Acknowledgments
THANK YOU FOR READING AND I HOPE YOU enjoyed the story! My characters would like to thank you also, for allowing them into your imaginations. We are honored you chose to journey across the Dark Water with us.
If you’d like to further immerse yourself in the Realm, try playing “stones” with your friends. This Sandwen strategy game is based on Mancala, an ancient system of play that involves capturing your opponent’s stones, seeds, or beans. Rules can be found online. You can make your own playing board or buy one at a toy store. Try it with a sibling, friend, parent, or book club—best enjoyed with peppermints!
And for those of you who’ve read the first four books in the Guardian Herd series, beginning with Starfire, I’m thrilled you’re joining me in these new adventures. For those of you who are curious about Anok and the pegasi who live there, I invite you to visit the Guardian Herd website. Here you’ll find games, quizzes, a herd glossary, giveaways, printable trading cards, interviews, FAQ, stunning fan art, pictures of the characters, and more!
Without further ado, I’m pleased to announce that I’m writing the Riders of the Realm trilogy with many of the same incredible people who I worked with on the Guardian Herd series: my agent, Jacquie Flynn, and the talented folks at HarperCollins Children’s Books. Their belief in my stories has inspired me more than words can express.
Senior Editor Karen Chaplin remains by my side, traveling with me across the Dark Water. I couldn’t ask for a more inquisitive, enthusiastic, and supportive co-adventurer. Illustrator David McClellan is with us, documenting the new world with his incredible sketches and paintings.
Book Designer Heather Daugherty continues to
inspire, casting the words and the art into beautiful physical books. Megan Barlog from Marketing, Andrea Pappenheimer and Kathy Faber from Sales, Olivia Russo from Publicity, and Patti Rosati and Molly Motch from School and Library Marketing lend their creative dedication to bringing these stories to you, the reader. Senior Production Editor Jessica Berg and Copyeditor Andrea Curley are at the rudder, steering the prose and the plot into alignment with all that has gone before. And Editorial Director Rosemary Brosnan plots our course, ensuring no one gets lost on the way.
Special appreciation to the authors who’ve encouraged and helped me thus far, especially Peter Lerangis, Anne Greenwood Brown, Kristin Kittscher, John Kloepfer, Anne Nesbet, Jenn Reese, Lindsay Cummings, Sarah Prineas, Sage Blackwood, Angela Lam Turpin, A. E. Conran, Jill Diamond, and Esther Ehrlich.
To the booksellers, teachers, and librarians—thank you for hosting in-house events that allow authors like me to meet readers. These experiences are priceless.
Much love to my horses, past and present, and to my pets. You talk to me without speaking and love me without judging.
And to my husband, children, family, and friends—thank you for understanding that I live in two worlds.
Wishing you wings,
Jennifer
About the Author
Photo by Nick Alvarez
JENNIFER LYNN ALVAREZ received a degree in English literature from UC Berkeley. She is an active horsewoman, a volunteer for US Pony Club, and a proud mother of three children. She’s also the author of the Guardian Herd series, fantasy novels starring wild pegasi. Jennifer draws on her lifelong love of animals when writing her books, and when she’s not at her computer, Jennifer can be found riding her beloved mare Maddie (pictured above). She lives on a small ranch in Northern California with her husband, children, and more than her fair share of pets. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenniferDiaries or on Instagram @jennifer_lynn_alvarez. And to learn more about her winged universe of novels, please visit www.theguardianherd.com.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Praise for Riders of the Realm: Across the Dark Water
“A story with both wings and heart, Across the Dark Water is a breathtaking ride into a rich and dangerous world. Animal lovers and thrill-seekers alike will cheer for Echofrost and Rahkki at each of the many twists and turns. Clever, epic, and wildly imaginative!”
—Kamilla Benko, author of The Unicorn Quest
“An epic adventure that moves at the speed of flight.Thrilling, compelling, and completely enchanting. I fell in love with the Storm Herd, and one particular winged steed that Pegasus himself would fall for!”
—Kate O’Hearn, author of the international bestselling Pegasus series
“Exhilarating! A well-woven tale full of loyalty, bravery, danger, and love. Readers will be delighted!”
—Lindsay Cummings, New York Times bestselling author of the Balance Keepers series
“A riveting, richly imagined epic tale of loyalty, bravery, and friendship that will make your heart (literally!) soar—a pulse-pounding adventure! Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is a true master of her craft.”
—Kristen Kittscher, author of The Wig in the Window and The Tiara on the Terrace
“Getting swept up in Jennifer Lynn Alvarez’s rich world of flying steeds, Landwalkers, giants, and spit dragons was the most fun I’ve had all year. It’s like How to Train Your Dragon meets Watership Down. But with pegasi. A fantastic read!”
—John Kloepfer, author of the Zombie Chasers series and the Galaxy’s Most Wanted series
“Honor and courage soar on every page of Jennifer Lynn Alvarez’s books!”
—Jenn Reese, author of the Above World trilogy
“A beautiful tale of loyalty, adventure, and bravery. Readers will want to soar through the clouds with Echofrost and befriend kindhearted Rahkki. Across the Dark Water is a captivating opener to the Riders of the Realm trilogy.”
—Jill Diamond, author of the Lou Lou and Pea series
“Gorgeously detailed and with heart-wrenching conflict, Across the Dark Water is a breathtaking read sure to please new fans and old. Jennifer Lynn Alvarez’s fantasy world is richly developed with a cast of characters readers will be sure to love, both winged and human. I read it as fast as a pegasus can fly and am already longing for more.”
—Mindee Arnett, critically acclaimed author of Onyx & Ivory
Praise for the Guardian Herd series
“From page one, Jennifer Lynn Alvarez weaves an epic tale of a doomed black pegasus foal named Star, whose race against time will lift the reader on the wings of danger and destiny, magic and hope. It’s a world I did not want to leave, and neither will you.”
—Peter Lerangis, New York Times bestselling author in the 39 Clues series and of the Seven Wonders series
“Perfect for fans of Charlotte’s Web and the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.”
—ALA Booklist
“Chock-full of adventure and twists, making it difficult to put down. Readers will be clamoring for the next book.”
—School Library Journal
“Alvarez’s world is lush with description and atmosphere.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Will prove popular with both animal-lovers and fantasy fans. A good choice for reluctant readers. The clever resolution will get kids psyched for more tales from the Guardian Herd.”
—ALA Booklist
“Filled with fantastical action, and rich with description. A well-paced and engrossing story. Alvarez has created a series that will be beloved by readers.”
—VOYA
Books by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
The Guardian Herd: Starfire
The Guardian Herd: Stormbound
The Guardian Herd: Landfall
The Guardian Herd: Windborn
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Copyright
RIDERS OF THE REALM #1: ACROSS THE DARK WATER. Text copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. Interior art copyright © 2018 by David McClellan. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloa
ded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
COVER ART BY VIVIENNE TO
COVER DESIGN BY ERIN FITZSIMMONS AND CATHERINE SAN JUAN
* * *
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016949951
Digital Edition MAY 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-241541-7
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-241539-4
* * *
18 19 20 21 22 LSCH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
About the Publisher
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Contents
Epigraph
Sandwen Clans
Kihlari
Storm Herd
Gorlan Hordes
Maps
1. Rahkki
2. Bloodborn
3. Leaving Anok
4. Storm Herd
5. The Southern Continent
6. Smoke
7. Flying Free
8. Kihlari
9. Breakdown
10. The Plan
11. The Wildling
12. Trapped
13. Playing Stones
14. The Princess
15. Grounded
16. Hunger
17. The Farmer
18. The Landwalker Cub
19. Leshi Creek
20. Acceptance
21. The Kihlari Ancestors
22. The Queen
23. Shame
24. Raid
25. Defense
26. Help
27. Stopping Time
28. Destruction
29. Crumbling
30. Not a Dog
31. The Blanket
32. The Visit
33. The Longest Day of the Year
34. Auction
35. Harak
36. Contest
37. Grief
38. Viper
39. The Contenders
40. Flight
41. The Chase
42. The Nest
43. Broken Promises
44. Sula
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Praise for Riders of the Realm
Books by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Back Ads
Copyright
About the Publisher
Guide
Cover
Contents
Chapter 1
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