BLOOD SONG
TOWER LORD
QUEEN OF FIRE
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
This book is an original publication of Penguin Random House LLC.
Copyright © 2015 by Anthony Ryan.
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eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-61298-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ryan, Anthony.
Queen of fire / Anthony Ryan. — First edition.
pages ; cm. — (A raven’s shadow novel ; 3)
ISBN 978-0-425-26564-2 (hardcover)
I. Title.
PR6118.Y3523Q44 2015
823'.92—dc23
2015002910
FIRST EDITION: July 2015
Cover illustration © Cliff Nielsen.
Cover photographs: abstract red background © Gile68/Shutterstock; red wine splash © Yeryomina Anastassiya / Shutterstock; fire frame © Mikhail Bakunovich / Shutterstock; flame © Mikhail Bakunovich / Shutterstock; metal texture © Waj/Shutterstock; sword © Olemac/Shutterstock.
Cover design by Judith Lagerman.
Main map by Steve Karp, based on an original by Anthony Ryan.
The Realm and the Empires map, Asrael and Cumbrael map, and the Northern Empire map by Anthony Ryan.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Version_1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Once again many thanks to my excellent editor at Ace, Susan Allison, who started this ball rolling three years ago with an e-mail to some guy in the UK who’d sold a few copies of his self-published fantasy book. Also, deep appreciation to my UK editor, James Long, for his support and commitment to this project. And finally, heartfelt thanks to my long-suffering second set of eyes, Paul Field.
C
ONTENTS
PART I
Verniers’ Account
CHAPTER ONE: Lyrna
CHAPTER TWO: Alucius
CHAPTER THREE: Frentis
CHAPTER FOUR: Reva
CHAPTER FIVE: Lyrna
CHAPTER SIX: Vaelin
CHAPTER SEVEN: Alucius
CHAPTER EIGHT: Frentis
CHAPTER NINE: Lyrna
CHAPTER TEN: Alucius
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Frentis
CHAPTER TWELVE: Vaelin
PART II
Verniers’ Account
CHAPTER ONE: Lyrna
CHAPTER TWO: Vaelin
CHAPTER THREE: Frentis
CHAPTER FOUR: Reva
CHAPTER FIVE: Vaelin
CHAPTER SIX: Lyrna
CHAPTER SEVEN: Frentis
CHAPTER EIGHT: Vaelin
CHAPTER NINE: Lyrna
CHAPTER TEN: Frentis
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Vaelin
PART III
Verniers’ Account
CHAPTER ONE: Vaelin
CHAPTER TWO: Reva
CHAPTER THREE: Frentis
CHAPTER FOUR: Lyrna
CHAPTER FIVE: Vaelin
CHAPTER SIX: Reva
CHAPTER SEVEN: Frentis
CHAPTER EIGHT: Lyrna
CHAPTER NINE: Reva
CHAPTER TEN: Vaelin
PART IV
Verniers’ Account
CHAPTER ONE: Vaelin
CHAPTER TWO: Lyrna
CHAPTER THREE: Vaelin
CHAPTER FOUR: Reva
CHAPTER FIVE: Frentis
CHAPTER SIX: Vaelin
CHAPTER SEVEN: Lyrna
CHAPTER EIGHT: Reva
CHAPTER NINE: Frentis
CHAPTER TEN: Vaelin
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Lyrna
CHAPTER TWELVE: Reva
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Vaelin
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Frentis
PART V
Verniers’ Account
CHAPTER ONE: Vaelin
PART I
—SEORDAH POEM, AUTHOR UNKNOWN
VERNIERS’ ACCOUNT
