In Legend Born (107 page)

The Esther Diamond Series

"Fans of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series will appreciate this series' lively heroine and the appealing combination of humor, mystery, and romance."

                              —[starred review]
Library Journal

Disappearing Nightly

Doppelgangster

Unsympathetic Magic

Vamparazzi

Polterheist

The Misfortune Cookie

The Chronicles of Sirkara

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

                              —
Philadelphia Inquirer

In Legend Born

The White Dragon

The Destroyer Goddess

NonFiction

"From the role talent, passion, and luck play in a writer's life to dealing with difficult editors and publishers, Resnick doesn't pull any punches, but her hard-won, practical advice will inspire both aspiring and published writers as it helps them navigate the always choppy waters of the publishing world."

—
Booklist

Rejection, Romance, and Royalties: The Wacky World of a Working Writer

Glossary

jashar
:
a woven rope belt worn by
shallaheen
; its knots, beads, and weaving convey vital information, such as the wearer's name and clan; other variations include a door
jashar
, a woman's headdress, a message left hanging from a tree, etc.

kadriah
:
an endearment which means true love, sweetheart, “my destiny”

lirtahar
:
the law of silence

mar:
child of (used within a formal name)

roshah
:
outsider, stranger, foreigner

shah:
clan of (used within a formal name)

shallah
:
mountain peasant; also refers to their dialect

shatai
:
a Kintish swordmaster 

shatai-kaj
:
one who trains
shatai 

shir
:
the wavy-edged, enchanted water-dagger of a Society assassin

siran/sirana
:
master/mistress: term of respect

sriliah
:
traitor

toren/torena
:
titled aristocrats (male and female)

yahr
:
a flailing weapon used by the
shallaheen
, it consists of two sticks of wood connected by a short rope

Yahrdan:
ruler 

yesh:
spouse of (used within a formal name)

zanar
:
member of a male-only religious cult; the
zanareen
live atop Mount Darshon and occasionally fling themselves into the volcano in an attempt to become the Firebringer

Characters

Men

Amitan mar Kiman shah Islanari
: a
shallah
from Emeldar

Arlen:
a
shallah
traitor 

Armian:
exiled as a baby; Harlon's son; reputed to be the Firebringer 

Baran:
a powerful waterlord, Kiloran's chief rival; lives at Belitar

The Beckoner
: a spirit that haunts Mirabar

Borell:
the Imperial Advisor in Sileria

Candan mar Dishon shah Sirdari:
started a notorious bloodfeud with Tansen's clan, the Gamalani 

Cheylan:
a Guardian with fire-colored eyes

Corenten:
a young
shallah
from Malthenar

Commander Cyrill:
the (new) Valdani Commander of Cavasar; nephew of Advisor Borell

Commander Daroll:
(briefly) High Commander of Sileria 

Daurion:
the last Yahrdan (ruler) of Sileria, murdered by Marjan 

Derlen:
a Guardian, from a merchant family in Shaljir

Emelen:
Josarian's brother-in-law; Jalilar's husband

Toren
Emmeran:
an aristocratic abductee

Falian:
a
shallah
from Emeldar; scarred by Tansen 

Captain Foridall:
the Valdani commander at the mines of Alizar 

Gaborian:
Elelar's late grandfather 

Goran:
Sister Basimar's late husband

Harlon:
Armian's father; the waterlord succeeded by Kiloran 

Harjan:
a tailor and informant 

Jalan:
a
zanar

Emperor Jarell:
Emperor of Valdania for the past 40 years

Josarian mar Gershon shah Emeldari:
outlaw and rebel leader

Kiloran:
Sileria's most powerful and feared waterlord

Commander Koroll:
the Valdani military governor of Cavasar and its province; later High Commander of Sileria

Kynan:
a young
shallah
rebel

Lann:
a large, bearded
shallah
from Emeldar 

Marjan:
the first-ever waterlord, who killed Daurion

Captain Myrell:
an Outlooker officer 

Najdan:
an assassin loyal to Kiloran

The Olvar:
leader of the Beyah-Olvari

Ronall:
Elelar's half-Valdani husband

Searlon:
an assassin loyal to Kiloran

Srijan:
Kiloran's son 

Tansen mar Dustan shah Gamalani:
a
shallah
from Gamalan who became a
shatai
during his exile from Sileria

Turan:
the young son of Derlen, a Guardian

Varian of Adalian:
a
toren
in the Alliance

Verlon:
a powerful waterlord in the district of Liron

Zimran shah Emeldari:
Josarian's cousin

Women

Sister Basimar:
a friend of the rebels; one of Zimran's many lovers

Calidar:
Josarian's deceased wife

Torena
Chasimar:
Porsall’s wife 

Dar:
the destroyer goddess

Torena
Elelar mar Odilan yesh Ronall shah Hasnari:
a member of the Alliance

Faradar:
Elelar's servant

Jalilar:
Josarian's sister; wife of Emelen

Mirabar:
a Guardian tormented by prophetic visions

Tashinar:
a Guardian, Mirabar's mentor 

Clans

Emeldari:
Josarian's clan

Gamalani:
Tansen's clan (eastern)

Hasnari:
Elelar's clan

Idalari:
Armian's and Harlon's clan

Islanari:
Basimar's and Amitan's clan

Kurvari:
a sea-born clan

Lascari
: Zarien’s sea-bound clan

Lironi:
Jagodan’s clan (eastern)

Moynari:
Kiman’s clan (eastern)

Sirdari:
Calidar's clan (a western clan known for its bloodfeud with Tansen's clan, the Gamalani)

Factions

The Beyah-Olvari:
a mysterious, legendary race who were the original inhabitants of Sileria

The city-dwellers:
the inhabitants of Sileria's cities and larger towns

The Guardians:
a Silerian religious sect which communicates with the Otherworld via fire magic 

The Honored Society:
the waterlords and assassins of the Society achieve power through extortion, violence, and control of Sileria's water supply

The lowlanders:
peasants living and working on Sileria's agricultural plains

The Outlookers:
the gray-clad Valdani occupying force in Sileria; different from the Valdani armies on the mainland

The sea-born folk:
bearing intricate indigo tattoos on their arms, they live mostly aboard their boats along Sileria's coasts

The
shallaheen
:
mountain peasants; the largest and poorest faction in Sileria

The Sisterhood:
usually Silerian widows or young women with a calling, the Sisters are pacifists and healers, and they provide Sanctuary for people in danger

The
zanareen
:
a fanatical Silerian sect living atop Mount Darshon, awaiting the coming of the Firebringer 

Place Names