John Marco: Starfinder

Dreojen had left the valley the same night she introduced herself to Moth, and Lady Esme had never returned. Moth supposed she was in hiding from the other Skylords, much the same as Merceron had been for all those lonely years. He thought about Esme often during those weeks in Pandera, and now he thought of her again as the Avatar passed over the river from the sunken forest, the very river Raphael Ciroyan had used to ferry them to safety. Just like Esme, they had never seen Ciroyan again either.

“I bet he’s down there somewhere,” said Moth as he leaned out over the observation deck. The water of the river churned slowly below them, reminding him of their first happy days in this world.

“Who?” asked Fiona. Lost in her own thoughts, her eyes had hardly left the direction of Pandera.

“Raphael,” Moth whispered. “I bet he’s looking up at us right now.”

“I bet he’s getting a massage from some mermaid,” quipped Fiona. But she no longer seemed jealous. Her eyes shone with a pride that hadn’t been there when they’d left Calio, before she’d become Jorian’s “Little Queen.” The wind on the platform stirred her orange hair. Fiona let it blow across her face.

“Maybe we’ll see him again someday. Maybe one day he’ll come back to Calio.”

“I don’t think so, Moth,” said Fiona. “Too cold there for him. And too dangerous.”

Moth was about to speak when he noticed Fiona’s grandfather coming up behind them. The old man was digging into his frock coat for his pocket watch.

“Who are you talking about?” he asked, only half interested. He popped open the watch and studied its face. Moth and Fiona looked at each other with a secretive grin.

“No one,” Fiona answered. She turned from the railing. “Grandfather, do you think there are other humans here?”

Rendor snapped his watch shut. “Others? Not likely. You saw how many Redeemers the Skylords have made.” He stepped up to the railing. “The Skylords know everything here. No human can hide from them for long.”

“Yeah,” nodded Fiona. “I guess you’re right.”

“What about the Skylords?” asked Moth. “Do you think they’ll come after us?”

“Not us,” said Rendor. “The Starfinder.” He put his arms around them both, gathering them close. Together they gazed out over the beautiful, magical landscape. “The Skylords won’t stop,” he sighed. “Even if Artaios is dead. All we did is bloody their noses and make them mad. They’ll be back.”

Moth stood tall, reassured by Rendor’s embrace. “And we’ll be ready for them.”

“Finely crafted, fluid writing and fully realized characters… Marco can hold his own as a writer with other major fantasists, including Stephen Donaldson and Terry Brooks”

“Fantasy readers should keep a close eye on John Marco.”

“ The Eyes of God isn’t just about warfare, magic, and monsters, although it’s got all of those: it’s about the terrible burden of making choices, and the way the seeds of victory are in every failure, and tragedy’s beginnings are in every triumph.”

“The Devil’s Armor is one of Marco’s finest achievements. With every new novel, the author keeps improving his already masterful storytelling craft. If this series is any indication, he will be remembered as one of the best fantasy authors of the era.”

“The moral ambiguity is refreshing, with sympathetic opponents and no one whiter-than-white. Read this if you’re the kind of person who likes Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks and Donaldson books. It’s the same kind of muscular, multi-part fantasy saga fare featuring big battles and larger than life heroes.”

“Absorbing… features well-developed characters and a satisfying wind-up—in a field where, all too often, authors provide neither.”

“A sprawling tale of military battles, personal and political intrigue, magic, and star-crossed love set against a richly detailed land of warring kingdoms and hidden magic.”

THE EYES OF GOD

THE DEVIL’S ARMOR

THE SWORD OF ANGELS

The Skylords:

STARFINDER

Copyright © 2009 by John Marco.

All rights reserved.

DAW Books Collectors No. 1473.

DAW Books are distributed by the Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious.

All resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.

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First Paperback Printing, April 2010

eISBN : 978-1-101-22296-6

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