Daughter of Ancients

Table of Contents

 

 

“A very promising start to a new series.”

—
The Denver Post

 

“Berg has mastered the balance between mystery and storytelling [and] pacing; she weaves past and present together, setting a solid foundation. . . . It's obvious [she] has put incredible thought into who and what makes her characters tick.”

—
The Davis Enterprise

 

“Berg exhibits her skill with language, world building, and the intelligent development of the magic that affects and is affected by the characters. . . . A promising new multivolume work that should provide much intelligent entertainment.”

—
Booklist

 

“Imagination harnessed to talent produces a fantasy masterpiece, a work so original and believable that it will be very hard to wait for the next book in this series to be published.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“[Seri] is an excellent main heroine, her voice, from the first person, is real and practical. . . . I'm truly looking forward to seeing what happens next.”

—SF Site

 

“Gut-wrenching, serious fantasy fiction for the reader with enough time to appreciate it.”

—Science Fiction Romance

 

“Excellent dark fantasy with a liberal dash of court intrigue. . . . Read this if you're tired of fantasy so sweet it makes your teeth squeak. Highly recommended.”

—Broad Universe

 

“Berg excels at strong world-building and complex, sympathetic characters. Her world is realistic and reasonable despite the obvious magical elements, and heroes and villains alike have complex motivations that make them real.”

—
Romantic Times

“The plot keeps twisting right until the end . . . entertaining characters.”

—
Locus

 

“Berg's fascinating fantasy is a puzzle story, with a Celtic- flavored setting and a plot as intricate and absorbing as fine Celtic lacework. . . . The characters are memorable, and Berg's intelligence and narrative skill make this stand-alone fantasy most commendable.”

—
Booklist

 

“It would be easy to categorize it as another dragon fantasy book. Instead, it is a well-crafted mystery. . . . Definitely recommended for libraries looking for high-quality fantasy and mystery additions.”

—
KLIATT

 

“Vivid characters and intricate magic combined with a fascinating world and the sure touch of a Real Writer—luscious work!”

—Melanie Rawn

 

“This well-written fantasy grabs the reader by the throat on page one and doesn't let go. . . . Wonderful.”

—
Starburst

 

“Berg greatly expands her world with surprising insights.”

—
The Denver Post

 

“Both a traditional fantasy and an intriguing character piece. . . . Superbly entertaining.”

—
Interzone

“Vivid characters, a tangible atmosphere of doom, and some gallows humor.”

—
SFX Magazine

 

“An exotic, dangerous, and beautifully crafted world.”

—Lynn Flewelling, author of
Traitor's Moon

 

“Powerfully entertaining.”

—
Locus

 

“Berg's characters are completely believable, her world interesting and complex, and her story riveting.”

—
KLIATT

 

“Epic fantasy on a gigantic scale. . . . Carol Berg lights up the sky with a wondrous world.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Ms. Berg's finely drawn characters combine with a remarkable imagination to create a profound and fascinating novel.”

—
Talebones

 

“Carol Berg is a brilliant writer, who has built her characters carefully and completely. The magic is subtle and vivid, and the writing is compelling.”

—BookBrowser

 

“A much-needed boost of new blood into the fantasy pool.”

—
Dreamwatch Magazine

“Lively, original, this trilogy explores a richly textured, multicultural world through an exceptionally inventive and insightful exploration of multiple angles of magical and human conflict—Carol Berg has created a story with tempestuous, complex characters that will absolutely touch the heart!”

—Janny Wurts, author of the
Wars of Light and Shadow
series

OTHER BOOKS BY CAROL BERG

The
Rai-Kirah
series

 

TRANSFORMATION
REVELATION
RESTORATION

 

 

SONG OF THE BEAST

 

 

The
Bridge of D'Arnath
series

 

SON OF AVONAR
GUARDIANS OF THE KEEP
THE SOUL WEAVER

ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
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Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
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Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
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Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, September 2005

eISBN : 978-1-101-11810-8

Copyright © Carol Berg, 2005

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

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 electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

J'Savan stared, unblinking, at the dark blotch moving slowly across the dune sea, out where fingers of green grass were reaching into the desert. The young Gardener stared, not so much because he was concerned or felt any urgency about his assignment to watch for Zhid stragglers; after all, no Zhid had been sighted in southern Eidolon for almost two years. But he knew that if he so much as lowered one eyelid, the utter boredom of his post was going to put him to sleep. A man could appreciate only so much of the burnt copper sun and the heady scent of moisture, and the cool storm clouds the Weather Workers sent out from the Vales ensured that the blustering wind never ceased. The reawakening desert was beauty transcendent, life reasserting itself over the dead lands of Ce Uroth. But enough was enough.