Wall of Spears (55 page)

Many of the place names in the Empire of Bones series are real names, to be found in the pages of history or even on today’s maps. However, the fictional towns and villages named in this series bear no relation to their real counterparts.

There are also several historical hints and notes, from the Chinese repeating crossbow to the Welsh flag and anthem. Again, there is no intention to make this, or them, real.

This is not only a work of fiction, it is a work of fantasy.

A book does not end up on the shelves without a great deal of work by a great many people. I need to thank my beta reader Belinda Lay, agent Sophie Hamley, publisher Rochelle Fernandez, editor Kate Burnitt, copy-editor Kylie Mason, proofreader Annabel Adair and designer Darren Holt. Without their help, advice and eagle eyes,
Wall of Spears
would not be the same book. My name is on the cover yet they all helped to make it better and stronger, as well as hide flaws, correct mistakes and eliminate my talent for repeating key words and phrases.

An interview with legendary American fantasy writer Raymond E Feist inspired Duncan Lay to try his hand at fantasy writing. He writes on the train, while commuting from his Central Coast home to his other job as Masthead Chief of
The Sunday Telegraph
. This is his second fantasy trilogy.

Connect with Duncan Lay at:

duncanlay.blogspot.com

facebook.com/duncan.lay

Twitter @DuncanLay

T
HE
D
RAGON
S
WORD
H
ISTORIES

The Wounded Guardian
(1)

The Risen Queen
(2)

The Radiant Child
(3)

E
MPIRE OF
B
ONES

Bridge of Swords
(1)

Valley of Shields
(2)

Wall of Spears
(3)

Harper
Voyager

An imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers

First published in Australia in 2014

This edition published in 2014

by HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia Pty Limited

ABN 36 009 913 517

harpercollins.com.au

Copyright © Duncan Lay 2014

The right of Duncan Lay to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him under the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968
, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

HarperCollins
Publishers

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand

A 53, Sector 57, Noida, UP, India

77–85 Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8JB, United Kingdom

2 Bloor Street East, 20th floor, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8, Canada

10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022, USA

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

Lay, Duncan, author.

Wall of spears / Duncan Lay.

ISBN: 978 0 7322 9420 5 (pbk)

ISBN: 978 0 7304 9699 1 (epub)

Lay, Duncan. Empire of bones; 3.

Fantasy fiction.

A823.4

Cover design by Darren Holt, HarperCollins Design Studio

Cover images by shutterstock.com

Map by Darren Holt, HarperCollins Design Studio

Author photograph by Anthony Reginato