backstory is woven so well that you will want to read about him as you understand where he is coming from.

Low Town is an intriguing and gritty noir perfect for any grim fantasy lover. It is a dark tale of corrupt cops, drug dealers, vile sorcery, and realistic politics. The writing is witty, concise, and moody, and the numerous twists will keep you turning the pages. Despite his multiple weaknesses, Warden is an intriguing character who is both smart and dangerous.

The Builders
The Builders tells the story of betrayal and revenge in the animals’ kingdom. Years after his last job, the Captain yearns for revenge against those who betrayed his team. Captain was in charge of a band made of ex-mercenary soldiers, and their previous task did not go as expected. Now bent on vengeance, Captain is traveling in different places in an attempt to get his band together for one final mission. The author does a brief introduction of these characters, all oozing with charisma and unique traits that will immediately make them likable. The reunion is epic, and one can only hope the band will accomplish its mission.

As the introductions are done, the author also gives the reader a brief on the history of the band, the way they were betrayed, and their reasons for revenge. It turns out these characters are not the good guys, after all. Their past motives are just as dark as their current ones, and their enemies are not any different. Then there is the catch; all of these characters are animals, not the cute and cuddly ones. So, who is going to survive the collision being planned now? Will Captain and his team win this time around, or will this be a case of history repeating itself?

Captain’s scheme will leave your mouth agape thanks to its coldness. Once it is revealed, what follows is a bloody mess as bullets fly, more betrayals arise, and unforced twists force the band to rethink their strategies. The vile skunk shows up with all his henchmen in their vicious glory, but Captain is more than ready for then. All indications are that the win will be his, this time around. Everything from the western flavor to the mystery and scheming is well done, and the anthropomorphic animals sure give this story an edge. The rising tension will keep you at the edge of your seat, and the ending is nothing short of epic.

While there is violence in this story, at its heart, it is a tale of loyalty and friendship. The Captain, Cinnabar the Salamander, and Bonsoir the Badger know that the revenge mission will leave most if not all of them dead, but they are determined to either go down or win together. Their determination to punish those who broke their sacred bond is admirable, and it is cute how they all look after each other even when danger lurks in every corner.

The Builders is a fun, humorous, and sad story with an anthropomorphic animal cast. This book comes with cleverly infused woodland creatures involved in a dark quest for revenge. The creativity here is epic making this a hard to put down novella. If you are looking for a dark yet cute read you can gobble in a single afternoon, this book is ideal.