by Matthew Ward
But I digress. This is the acknowledgements page, so acknowledgements there shall be.
First of all, a “hello” and “thanks” to Ceri Gwyther and Gareth Johnson. Ceri, for reading Legacy of Steel – along with damn near everything I’ve written – while it was in progress. Gareth hasn’t read Legacy of Steel yet – as a Yorkshireman, he doesn’t trust fancy technology and will be waiting for the printed version – but he does (partly) know how it ends. That’s because over twenty-odd years he’s seen the Legacy Trilogy grow from a seed to a sprawling tree, and he’s cheered me on every step of the way.
Beyond that, I put the words on the page, but there’s a small army makes those pages into a book. My agent, John Jarrold (for checking I’m just the right level of insane in my plotting and putting me in a place where I can do it for a living); James Long, Priyanka Krishnan and Joanna Kramer (editors with varying responsibilities and degrees of polite exasperation, but united in patience); Andy Hawes and Ilona Jasiewicz (proofreaders and copy-editors who helped me save face when it turns out I can’t actually spell or sentence construct proper-like); the team at M Rules for laying out the book’s innards, Larry Rostant and Charlotte Stroomer respectively for illustrating and designing another beautiful cover, Viv Mullett for breathing life into the map. Last but not least, Nazia Khatun and Angela Man for their ceaseless promotional efforts.
And, of course, endless thanks to my wife Lisa for her unflagging support, and to the pride of cats who (sometimes) leave me alone long enough to get something written.
Two down, one to go. I’ve a feeling we’re all going to need a run-up for the last one.
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meet the author
Photo Credit: Photo Nottingham
MATTHEW WARD is a writer, cat-servant and owner of more musical instruments than he can actually play (and considerably more than he can play well). He’s afflicted with an obsession for old places – castles, historic cities and the London Underground chief among them – and should probably cultivate more interests to help expand out his author biography.
After a decade serving as a princial architect for Games Workshop’s Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 properties, Matthew embarked on an adventure to tell stories set in worlds of his own design. He lives near Nottingham with his extremely patient wife – as well as a pride of attention-seeking cats – and writes to entertain anyone who feels there’s not enough magic in the world.
Follow him on Twitter @TheTowerofStars.
Find out more about Matthew Ward and other Orbit authors by registering for the free monthly newsletter at orbitbooks.net.
By Matthew Ward
THE LEGACY TRILOGY
Legacy of Ash
Legacy of Steel
Praise for Matthew Ward and the Legacy Trilogy
“Ward has created a novel with such intention and craftsmanship that it brings back that feeling of excitement fantasy readers felt when discovering masters like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Expertly interspersing vivid action sequences with quiet, introspective stretches, Ward guides readers and characters alike through this winding, well-crafted saga. The result is an impressive series opener.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Packed with big battles, shadowy intrigue, and a large cast of characters, Legacy of Ash is an absorbing debut.”
—James Islington
“Epic fantasy as it should be; big, bold, and very addic-tive.”
—Starburst magazine
“As intricate as a precision-engineered watch; as surprising as a precisionengineered watch with a concealed face-stabbing mechanism.”
—Gareth Hanrahan
“An incredibly impressive piece of fantasy fiction.”
—Fantasy Inn
“This is the first epic fantasy book I’ve enjoyed getting immersed in for ages…. A great fat romp in a brilliantly realized setting…. I have lost sleep, forgotten food… and made this the thing I pick up every moment I can get.”
—SFFWorld
“A hugely entertaining debut.”
—John Gwynne
“A perfect blend of Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom.”
—FanFiAddict