How To Rule An Empire And Get Away With It by K.J. Parker

A quick-witted actor and master of impersonation is forced to step into the role of a slain national hero and soon finds himself effectively running a besieged city. Armed with stagecraft, scams, and a ruthless survival instinct, he navigates backstabbing politics, public opinion, and a relentless enemy. Darkly funny and sharply cynical, it explores how power depends on performance, and how stories can save—or doom—a civilization.

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