In Legend Born

Praise for...

In Legend Born

The Silerian Trilogy: Book One

"
In Legend Born
is the kind of book that makes you say, 'Just one more page. I'm right in the middle of a good part and have been for the last 400 pages.' Laura Resnick's plot and characters work together seamlessly. The protagonists have complex histories, and, as Resnick deftly reveals their hidden motivations, their actions begin to make sense. These characters seem real... and readers will want to know what happens to them."

                              —
Starlog

"For action-packed storytelling filled with prophecies, plot reversals, and conflict-haunted heroes, this is as good as it gets."

                              —
Philadelphia Inquirer

"A rich brew of conspiracies... juicy romantic entanglements... blood feuds and massacres."

                              —
Publishers Weekly

"A smoothly narrated, intricate tale of revolution and the human heart."

                              —
Library Journal

"Creating a vast panorama that provides an intimate backdrop to the lives of her fascinating characters, Ms. Resnick writes with the shining wonder of truly great fantasy."

                              —
Romantic Times

"Well-crafted . . . well told, absorbing, and intelligent."

                              —
Booklist

"An epic debut, a book filled with color and excitement."

                              —
Abilene Reporter-News

"A bang-up job, a sharp, satisfying read."

                              —
The Edmonton Journal

Copyright

In Legend Born

Copyright © 1998 & 2011 by Laura Resnick

ISBN: 978-1-61475-879-2

Ebook published by Blonde Trifecta

Maps by Elizabeth Person

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

The copying, reproduction, and distribution of this ebook via any means without permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and refuse to participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's intellectual property rights is greatly appreciated. 

For my grandfather

Foreword to the E-Book Edition of

In Legend Born

The Silerian Trilogy: Book One

This ebook contains some extra features which were not in the original hardcover and paperback editions of
In Legend Born
.

First and foremost are the color maps, which I commissioned from my friend Elizabeth Person. If you have a black-and-white e-reader and would like to see the color versions, or if you'd just like to see a larger image of the maps, they're posted on my website—along with an additional feature which is explained in the Author's Note at the end of this book.

There's also a
Glossary
of various terms created for the world of the novel, as well as directories of
Characters
,
Clans
,
Factions
, and
Place Names
.

In Legend Born
has been out of print for a few years, and I am delighted to be able to make it available again. I hope you enjoy this novel—as well as the remaining two books of the trilogy,
The White Dragon
and
The Destroyer Goddess
.

—Laura Resnick

Prologue

"I come to serve. Show me my duty."

The Beckoner came for her in the night, while the others slept. Lying on her narrow pallet in the dark, Mirabar's chest tightened with fear when she sensed his presence. The other Guardians never heard the Beckoner; it was she alone whom he sought out and tormented.

Knowing the Beckoner was here now, hearing him call to her in the familiar, silent language of the dead, but with a song uniquely his own, Mirabar ground her teeth together to keep from showing her terror. She had learned long ago that predators became more dangerous the moment they sensed fear.

When she finally felt ready to face him without flinching, she opened her eyes and turned her head to seek him out. Moonlight flowed through the mouth of the shallow cave where she and her mentor, Tashinar, both slept. Relief mingled with disappointment as Mirabar's gaze swept the shadows; as always, there was no sign of the Beckoner. Nevertheless, the song inside her head was growing stronger and more compelling with each passing second.