VINTU: Native tribe of Calis
WANDERING DEACON OF DAHLGREN: Name that refers to Deacon Tomas
WARRIC: Kingdom of Avryn, once ruled by Ethelred, now part of the New Empire
WATCH OFFICER: Officer of the watch, in charge during a particular shift, responsible for everything that transpires during this time
WESBADEN: Major trade port city of Calis
WESLEY: Son of Lord Belstrad, brother of Sir Breckton, junior midshipman on the Emerald Storm
WESTBANK: Newly formed province of Dunmore
WESTERLANDS: Unknown frontier to the west
WHERRY: Light rowboat, used for racing or transporting goods and passengers on inland waters and harbors
WICEND: \why-send\ Farmer in Melengar, name of the ford that crosses the Galewyr into Glouston
WIDLEY: Professor at Sheridan University, tried and burned for heresy
WILFRED: Carter in Hintindar
WINDS ABBEY: Monastery of the Monks of Maribor, rebuilt by Myron Lanaklin after being burned
WINSLOW, ALBERT: See Albert Winslow
WINTERTIDE: Chief holiday, held in midwinter, celebrated by feasts and games of skill
WITCH OF MELENGAR: Derogatory title attributed to Princess Arista
WYATT DEMINTHAL: Quartermaster and helmsman of the Emerald Storm, father of Allie
WYLIN: \why-lynn\ Master-at-arms at Essendon Castle
WYMAR, MARQUIS: Nobleman of Melengar, member of Alric’s council
YOLRIC: Teacher of Esrahaddon
ZULRON: Deformed oberdaza of Oudorro
extras
www.orbitbooks.net
about the author
After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend’s house, Michael J. Sullivan inserted a blank piece of paper and typed It was a dark and stormy night, and a shot rang out. He was just eight. Still, the desire to fill the blank page and see where the keys would take him next wouldn’t let go. As an adult, Michael spent ten years developing his craft by reading and studying authors such as Stephen King, Ayn Rand, and John Steinbeck, to name just a few. He wrote ten novels, and after finding no traction in publishing, he quit, vowing never to write creatively again.
Michael discovered forever is a very long time and ended his writing hiatus ten years later. The itch returned when he decided to write books for his then thirteen-year-old daughter, who was struggling in school because of dyslexia. Intrigued by the idea of a series with an overarching story line, yet told through individual, self-contained episodes, he created the Riyria Revelations. He wrote the series with no intention of publishing it. After presenting his book in manuscript form to his daughter, she declared that it had to be a “real book,” in order for her to be able to read it.
So began his second adventure on the road to publication, which included drafting his wife to be his business manager, signing with a small independent press, and creating a publishing company. He sold more than sixty thousand books as a self-published author and leveraged this success to achieve mainstream publication through Orbit (the fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group) as well as foreign translation rights including French, Spanish, Russian, German, Polish, and Czech.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Michael presently lives in Fair-fax, Virginia, with his wife and three children. He continues to fill the blank pages with three projects under development: a modern fantasy, which explores the relationship between good and evil; a literary fiction piece, profiling a man’s descent into madness; and a medieval fantasy, which will be prequel to his best-selling Riyria Revelations series.
Find out more about Michael J. Sullivan and other Orbit authors by registering for the free monthly newsletter at www.orbitbooks.net
if you enjoyed
RISE OF EMPIRE
look out for
HEIR OF NOVRON
volume three of the Riyria Revelations
also by
Michael J. Sullivan
CHAPTER I
AQUESTA
Some people are skilled, and some are lucky, but at that moment Mince realized he was neither. Failing to cut the merchant’s purse strings, he froze with one hand still cupping the bag. He knew the pickpocket’s creed allowed for only a single touch, and he had dutifully slipped into the crowd after two earlier attempts. A third failure meant they would bar him from another meal. Mince was too hungry to let go.
With his hands still under the merchant’s cloak, he waited. The man remained oblivious.
Should I try again?
The thought was insane, but his empty stomach won the battle over reason. In a moment of desperation, Mince pushed caution aside. The leather seemed oddly thick. Sawing back and forth, he felt the purse come loose, but something was not right. It took only an instant for Mince to realize his mistake. Instead of purse strings, he had sliced through the merchant’s belt. Like a hissing snake, the leather strap slithered off the fat man’s belly, dragged to the cobblestones by the weight of his weapons.