Name/Term (Pronunciation) Definition
Atropos (AH-truh-pos) Among the three Greek Fates, Atropos cut the thread of life; the name was adopted by an assassin guild known for its ruthlessness and fanaticism
Bragha Rùn (BRAH-ga ROON) “The Red Death”; Max McDaniels’s alias in Prusias’s Arena
Brugh na Boinne (BROO na BOYNE) “On the Boyne”; a river in Ireland
Caillech (KAI-luh) “Crone”; the name Deirdre Fallow gives herself when she meets Max McDaniels and David Menlo in the Sidh
Cúchulain (KOO-hull-in) The Hound of Ulster; an Irish hero who was the son of the deity Lugh and a mortal woman
daemona (DAY-moan-uh) The demons’ preferred term for their kind; one that classifies their spiritual essence without automatic association with evil
Emain Macha (EV-in MA-ha) The royal seat of Ulster, northernmost of Ireland’s four ancient kingdoms
Emer (AY-ver) The wife of Cúchulain; also the name of Elias Bram’s daughter
gae bolga (GAY BULL-gah) Cúchulain’s spear, which was forged anew by Max McDaniels and the Fomorian. Its strike is almost always fatal; its wounds never heal.
grylmhoch (GRILLM-hoke) A massive, amorphous creature of unknown origins that Max encounters in Prusias’s Arena
koukerros (koo-KERR-os) The transformation that occurs when a demon has consumed enough souls to become a higher order of spirit
Lugh (LOO) A sun deity; High King of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, who slew Balor of the Fomorians. Lugh is the father of both Cúchulain and Max McDaniels.
malakhim (MAL-ah-keem) Fallen spirits that wear obsidian masks and serve the demon Prusias
médim (MAY-deem) Ritualized contests that mark important demonic gatherings; the contests include alennya (arts of beauty), amann (arts of blood), and ahülmm (arts of soul)
mehrùn (meh-ROON) Demonic word used to classify humans who can use magic
Morrígan (MOH-ree-gan) A Celtic war goddess whose willful and terrifying essence comprises the gae bolga
Rodrubân (ROD-roo-vaan) Lugh’s castle and lands within the Sidh
Scathach (SKAW-thah) A warrior maiden originally from Scotland (Isle of Skye) who has trained many heroes, including Cúchulain and Max McDaniels
Sidh (SHEE) A hidden realm home to the Tuatha Dé Danaan and other magical beings
Solas (SUH-las) Mankind’s greatest school of magic; destroyed by Astaroth in 1649
Tuatha Dé Danaan (TOO-ha DAY DAN-ahn) The Children of Danu; a race of divine beings that conquered the Fomorians and ruled Ireland before departing for the Sidh
Túr an Ghrian (THOOR un GREE-un) The highest tower at Solas, where the Gwydion Chair of Mystics resided
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to Random House and Schuyler Hooke for tightening the manuscript and bringing The Maelstrom to fruition. Nicole de las Heras has designed a beautiful book, Cory Godbey has provided another spellbinding cover, and Jocelyn Lange continues to ensure that readers around the world can enjoy Max’s adventures. As always, I’m grateful to Josh Adams and Adams Literary for their professional guidance and support.
Every author is indebted to his predecessors and contemporaries. J. R. R. Tolkien showed me the beauty of building a world. Frank Herbert’s Dune demonstrated the appeal of blending science fiction and fantasy. Ursula K. Le Guin’s words fairly crackle with magic, while Patrick O’Brian is unparalleled at using history and humor to explore the human condition. When it comes to concocting primal, nameless horrors, no one tops H. P. Lovecraft. Bill Bryson’s excellent A Short History of Nearly Everything provided Astaroth’s anecdote regarding the dodo’s extinction and Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia. In addition, William Shakespeare’s plays Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream provided quotations for Toby and Astaroth, while the smee also recited a stanza from William Cullen Bryant’s lovely poem “The Gladness of Nature.” James Joyce’s brilliant Finnegans Wake provided Ghöllah’s creative twist on the days of the week. And, of course, there are the overlooked magicians—the creators of the many myths and the folklore that provide the Tapestry’s foundation. Without them, we’d have no Sidh, Olympus, or Asgard to populate this tale and countless others.
Ultimately, it is my friends and family who empower me to write and illustrate these books. My mother, Terry Zimmerman, continues to read each chapter as it is completed, while my wife, Danielle, helps me through the creative howls and hiccups with Hannah’s love, Bob’s patience, and Toby’s humor. She even endures well-intended comparisons to geese, ogres, and smees. Every writer should be so lucky.
And finally, I’d like to thank my son, Charlie. I wrote The Maelstrom while anticipating his arrival, and the two were delivered within weeks of one another. This book is for Charlie and all the wild, wonderful possibilities his young life represents. A Potential, indeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HENRY H. NEFF is a former consultant and history teacher from the Chicago area. Today he lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife and young son. You can visit Henry at henryhneff.com.
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