Voyages of the Flying Dragon (34 page)

When pronouncing names of Shinzōn origin, the general rule is to give each syllable equal emphasis and, even though most words end in a vowel, a word that does end in a consonant follows the same rule. For example: Shin becomes
Shi-n
, with both the ‘Shi' and the ‘n' carrying equal weight. Double consonants are simply twice as long.

For the pronunciation of vowels, use the following table:

a	as in ‘ah'
e	as in ‘eh'
i	as in ‘ee'
o	as in ‘oh'
u	as in ‘oo'

Combinations of vowels can be tricky. Some do not affect each other (our word ‘ion' would be pronounced
ee-oh-n
with three syllables). Some do affect one another:

ai	as in a hard ‘i'
ei	as in a hard ‘a' (‘-ay')
ō or ou	as in a longer ‘oh' (twice as long)
ū or uu	as in a longer ‘oo' (twice as long)

Shinzōn names are presented as family name followed by given name. If someone is directly related to the main branch of a clan family (for instance, a child of the head of the clan family) they take the clan name as their family name. For example, Mayonaka Shishi is the heir to the Mayonaka clan. Those not directly related to the main branch of the clan family, such as cousins, take their own family name, which is preceded by the clan name, separated by the indicator ‘no'. For example, Yūrei no Gōshi Yami is a member of the Yūrei clan, but the Gōshi family is not directly related to the Yūrei family.

When I wrote the acknowledgements for my previous book, I wrote a bit of a story about how
Quillblade
was written. In it, I thanked the various people who helped me to see that book to completion. I'm sure it was very clever of me, but frankly it got a bit convoluted (I have a distinct penchant for convolution), so this time I'm just going to say ‘thank you' to a bunch of people.

First and foremost, thanks to Zoe Walton, my editor and publisher, for believing in the series and working so hard to polish it up and get it out there. I realise the only suitable ‘Thank you' at this point would be to give you a real, live Bestia to keep as your very own, so I promise I'll manage that somehow, someday. Thanks also to Cristina Briones for helping to edit
Beast Child
, and to all of the other marvellous people at Random House Australia whom I haven't met yet but who have done such great work on the series. You all both rock and roll.

Thanks to my generous readers, who read and loved
Quillblade
and will, I hope, love this sequel at least as much. To those of you who took the time to write to me so you could
let me know how much you're enjoying the
Hiryū
's voyages so far –
thank you, thank you, thank you!
Reading your messages gives me the best feeling ever.

A very big ‘Thank you!' to Carclew Youth Arts for the scholarship that helped me to finish this book on time. You guys do amazing work, each and every one of you, and your organisation is both vital and generous. Thanks also to Jo and Richard Vabolis for inviting me into their home for some dedicated (cat-free) writing time, and the same to Margot McGovern and her family for the generous loan of their beachside writers' shack. (It's not really a writers' shack. It's just a shack, but I wrote a lot there.)
Beast Child
probably never would have been finished without you all, and certainly not on time.

Thanks a bunch, Nan Halliday! You are a wonderful agent, not least because you get me out of the house and listen very patiently to my whining over coffee (but mostly it's for all of the great work you do). For very similar reasons, my eternal thanks to the Keylings, who know who they are and will doubtless keep opening those doors.

Thanks to all of my friends and family, including the ones who no longer remember what I look like thanks to my increasingly frequent visits to my writing oubliette (I'm the guy with the crazy beardlike growth on his chin and cheeks, the pasty skin, the glasses … so, basically, the same guy you always knew). Thanks, Ash! You know why. Also, a very special sort of thanks goes to Craig and Weez, two of
my oldest and dearest friends, just for being totally awesome (and not at all because you threatened dire consequences if I left you out this time). Thanks also to all of my writer friends and colleagues, who have been so supportive and welcoming of the ‘new guy' and continue to be so.

If I've forgotten to thank someone in the heady craziness of getting this book ready for publication, I do sincerely apologise and will accept a swift clip around the ear as punishment (that last bit doesn't apply to you, gauntleted Jimmy). I hope a heartfelt ‘Thank you to everyone in my life!' will help. So, thank you all!

Ben lives mostly in worlds of his own creation but occasionally misses the real world and comes home to Adelaide, where he sometimes teaches Creative Writing and English Literature at various universities. In addition to writing fantasy and things like that, he has also published academic work on popular culture, video game narrative theory, Japanese heroism, anime and manga, and creative writing pedagogy. Ben loves heroes, villains, comic books, and video games, and he believes you can learn more from watching cartoons than you can from the news. A few years ago, someone made Ben a Doctor of Fantasy, which is possibly the coolest thing ever but may have been a bit foolhardy given the number of super villains out there with PhDs. I'm not saying he's inherently evil, but don't be surprised if he gets arrested one day for trying to hijack a zeppelin. It's entirely likely Loki will have made him do it. For those of you who don't follow Ben on Twitter (@DoctorBenny), Loki is his cat. All fantasy writers have cats, even if they don't realise it.

For more information about Ben and his books, go to
www.benchandler.com.au
.

Twins Lenis and Missy Clemens are slaves aboard the
Hiryū
. They work as Bestia Keepers, communicating telepathically with the creatures that power the mighty airship.

When the airship is stolen from under the Warlord's nose, Lenis and Missy have no choice but to obey the captain's mysterious orders. Pursued by the Warlord's airships, they must race over the perilous Wastelands, where corrupted Demons lie in wait.

It is only when Lenis tells the captain about his dreams of the Blue Dragon of the East that their quest becomes clear. The survival of Apsilla's daughter may be their only hope – but will they find the dragon's egg in time, or will their enemies find them first. The Quillblade holds the key – if Missy can use it without forfeiting her soul.

 

Out now!