"Quit upstaging me with that sword," Carroway hissed, chasing down an errant cupbearer. "Good entertainers are hard to get."
"So are good dancing partners," Kiara said. She made a little bow, and reached out to take Tris's arm. "Shall we, Your Majesty?"
"At your service, milady," Tris replied with an answering bow. "Now and forever."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote—at age five—was about a vampire.
Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age fourteen, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.
She is married and has three children, a Himalayan cat and a golden retriever.
You can visit Gail at: www.myspace.com/chronicleofthenecromancer www.chroniclesofthenecromancer.com
Read her blog: blog.myspace.com/chronicleofthenecromancer
MAIN CHARACTERS
Alaine
Sister Landis's assistant.
ALLE
A spy and member of the Margolan resistance.
Alyzza
A half-mad mage who traveled with Linton's caravan as a hedge witch and helped Tris with his first efforts to learn control of his magic.
Astasia
One of the vayash moru nobles on the Blood Council.
Ban Soterius
Captain of King Bricen's guard on the night of the coup and a close friend of Tris Drayke.
Bava K'aa
Mother of Queen Serae, grandmother to Tris and his sister Kait. A powerful Summoner, Bava K'aa fought the Obsidian King during the Mage Wars and was responsible for binding his spirit in the orb Soulcatcher. Until her death, Bava K'aa led the Sisterhood, an elite group of mages.
Berry (Berwyn)
Daughter of King Staden of Principality, she first meets Tris as a captive of slavers, where she hid her identity to lessen her risk.
Bricen of Margolan
King of Margolan, father to both Martris (Tris) Drayke and his half-brother, Jared. Killed by Jared and Foor Arontala on the night of the Feast of the Departed (Haunts) along with Queen Serae and their daughter, Kait.
Carina Jesthrata
Healer to King Donelan of Isencroft, distant cousin to Kiara Sharsequin and sister to the fighter Cam. Sent to find an elixir to heal King Donelan from a mage-sent illness, Carina and Cam were traveling incognito with Maynard Linton's caravan when Tris and his friends also took refuge with the caravan on their way north to find sanctuary.
Carroway
A gifted bard in the court of King Bricen and a close friend of Tris Drayke.
CURANE
A Margolan noble who is among Jared's most loyal supporters.
Darrath
A senior general in the Principality army. He is an expert tactician, provided by Staden to help Tris plan his strike against Jared.
Elam
The Sister in charge of the citadel in Principality City, and a close friend of the late Bava K'aa.
Fallon
A member of the Sisterhood who oversees a citadel in northern Margolan.
Foor Arontala
A Fire Clan mage and one of the undead vayash moru, Foor Arontala is mage-advisor to Jared of Margolan, Arontala seeks to reawaken the spirit of the Obsidian King from its prison in the orb Soulcatcher and permit the spirit to possess him, incarnating the greatest dark Summoner the Winter Kingdoms has known.
Gabriel
A vayash moru lord who travels with Tris and his friends as their friend and protector. One of the Blood Council.
Hant
King Staden's spymaster.
Jared Drayke
Son of King Bricen of Margolan and half-brother to Tris Drayke. As the eldest son, no one questioned Jared's position as heir to the throne. With the help of his dark mage, Foor Arontala, Jared murdered his father and all of the royal family except for Tris. He seeks to destroy Tris and solidify his hold on Margolan.
JONMARC VaHANIAN
A gifted fighter with a checkered past, Vahanian has twice before been brought to grief by Arontala. Harrtuck gets Tris to hire Vahanian as a guide to take the group safely through the northern mountains.
KIARA SHARSEQUIN
Daughter of King Donelan of Isencroft and the late Queen Viata, Kiara is sent by the Oracle of the goddess on a coming of age Journey that takes her into dangerous territory across Margolan. Bound by an old pact, Kiara is desperate to avoid an arranged marriage to Jared of Margolan, to whom she was betrothed at birth.
Landis
One of the senior Sisters at the citadel in Principality City.
Lemuel
A great Summoner and the lover of Bava K'aa. Lemuel was possessed by the spirit of the Obsidian King. Bava K'aa bound the Obsidian King's spirit in the orb Soulcatcher rather than destroy him because she hoped that Lemuel still existed within the Obsidian King's power and could someday be freed.
Macaria, HalIk and Paiva
Three bards from the Margolan court who are close friends of Carroway.
Martris Drayke
Known as Tris to his friends, Prince Drayke is the only survivor of the coup against his father, King Bricen of Margolan, except for Jared the Usurper. Grandson of famed sorceress Bava K'aa, Tris learns that he has inherited his grandmother's powerful spirit magic and is a Summoner, a mage who can intercede among the living, dead and undead. Although as Bricen's second son Tris never desired or expected the crown, he realizes that he is the only one who can challenge Jared and bring peace to Margolan and the Winter Kingdoms.
Maynard Linton
A smuggler and long-time friend of Jonmarc Vahanian, Linton ran the caravan which provided cover for Tris and his friends on their flight from Margolan.
Mikhail
A vayash moru from Gabriel's undead 'family' who served King Hotten, Tris's ancestor, over 200 years ago.
Obsidian King
The powerful evil spirit of a great Summoner from long ago. His spirit possessed the mage Lemuel a generation before Tris Drayke's birth. In Lemuel's body, the Obsidian King waged war against the Winter Kingdoms in what became the Mage Wars. He was defeated and his spirit was bound in the orb Soulcatcher by Bava K'aa.
Pell, Tabb and Andras
Margolan soldiers loyal to King Bricen who deserted after the coup and are among the refugees in Principality.
Rafe
A powerful vayash moru who is one of the Blood
Council.
RlQUA
A wealthy and powerful vayash moru who serves on the Blood Council.
ROYSTER
Librarian and Keeper at the Library at Westmarch.
Sahila
A leader among the Margolan refugees.
Staden
King of Principality and the father of Princess Berwyn.
Tadrie
A Margolan farmer whose family was rescued from angry guards by Kiara. Now a leader among the Margolan refugees.
Taru
One of the mages of the Sisterhood responsible for Tris's training.
TOV Harrtuck
A loyal guardsman to King Bricen who helped Tris, Soterius and Carroway escape on the night of the coup. Harrtuck's friendship with Jonmarc Vahanian and their shared past as mercenaries connected the group with Vahanian as a guide.
Uri
One of the vayash moru lords on the Blood Council.