Elenai laughed. “We can’t have that. Come, my friends.” She waved the others ahead.
“You are the queen,” N’lahr said. And Ortok nodded in agreement.
“We stood as one, and still do,” she reminded them. “Walk with me.”
And so they moved forward, side by side, into the room beyond.
Acknowledgments
This concluding volume would not have possible without a whole team of people to whom I will be forever grateful. Sarah Bonamino and Sara Beth Haring were wonderful allies for getting the word out. I was delighted to work with the talented Edwin Chapman as my copyeditor for each book of this trilogy and immeasurably pleased by the devoted audio work of Lori Prince. The long-suffering Ian Tregillis once more served as my alpha reader, and then Kelly McCullough, John O’Neill, Chris Willrich, and the Willrich family served as almost beta readers. You see, I thought they were getting the beta version of the draft, but their many fine comments made me realize another going-over was absolutely essential. Beth Shope rode in to my rescue at the last minute to point me toward better habits I espouse but had forgotten to practice—and convinced me that one too many characters were dying by book’s end.
All through the course of writing this book I benefited from the guidance of Pete Wolverton, Bob Mecoy, and my firstborn, Darian Jones. And then, of course, the counsel of my amazing wife and muse, Shannon Jones, was invaluable from beginning to end. If my allegedly clever characters actually sound and act intelligently, then much of that has to do with my brilliant wife’s input and suggestions. She loves these characters as much as I do, and I swear that sometimes she knows them even better. It was she who, long before the first novel was even finished, suggested some of the best parts of this book’s ending on a walk one evening. Many, many other portions of this story have had to change, but those suggestions were so fine I retained them to the very end.
Speaking of characters, one of them has a hidden history. Kris Ghosh, M.D., once asked me to give a home to his favorite D&D character from his youth. Kris died far too young, so he never saw these books, much less several mentions of a legendary sorcerer from olden days. I think he would have been delighted that Herahn is regarded as the finest mage in the history of the Altenerai. I can imagine the beaming smile that would have resulted once he saw Herahn mentioned in these books. I wish I could have seen it in person.
ALSO BY HOWARD ANDREW JONES
Upon the Flight of the Queen
For the Killing of Kings
The Bones of the Old Ones
The Waters of Eternity
The Desert of Souls
About the Author
HOWARD ANDREW JONES, when not helping run his small family farm or spending time with his amazing wife and children, is hunched over his laptop or notebook mumbling about flashing swords and doom-haunted towers. He has worked as a TV cameraman, a book editor, a recycling consultant, and a college writing instructor. He edited eight collections of Harold Lamb’s historicals and served as managing editor of Black Gate. He edits the sword and sorcery magazine Tales from the Magician’s Skull. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Map
Pledge of the Altenerai
Prologue
1. The Crown and the Emerald
2. The Missing Mage
3. Breakfast with the Queen
4. A Long Strange Road
5. Internal Division
6. A Land of Plenty
7. The Throne of the Queen
8. Chamber of the Ring
9. The Third Matter
10. The Sorceress in the Dawn
11. The Blood of Paradise
12. Beyond the Walls
13. A Meeting of Minds
14. A Field of Stars
15. The Sorceress in the Night
16. The Visitor in the Sky
17. In the Wasteland
18. The Other Way
19. Reunions
20. A Final Consultation
21. Out upon the Road
22. The Last Resort
23. Splitting Forces
24. Among Friends
25. The Secret in the Sand
26. The Wielder of the Staff
27. Tunnel to Nowhere
28. The Long Way Back
29. What the Future Holds
30. The Queen in Blood
31. The Battle Looms
32. On Wing of Fire
33. The Oath of the Ring-Sworn
34. The One He Liked
35. Ortok’s Vow
36. The Battle Joins
37. The Last Farewell
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Also by Howard Andrew Jones
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
WHEN THE GODDESS WAKES. Copyright © 2021 by Howard Andrew Jones. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.stmartins.com
Map by Darian Vincent Jones
Cover design by Lesley Worrell and Young Jin Lim
Cover illustration by Lauren Saint-Onge
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Jones, Howard A., author.
Title: When the goddess wakes: the ring-sworn trilogy / Howard Andrew Jones.
Description: First Edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2021. |
Series: The ring-sworn trilogy; book 3
Identifiers: LCCN 2021006608 | ISBN 9781250148827 (hardcover) | ISBN
9781250148834 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Fantasy fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3610.O62535 W48 2021 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021006608
eISBN 9781250884120
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: 2021
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