Beyond the Shadowed Earth
Page 31
Acknowledgments
THIS BOOK WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT MY amazing editor, Lauren Knowles, who, when I pitched the idea of a completely different companion novel for Beneath the Haunting Sea, was all: “Okay, but what if the companion novel was about Eda instead?” Initially, I didn’t think Eda had much of a story to tell. And then I sat down to brainstorm possibilities and realized that she did, and things spiraled out of control from there. Lauren, thanks for the brainstorming phone calls, for always answering my emails, and for your boundless enthusiasm for this book!
Thanks to Ashley Tenn for creating such a gorgeous cover! Tolkien himself would be proud, and I can’t stop looking at it.
Thanks to the entire team at Page Street for transforming my words into beautiful, book-shaped things, and for making my oldest dream come true three years in a row.
Thank you to my wizardly agent, Sarah Davies, for always championing me and my work.
Thank you to Hanna Howard and Steph Messa for reading Earth in its messiest, rough-draft form. Your enthusiasm and encouragement dragged me up from the depths of despair and enabled me to keep working on this book. Hugs and hugs and hugs.
Thanks to my intrepid critique partner, Jen Fulmer, for your invaluable notes on the second draft of Earth—don’t worry, I changed that part about the floor tiles!
Thanks to Laura Weymouth, who, when asked for ideas of alternate travel methods, suggested “giant eagles like in Tolkien” and then proceeded to tell me everything she’d learned about eagles from nature documentary shows.
Thanks to Jenny Downer for the first line, for thinking this book sounds cool, for keeping me company while I was writing it, and for still being my BFF even after all these years. Here’s to drinking many, many more cups of tea together.
Thanks to Anna Bright and Hannah Whitten who, along with Jen and Laura and Steph, make up The Pod, and are always there to cheer me on or commiserate or both, depending on the situation. All writers need a Pod, and I’m beyond grateful for mine.
Thanks to Amy Trueblood and every one of the incredible authors who make up the AZ YA/MG Writers’ Group—you all inspire me beyond words.
Thanks to the band The Oh Hellos for your gorgeous, inspiring music. I listened to the albums Eurus and Notos on repeat ad infinitum whilst writing and revising Earth.
I would be remiss in not mentioning J. R. R. Tolkien and Megan Whalen Turner, whose words and worlds will never cease to inspire me. I like to think Earth could be the strange lovechild of The Lord of the Rings and The Queen of Attolia.
As always, thanks to my friends and family for their continued love, encouragement, and support. I love and appreciate you all more than words can say.
Thank you to my husband, Aaron, who is long suffering during the book-making process, and who has ridden this particular roller coaster enough times now to not take me too seriously when I bemoan to him that “This is the worst thing I’ve ever written.” Thanks for encouraging me. Thanks for being proud of me. I love you.
And to Arthur, who is growing up so fast: thanks for taking such good naps while I wrote and revised this book! I really don’t know what I’m going to do when you stop napping, but we’ll figure it out together, okay? Love you always.
And last but by no means least, thank you thank you thank you to every single one of my readers. It means the world to me to share my words with you.
About the Author
JOANNA RUTH MEYER IS THE AUTHOR OF Beneath the Haunting Sea, which Kirkus described as “epic, musical, and tender,” and Echo North, which received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.
Joanna hails from Mesa, Arizona, where she lives with her dear husband and son, a rascally feline, and an enormous grand piano named Prince Imrahil. She currently splits her time between toddler wrangling, teaching piano lessons, and writing, and her greatest obsessions are loose-leaf tea and rainstorms. One day, she aspires to own an old Victorian house with creaky wooden floors and a tower (for writing in, of course!).
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
Part One: Stone and Crown
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Part Two: Shadow and Blade
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Part Three: Starlight and Sorrow
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © Joanna Ruth Meyer
First published in 2020 by
Page Street Publishing Co.
27 Congress Street, Suite 105
Salem, MA 01970
www.pagestreetpublishing.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
eISBN 978-1-62414-821-7
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2019941878
Cover design by Ashley Tenn for Page Street Publishing Co.
Cover image: Mountain and eagle © Creative Market/Bakani, Crown © Creative Market/FleurArt, Clouds © Creative Market/Feanne, Star map © Creative Market/Digital Curio