The Destroyer Goddess (87 page)

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

Abayara:
the first moon

Adalian:
Sileria's southern port city, famous for its Temple Market

Alizar:
Sileria's rich diamond mines

Amalidar Mountains:
a western mountain chain which includes many sites where the
shallah
rebels are active

Belitar:
Baran's home

Britar:
a
shallah
village; there's a Valdani fortress north of Britar

Cavasar:
Sileria's western port city

Chandar:
the village nearest to the sacred caves of Dalishar

Dalishar Caves:
a remote, sacred site on Mount Dalishar in western Sileria, the caves become a rebel base

Mount Darshon:
this massive, snow-capped, active volcano in eastern Sileria is the home of Dar, the destroyer goddess

Ejara:
the second moon

Emeldar:
Josarian's native village, in western Sileria

Gamalan:
Tansen's native village, in eastern Sileria

Garabar:
a mountain and also the name of a town in western Sileria

Golnar:
a village in western Sileria

Great Northern Desert:
north of Valdania

Idalar River:
this river, which is the primary water supply for Shaljir, has been fought over for years by Kiloran and Baran 

Illan:
a town on the Idalar River

Islanar:
a town in western Sileria

Lake Kandahar:
the site of Kiloran's home—which has long been a closely guarded secret

Kashala:
a Kintish port city

Kintish Kingdoms:
a loose association of states on the mainland east of Sileria 

Kinto:
the founding state of the Kintish Kingdoms, and the state in which the Palace of Heaven is located

Liron:
Sileria's eastern coastal city, perched on the sacred rainbow-chalk cliffs of Liron

Malthenar:
  a western
shallah
village which became infamous as the site of a massacre

Marendar:
a village in the east; home of Jagodan, leader of the Lironi clan

Middle Sea:
the inland sea that surrounds Sileria

Mount Niran:
Guardians camp in ancient painted caves above the gossamer forests on this mountain in western Sileria

Moorlands:
a large mainland region inhabited by perpetually warring tribes, located west of Sileria 

Mount Orlenar:
Josarian's uncle stables some sheep in an abandoned Kintish shrine here; this is where Tansen and Josarian meet for the first time

Orban Pass:
a hard day's ride from Cavasar, this where Josarian first killed Outlookers and became an outlaw; the pass leads from the coast to the Amalidar Mountains 

Otherworld:
the place of the afterlife in traditional Silerian religion  

Palace of Heaven:
the central seat of power in the Kintish Kingdoms, home of the Kintish High King

Santorell Palace:
located in Shaljir, this is the seat of power in Sileria

Santorell Square:
a public square in Shaljir, overlooked by Santorell Palace

Shaljir:
the capital of Sileria

Sileria:
a mountainous island nation in the Middle Sea; conquered 1,000 years ago by the Moorlanders; invaded eight centuries ago by the Kintish Kingdoms when the Moorlanders pulled out; seized from the Kints two centuries ago by the expanding Empire of Valda in their wars of conquest, and now still ruled by the Valdani

Sirinakara River:
the vast mainland river that flows north into the Middle Sea

Sirkara:
"heart of the world," an ancient name for the Middle Sea

Lake Ursan:
located in western Sileria

Valda/Valdania:
capital city/empire, on the mainland north of Sileria 

Zilar:
wealthy town in northern Sileria, home of a famous gold-tiled Kintish temple

Zilar River:
a tributary of the Shaljir River

Don't miss the novel where Sileria's story began...

In Legend Born

The Silerian Trilogy: Book One

In a land of hunted fire sorcerers and outlawed water wizards, five enemies must unite to free their embattled nation from centuries of oppression. But betrayal and vengeance are a way of life in Sileria...

"
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

The second book in the Silerian trilogy...

The White Dragon

The Silerian Trilogy: Book Two

When mystical sea spirits, a volcano goddess, and half-human subterranean sorcerers all demand a stake in Sileria's fate, then Mirabar, Tansen, and their allies must finally choose between love and duty, between history and destiny.

"Year's Best" list,
Publisher's Weekly

"Year's Best" list,
Voya

Best Epic Fantasy
, Romantic Times Magazine

"A suspenseful mix of vague prophecies, startling revelations, constantly shifting loyalties, and the occasional divine intervention, this stunning novel tantalizes right up to the last cliffhanger page."

—[starred review]
Publisher's Weekly

"Vivid descriptions, three-dimensional characters, and a story filled with echoes of a distant past make this a stand-out addition to a fantasy series that belongs in most libraries. Highly recommended."

—
Library Journal

About the Author

Laura Resnick is the author of many books, short stories, articles, and columns. Her Esther Diamond urban fantasy series, which features the supernatural misadventures of a struggling actress in New York, has received enthusiastic praise from
Library Journal
and
Publishers Weekly
. The author's epic fantasy novels include
In Legend Born
,
The White Dragon
, which made several "Year's Best" lists, and
The Destroyer Goddess
, which
Publishers Weekly
describes as "a marvel of storytelling."

Before she began writing fantasy, Resnick was the award-wining author of fourteen contemporary romance novels (which she wrote under the pseudonym Laura Leone). Her romance novel
Fallen From Grace
was a Rita Award finalist and has been listed by DearAuthor.com as one of the best 100 novels in the genre.

A longtime opinion columnist, Resnick's book
Rejection, Romance, and Royalties: The Wacky World of a Working Writer
is a collection of her previous essays about the writing life and the publishing industry.