Queen of Fire

Ace Books by Anthony Ryan

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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ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

For more information, visit penguin.com.

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

For Rod, Helen, Amber and Kyle

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

Ace Books by Anthony Ryan

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Maps

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

APPENDIX: Dramatis Personae

PART I

The raven knows no rest

His shadow ceaseless

Upon the earth.

—SEORDAH POEM, AUTHOR UNKNOWN

VERNIERS’ ACCOUNT

He was waiting on the wharf when I arrived with my prisoner in tow. Standing tall as always, angular features turned towards the horizon, his cloak wrapped tight against the seaward chill. My initial puzzlement at finding him here faded as I caught sight of the ship leaving the harbour, a narrow-hulled vessel of Meldenean design, sent to the Northern Reaches with an important passenger, one I knew he would miss greatly.