regular(s) ∼ regular army, professionally trained soldiers, not recent volunteers or those recently drafted to fight
semjen ∼ Gyongxin for “animals”
sep(s) ∼ Banpuri for “louse (lice)”
Shaihun ∼ Chammuran god of desert, winds, sandstorms, serious mischief and destruction
shakkan ∼ miniature tree formed like an elongated S pointing to the right of viewer
shaman ∼ someone from a tribal society who is a medium between the real world and the spirit world and who also does magic; in the tribes between eastern Sotat and Yanjing, shamans practice magic in groups, often by dancing
Storm Dragons Ocean ∼ ocean to the east of Yanjing
takamer ∼ Chammuri, rich person
tiyon ∼ common language spoken between eastern Laenpa to the Storm Dragons Ocean, and from the Sea of Grass to the southern Realms of the Sun
waigar ∼ foreigner in tiyon
Yithung ∼ kingdom to far northeast of Yanjing
yujinon ∼ rotters, lowlifes, incompetents (Chammuri)
zadan ∼ bomb
zayao ∼ explosive powder
zernamus(es) ∼ Chamurri slang: tick-like parasite
Zhanzhi ∼ Evvy’s home province
Zhanzhou ∼ language of Evvy’s home province
Thanks to my Scholastic editors Anamika Bhatnagar, who got things rolling, and Kate Egan, who saw it through, and the wonderful Scholastic gang, including the Boss, David Levithan, and Emily Seife, our concertmistress.
Thanks and sorrow to Judy Gerjuoy, who did research on historical China, including menus, for me, and couldn’t stick around to read the end result.
To the Sunday night Bollywood gang: Bruce, Kathy, Cynthia, Tim, Craig, Catherine, Julie, and Cara, because of the characters and actors and just plain relaxing fun.
To Bruce Coville, my writing partner, whose patience, good humor, and excellent advice helped keep the story on track and contributed some strong reality testing, and to Bruce and Kathy for admitting me to vacations at the lake, which soothe my brain.
To Cara Coville, Julie Holderman, Tim the Spouse-Creature Liebe, and the fans on my “Dare to Be Stupid” Live Journal, for bailing me out when I get stuck and remembering what I have forgotten. To Andy Samuel, who makes sure I can find things in my office.
And to Tim, who still puts up with me. It’s thirty-one years in August, and you haven’t come to your senses yet.
Tamora Pierce
March 12, 2013
TAMORA PIERCE is the critically acclaimed author of nearly thirty novels, including the Circle of Magic and The Circle Opens quartets; The Will of the Empress; Melting Stones; and, most recently, the New York Times bestselling Beka Cooper trilogy. In 2013, she was honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. She lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, her rescued cats, and two parakeets. Visit her online at www.tamorapierce.com.
Also by
TAMORA PIERCE
CIRCLE OF MAGIC
Book One: Sandry’s Book
Book Two: Tris’s Book
Book Four: Briar’s Book
THE CIRCLE OPENS
Book One: Magic Steps
Book Two: Street Magic
Book Three: Cold Fire
Book Four: Shatterglass
THE WILL OF THE EMPRESS
MELTING STONES
Copyright © 2013 by Tamora Pierce
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pierce, Tamora, author.
Battle magic / Tamora Pierce. — First edition.
pages cm
Summary: When messengers arrive in Gyongxe “inviting” Dedicate Initiate Rosethorn and her two young companion mages, Evumeimei and Briar, to court to celebrate the birthday of the Emperor of Yanjing, Rosethorn is eager to go, but Briar suspects that there is an ulterior motive behind the invitation.
ISBN 978-0-439-84297-6 (jacketed hc)
1. Magic — Juvenile fiction. 2. Wizards — Juvenile fiction.
[1. Magic — Fiction. 2. Wizards — Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.P
813.54 — dc23
2013013175
First edition, October 2013
Cover design and art by Christopher Stengel
e-ISBN 978-0-545-52035-5
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.