I tapped Theodore Lechterman for his knowledge of the Levelers (the historical analogue of the Parity Party) and his linguistic skills. Tom Racek ’18, captain of the fencing team, helped me choreograph some of the fight scenes.
Rather late in my writing process I was lucky to find a writing partner with whom I exchanged manuscripts. The fantasy author James E. Graham provided irreplaceable assistance by reading nearly all of the series and filling the margins with passionate comments.
Others were kind and patient in giving a novice advice about how to publish in a new field, including Susan Chang (Tor), Alicia Condon (Kensington), Diana Frost (Macmillan), and Eddie Gamarra (The Gotham Group). Without their guidance these manuscripts might never have been published.
My husband, Robert Lechterman, supported me in this endeavor as selflessly as he has throughout our life together. Without him, the appliances would have just stayed broken and I would have subsisted on frozen fish sticks.
Martha Millard—my original agent at Sterling Lord Literistic—knew and delighted in the fact that she was changing my life when she pursued me as a client and sold the series. She has retired and I shall miss her, but Nell Pierce of SLL has now ably filled her shoes.
At Tor my manuscripts fell into the hands of Rafal Gibek (production editor) and Deanna Hoak (copy editor), who saved me from myself.
My editor, Jennifer Gunnels of Tor, took a leap of faith on a nontraditional debut author, a four-volume series, and a rapid publication schedule. She also found the balance between corralling me when I wandered astray and giving me freedom. “You really need to research X,” she would advise, and I would obediently get busy. Other times, when I fretted over whether I should change something, she’d remind me, “It’s your book, Sarah.”
It is my book, Jen, but in a larger sense it belongs to everyone mentioned here, to a dozen others who offered a hand, not to mention to the books, films, and teachers who formed me. Except the mistakes and infelicities, which pool around my feet, mewling like attention-mongering kittens—those poor things are mine own.
ALSO BY SARAH KOZLOFF
A Queen in Hiding
The Queen of Raiders
A Broken Queen
PRAISE FOR
A Queen in Hiding
“This is a solid beginning to an ambitious saga of magic, intrigue, and heroism.”
—Booklist
“Kozloff sets a solid stage with glimpses into other characters and nations while keeping the book together with a clear, propulsive plot. A new series starts off with a bang.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This series opener is literary, ambitious, and epic in scope.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A deft and exciting beginning to what I am sure will be a really gorgeous saga of a girl coming to terms with her destiny.”
—Melanie Rawn, author of the Exiles trilogy
“A breathtaking start to a new fantasy series that abounds in magic, backstabbing, and war. This is your new epic fantasy fix, right here.”
—Beth Cato, author of Breath of Earth
“Sweeping in scope and unabashedly epic—Kozloff has written an instant classic here. I can’t wait for the next one.”
—Auston Habershaw, author of Iron and Blood
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SARAH KOZLOFF holds an endowed chair as a professor of film history at Vassar College. She worked in the industry in both television and film before becoming a professor.
Visit her online at sarahkozloff.com, or sign up for email updates here.
@sarah_kozloff
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Map
Epigraph
Part One: Reign of Queen Cerúlia
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Part Two: Reign of Queen Cerúlia
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Part Three: Reign of Queen Cerúlia
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Part Four: Reign of Queen Cerúlia, Year 2
Chapter 55
Epilogue: Reign of Queen Cerúlia, Year 6
Appendix One
Appendix Two
Acknowledgments
Also by Sarah Kozloff
Praise For A Queen in Hiding
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE CERULEAN QUEEN
Copyright © 2020 by Sarah Kozloff
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Larry Rostant
Edited by Jen Gunnels
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-16896-2 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-16895-5 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250168955
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: April 2020
The Cerulean Queen Page 45