sentences:  The first chapter of "The Modern World" is available on Steph Swainston's website
  
  The novel is set in the Fourlands, a country in danger of being overrun by large hostile Insects, and follows the exploits of Jant, also called "the Messenger" or "Comet".As a half-breed of two humanoid species Jant is the only person who can fly, which makes him an indispensable part of the Emperor's Circle of about 50 immortals, an elite group of (mostly) warriors who do not age (but, despite the name, are capable of being killed).At Slake Cross near the border with the Insect-held Paperlands, the immortals are gathered to oversee the latest plan to retake lost territory.