Old Thak: original language for early Kingdom of Carthak; now mage language taught throughout Eastern and Southern Lands and Scanra
orris: another term for iris, a scent sacred to Hekaja and to healers, as well as myrrh, myrtle, and poppy
pizzle: male animal’s sexual organ
pounded, being: having sex
ragze: long-term homosexual partner in Carthak
ragzewi: homosexual in Carthak, any individual who is homosexual
Realms of the Gods: another term for the Divine Realms, the home of the gods and the creatures known as immortals
rue: hardy evergreen plant with a nasty odor and bitter, nauseating taste; for health and for clearing the mind and house
Saturday: day of the week set aside for religious observances
Shakith: blind goddess of seers
sigil: sign or figure
Sign (against evil): drawn on the chest as an X with a straight line through it; it is a star, a sign of protection against evil accidentally caused by oneself, as in thoughts that might be bad, or against harm that might come to one
soppish: soppy, sentimental, milksop, weak
spinster: woman who spins thread from fiber: wool, flax, or cotton; usually a young, unmarried woman of the lower or slave classes
stain(s): bum stain, scoundrel
stillroom: room in houses or small facilities in which herbs are dried and kept and medicines made and stored
sunbird: dull in color; the size of a heron as adults; able to control their size in the Mortal Realms; in the Divine Realms they fly straight up during the day, spinning, wings outstretched, flashing brilliant colors in salute to Mithros
Sunday: Sun’s day, best day of the week to start new ventures
sunwise: from right to left
Thak: contemporary common language of Carthaki Empire
thaka: gold Carthaki coin
thaki: silver Carthaki coin
Upper Academy: senior school for the Carthaki School for Mages, usually for students sixteen and up
walk out: form of dating; couples went walking
wandermage: mage who travels and does not answer to any one employer
ward: protect, particularly with magical spells
widdershins: counterclockwise, preferred direction for magic working
Winter’s Crone: in the Eastern Lands, the ancient goddess who introduces the deepest cold of the season; she holds good fortune for those with the courage and stamina to seek it from her. She is a goddess of northern magic: her chief temple is in the City of the Gods.
working: alternate term for spell-work
zoeg: Thak term for a homosexual relationship
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, I want to thank my home team, the people who help when I’m stuck, get my writing and makeup supplies (I’m just no good at judging makeup, or clothes, for that matter), gather to care for stray and feral cats, and ensure that I’m fed and that I don’t duck my doctor appointments: my beloved spouse-creature (thirty-two years of marital something in 2017!), Timothy Liebe; my extraordinary assistant and fellow writer, Julie Holderman; and my writing partner and buddy, the djinn of middle-grade fiction, Bruce Coville. My gratitude to the new Tamora Pierce LLC staff for their work on the new webpage format, layout, and updates: Donna Burke, Jeremiah Tolbert, MJ Erickson, and Farrah Nakhaie. Thanks also to the Sunday Night Bollywood Team, writer Kathy Coville, Cynthia Bishop, and brother-in-law Craig, in addition to the Home Team.
As ever, I have the best professional support team a writer could ask for: Mallory Loehr and Chelsea Eberly at Random House Children’s Books, with the powerful forces of the art department, the sales department, and the publicity department. For their meticulous work, my thanks to the copy editors. All of these people have introduced me to strange new magics. In concert with them are the excellent people at Harold Ober Associates, my agent and friend of many years, Craig Tenney, and the president of Ober, my onetime boss, Phyllis Westberg—both of you have my love always.
I have my Manhattan buddies Raquel Starace and Denise Robert to thank for years of friendship, and my sisters Kimberly and Danielle: they are the real-life heroes who guard people’s lives. To my stepmother, Mary Lou; my mother-in-law, Margaret; my brother-in-law Craig; and my nephew CJ, because family.
To my fans, who are passionate, funny, intelligent, creative, caring, and strong—you make me glad I took the path I did each and every day.
My nuclear family’s deepest thanks, and the thanks of approximately fifteen to twenty stray or feral cats, go not only to the fine people who are named in the dedication, but to those listed here, and another number who will be listed on my website in the future. Thanks to them, those cats received housing, food, medical care, and in some cases new homes in 2014–2015: Cynthia Bishop; Isabelle Cseti-Wall; Nicola Drakeford; Wendy Elrick; Mary Evanov; Lacey Ewald; Christine Gregory; Marybeth Griffin; Ruth Heller; Rachel Ossmann; Beth Parker; Jesi Pershing; Amber Phillipps; Rhiannon Pretty; Danielle Putinja; Caroline Rivard; Brittany and Jared Rubio; Karrin Ryan; Siobhan Simpson; Karen, Liam, and Anastasia Smith & Becker; Dawn Thompson; and Adrienne Wiens. Those who took part in this fund-raiser that we did not reach in time for mention in this book we will include in the second book of this series. Again, our thanks!
is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over eighteen novels set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. She first captured the imagination of readers with her debut novel, Alanna: The First Adventure. Since then, her bestselling and award-winning titles have pushed the boundaries of fantasy and young adult novels to introduce readers to a rich world populated by strong, believable heroines. She has been the guest of honor at numerous conventions, and her books have been translated into many languages and are available on audio. She is the winner of the Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, the Skylark Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.”
Pierce lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, and their cats, birds, and occasional rescued wildlife.
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Tess quit the house, her family, and her entire life before lunch.