Read The Gathering Storm Online

Authors: Kate Elliott

The Gathering Storm

BOOK: The Gathering Storm
8.68Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

REVIEWERS PRAISE

THE
CROWN OF STARS
SERIES:

“There’s enough going on in this one for an entire series of novels … a world with depth and color … once you’re caught up in the story, you’re going to spend many pleasant hours before you reach the conclusion.”


SF Chronicle

“Continuing her epic tale of kings and common folk, warriors and priests, Elliott demonstrates her talent for combining magic and intrigue with grand-scale storytelling.”


Library Journal

“Run to the bookstore and pick up … THE BURNING STONE…. Ms. Elliott skillfully navigates a complex, superbly plotted fantasy universe.”


Romantic Times

“There’s a bone-deep reality to the world…. Elliott has a strong ability to create a sense of other that is nonetheless human and compelling; one of the best arguments for the value of multivolume works.”


The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

“… an entirely captivating affair … a resounding narrative revolving around three appealing protagonists….”


Publishers Weekly

DAW Novels by

KATE ELLIOTT

Crown of Stars

KING’S DRAGON (Volume One)

PRINCE OF DOGS (Volume Two)

THE BURNING STONE (Volume Three)

CHILD OF FLAME (Volume Four)

THE GATHERING STORM (Volume Five)

IN THE RUINS (Volume Six)

CROWN OF STARS (Volume Seven)

The Novels of the Jaran

JARAN

AN EARTHLY CROWN

HIS CONQUERING SWORD

THE LAW OF BECOMING

&

with Melanie Rawn and Jennifer Roberson

THE GOLDEN KEY

The
Gathering
Storm

VOLUME FIVE

of

C
ROWN OF
S
TARS

Kate Elliott

DAW BOOKS, INC.

DONALD A. WOLLHEIM, FOUNDER

375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

ELIZABETH R. WOLLHEIM

SHEILA E. GILBERT

PUBLISHERS

http://www.dawbooks.com

Copyright © 2003 by Katrina Elliott.

All Rights Reserved.

Cover art by Jody A. Lee.

For information on artwork and prints by Jody A. Lee,

visit
www.jodylee.net

Map by Michael Gilbert.

DAW Book Collectors No. 1246

DAW Books are distributed by the Penguin Group (USA)

ISBN: 978-1-101-63981-8

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

http://www.sff.net/people/Kate.Elliott

First paperback printing, February 2004

AUTHOR’S NOTE

To my readers—thank you for waiting. I’m sorry it took so long but it proved to be a lot more complicated to write than even I thought it would be. The sixth and final volume will be titled “Crown of Stars.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I offer a particular thank you to Sherwood Smith whose cogent commentary on the penultimate draft caused me to add an all important fifteen minutes of additional screen time to one of the final scenes and revise a crucial scene in the middle of the book. My editor Sheila Gilbert remained patient and insightful throughout the long and arduous writing period; Debra Euler and the rest of the staff at DAW Books did not hesitate to make fun of me when necessary. The usual suspects gave me support and advice—you know who you are.

To Jeanne

MAP LEGEND

 1.  Heart’s Rest

 2.  Lavas

 3.  Autun

 4.  Gent

 5.  Osterburg

 6.  Walburg

 7.  Darre

 8.  Handelburg

 9.  Queens’ Grave

10.  Cackling Skerries

11.  Hefenfelthe

12.  Sliesby

13.  Novomo

14.  Machtenburg

       A. Veser River

       B. Oder River

       C. Nysa River

       D. Rhowne River

CONTENTS

Part One

EAGLE’S SIGHT

            I   The Strike of an Ax

           II   The Ache of an Old Wound

P
ART
T
WO

THE UNCOILING YEAR

          III   An Adder in the Pit

          IV   The Summer Sun

           V   Sordaia

         VI   A Proposal

        VII   A Bee’s Sting

       VIII   Rats and Lions

         IX   A Grave Crime

          X   The Depths of His Gaze

         XI   Signs and Portents

        XII   A Calf in Winter’s Slaughterhouse

       XIII   After Darkness

       XIV   The Approaching Storm

        XV   A Hapless Fly

       XVI   An Arrow in the Heart

      XVII   The Broken Thread

     XVIII   Grim’s Dike

       XIX   A Prisoner of Power

        XX   Strong Potion

       XXI   Trust

      XXII   A New Ship

P
ART
T
HREE

CAUDA DRACONIS

     XXIII   Into the Pit

     XXIV   His Voice

      XXV   A Mute Beast

    XXVI   Among the Dead

   XXVII   Unexpected Meetings

  XXVIII   Holy Fire

    XXIX   The Trap She Had Laid

     XXX   The Nature of Their Power

    XXXI   The Lost

   XXXII   Worse Yet to Come

  EPILOGUE

BOOK: The Gathering Storm
8.68Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell
Fools for Lust by Maxim Jakubowski
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
With Love and Quiches by Susan Axelrod
Daddy Lenin and Other Stories by Guy Vanderhaeghe
Fool Like You by Shade, Bella
The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine