Empire in Black and Gold (Shadows of the Apt, #1)

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Give them a famine, a war, a poverty-stricken district or a child shorn of parents and they would debate the symbolism and the philosophy of intervention. Give them some competition or empty trophy and they would break every rule to parade their victories publicly through the town.

Even the greediest magnate wanted to be seen to be generous, and even false generosity could fill bellies.

There were evils everywhere in the world, Che supposed, and, once she had admitted that, she would have to allow that her own race was responsible for some of them.