In Shade and Shadow

Informationen zum Autor Barb and J. C. Hendee live in a quirky little town near Portland, Oregon, with two geriatric and quite demanding cats. Barb's short fiction has appeared in numerous genre magazines and anthologies. She is the author of the Vampire Memories series. J.C.'s poetry, nonfiction, and short fiction have also appeared in many genre magazines. Visit their website at www.nobledead.org. Klappentext View our feature on Barb and J.C. Hendee's In Shade and Shadow. The national bestselling Noble Dead saga is "one of those [series] for which the term dark fantasy was definitely intended" (Chronicle) Wynn Hygeorht arrives at the Guild of Sagecraft! bearing texts supposedly penned by vampires. Seized by the Guild's scholars without Wynn's consent! several pages disappear-and two sages are found murdered. Convinced the Noble Dead are responsible for the killings! Wynn embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of the texts... Leseprobe Prologue Well past sunset, Elias hiked up the hem of his gray sage's robe and rounded the avenue's next corner. Jeremy was close on his heels, but at his stumbling footfalls, Elias glanced back. Jeremy had tripped over his too-long robe yet again. "Will you slow down!" Jeremy grumbled. "Let's get this finished!" Elias shot back. "I don't want to miss Elvina at the Bang-Tankard inn. And neither should you . . . if she brought a friend, as promised." Jeremy grumbled again but quickened his pace. Elias hurried on through sparse pools of lantern light cast upon the wet cobblestones of Calm Seatt, the king's city in Malourné. So much remained uncertain for his future in the Guild of Sagecraft. He and Jeremy had only recently achieved "journeyor" status, completing their years as "initiates" and then "apprentices." Now they need only be given assignments somewhere in the provinces, maybe even in neighboring Farien or Witeny. Up to five years of duty abroad would follow, and then perhaps their skills would be recognized. They could at least petition and test for "master" status. Maybe one of them might even one day gain a post at a guild branch with the coveted title of "domin." But Elias was worried. Tonight he"d have to tell Elvina that he would be leaving for a while. She wasn't the kind to wait. And why hadn't he and Jeremy been given assignments yet—instead of errand duties? How insulting for a pair of journeyor sages. And why? All because of Witless Wynn Hygeorht and her half-rotted tombs from abroad! "Is she smart . . ." Jeremy panted, "aside from pretty?" "What . . . who? Oh, of course she's pretty . . . she's gorgeous! You've seen Elvina." Trotting the last city block to their destination, Elias hopped up the steps of a small shake-wood shop. He barely noticed the hand-painted sign above the door—the Upright Quill. Dim light was seeping through the shop's shuttered windows, and then something thumped sharply on his back. "Not Elvina, you bits"a"brain!" Jeremy hissed. 'the other one . . . her friend!" Jeremy slapped at him again, but only the cuff of his too-long sleeve connected. Elias fended it off. "I don't know!" he whispered back. His friend buckled over, hands on knees, trying to catch his breath. Jeremy finally straightened his plain face slack in astonishment. "You haven't even met her? Do you even know her name?" "Of course I do," Elias returned. The last thing he needed was for Master Teagan—or worse, Master a'seatt—to catch them in some petty argument outside the scribe shop. "It's . . . it's . . ." he began. But the name of Elvina's friend escaped him—or had she even told him? Either way, he wasn't about to let Jeremy ruin his evening plans. Not after all the work it"d taken to avoid Elvina's father. "You ass!" Jeremy whispered, about to swing again. A sharp creak of old hinges rose behind El...

Product details

• Authors: Barb Hendee, J. C. Hendee, J.C. Hendee
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 05.01.2010
• EAN: 9780451463029
• ISBN: 978-0-451-46302-9
• No. of pages: 432
• Dimensions: 108 mm x 172 mm x 28 mm
• Series: Noble Dead; Noble Dead
• Subject: Fiction > Science fiction, fantasy