Sorrow, for that is all she brings us.
The Ventaxis Dynasty
Former chancellor Reuben “Windsword” Ventaxis, deceased
Dowager First Lady, “Grandmama” deceased
Harun Ventaxis, chancellor of Rhannon
Cerena Ventaxis (née Mizil), former First Lady of Rhannon, deceased
Mael Ventaxis, deceased
Sorrow Ventaxis
The Jedenvat of Rhannon
Lord Charon Day, vice chancellor of Rhannon
Irris Day, acting senator for the East Marches
Arran Day, absent senator for the East Marches
Bayrum Mizil, senator for the North Marches
Tuva Marchant, senator for the West Marches
Kaspira Blue, senator for Prekara
Lord Eldon Samad, senator for Asha
The Rhyllians
Lord Vespus Corrigan, former ambassador to Rhannon, half-brother to Melisia
Rasmus Corrigan, attaché to Lincel, son of Vespus
Lincel, ambassador to Rhannon
Aphora, Lord Corrigan’s lover
Melisia, queen of Rhylla
Caspar, consort of the queen of Rhylla
Eirlys, daughter of the queen of Rhylla
Baron Harcel Argus, friend to Eirlys
Others
Dain Waters, district commander of the Decorum Ward
Meeren Vine, captain of the Decorum Ward
Luvian Fen, political advisor
Arkady Rathbone, agitator
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Rosie Price and Miriam Tobin at RCW too.
Huge thanks to my trifecta of editors at Scholastic UK: Genevieve Herr, Jenny Glencross and Lauren Fortune. The world of Sorrow is so vast, and dense, and I wouldn’t have been able to navigate it without your guidance. Extra thanks to Pete Matthews, for once again having to deal with when I try to out-copyedit him (I’ve literally just submitted my copy-edits, so I hope this massively public sucking-up takes the edge off a little…)
Playing the same old song for Jamie Gregory, in honour of ANOTHER exceptional cover. Five for five now. Thank you for always making my stories look beautiful.
Also thanks to Scholastic’s finest: Lorraine Keating, Penelope Daukes, Roisin O’Shea and Olivia Horrox, for all of your hard work on getting my words out there into the world. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes who works so hard too. Thanks to my lovely author friends for the wine and the chats and the cry-laughing: Sara Barnard; Holly Bourne, CJ Daugherty; Katie and Kevin Webber-Tsang; Samantha Shannon; Alwyn Hamilton; Kiran Millwood-Hargrave; Anna James; Rainbow Rowell; Catherine Doyle; Moira Fowley-Doyle; Dave Rudden; and all of Team: Prosecco and Secrets. And also Team: Floored; Non Pratt; Lisa Williamson; Tanya Byrne; and Eleanor Wood. And to my new pal, Anna Day. I’m so lucky to know you all.
Always super special thanks to my best bro, Emilie Lyons. She’s the Andy to my Paula, the Ricky Baker to my Uncle Hec.
Love to Sophie Reynolds; Lizzy Evans; Franziska Schmidt, and the whole Schmidt clan; Katja Rammer and the whole Rammer clan; Pam and Denis Lyons, and the Allports; Bevin Robinson; Hannah Dare; Neil Bird; Stine Stueland; Laura Hughes and Sara Scherbatsky; Asma Z; my brother Steven; Auntie Penny and family; Kelly; Tina and Craig; Billie; Auntie Cath, and Uncle Paul.
And thanks to you, if you’re reading this. I don’t know if this is the first book of mine you’ve read, but I sure hope it won’t be the last.
Melinda Salisbury lives by the sea, somewhere in the south of England. As a child she genuinely thought Roald Dahl’s Matilda was her biography, in part helped by her grandfather often mistakenly calling her Matilda, and the local library having a pretty cavalier attitude to the books she borrowed. Sadly she never manifested telekinetic powers. She likes to travel, and have adventures. She also likes medieval castles, non-medieval aquariums, Richard III, and all things Scandinavian.
She can be found on Twitter at @MESalisbury, though be warned, she tweets often.
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