Alexey Pehov - Shadow Prowler

Order of Magicians – there is an Order in every kingdom, the only exceptions being Zagorie and Djashla. Each Order has a council of archmagicians and is headed by a master. Within the Order there is a strict division according to rank, and ranks are marked on the magicians’ staffs: magician of the Order, one ring; elemental magician (master of the specific skills of several schools), two rings; magician with right of access to the council, three rings; archmagician, four rings; master, four rings and a small black figure of a raven on the top of the staff.

Purple Years – a period of time during which the dwarves and the gnomes waged a series of bloody wars against each other, and as a result the gnomes withdrew from the Mountains of the Dwarves.

Quiet Times – the period from 423 E.D. to 640 E.D., during which Valiostr did not wage a single war. These were times of prosperity when the kingdom flourished. They came to an end when an immense army of orcs from the Forests of Zagraba invaded Valiostr.

Rainbow Horn – a legendary artifact created by the ogres to counterbalance their own magic, the Kronk-a-Mor, if it should ever get out of control. The Horn was captured by the dark elves, who later gave it to men (in the person of Grok) as a token of their good intentions and the conclusion of an eternal alliance between the dark elves and Valiostr. Every two or three hundred years the Horn has to be saturated with magic in order not to lose its powers. Following the creation of the Secret Territory, the Horn was buried with Grok in the Hrad Spein. It is the Horn’s magic that keeps the Nameless One in the Desolate Lands.

River of the Crystal Dream – a narrow little river in Avendoom. It runs through the Port City and falls into the Cold Sea.

Royal Guard of Valiostr – the king’s personal guard. Only nobles are recruited to serve in it. The guardsmen wear the king’s colors of gray and blue. The guard is commanded by a captain.

Royal Sandmen – the king’s secret police, who defend the interests of the state and the sovereign. Their nickname is derived from their emblem, an hourglass.

Sagot – one of the twelve deities of the world of Siala. Patron of thieves, swindlers, rogues, and spies.

Sagra – one the twelve deities of the world of Siala. Goddess of war, justice, and death, and also patroness of soldiers.

Shamanism – the primordial magic of Siala. It was first used by the ogres, then the orcs, the dark elves, and the goblins. The magic of men and the light elves is derived from shamanism.

Shamar – the capital of the Border Kingdom.

Siala – the world in which the events of this book take place.

Silna – the goddess of love, beauty, and nature.

s’kash (orcish) – a sword with curved blade. It is sharpened on its inner, concave edge and usually has teeth like a saw.

sklot (gnomic, lit. “corkscrew”) – a heavy military crossbow designed to puncture the heavy armor of warriors walking the front ranks of an army.

Soulless Huntsmen – units of the army of Valiostr. In times of peace they perform the functions of the police. They are employed in military actions, and also assist in suppressing revolts and conspiracies, as well as capturing and exterminating dangerous gangs and individual criminals.

Spring War – the war that began in the final year of the Quiet Times (640 E.D.). Men and dark elves fought on one side, and the orcs of Zagraba on the other. The War of Shame is the name that orcs use for the Spring War.

Stalkons – the royal dynasty of Valiostr.

Steel Brows – the heavy infantry of the Wild Hearts.

Steel Mines – the mountains and mines in Isilia that produce the finest steel in the Northern Lands. The race of gnomes lives here.

Steppes of Ungava – the steppes on the very southern edge of the Northern Lands.

S’u-dar (ogric) or the Icy Pass – the only route through the Needles of Ice from the Desolate Lands to the citadel of the Nameless One.

Sultanate – a state located far beyond the Steppes of Ungava.

svens or chanters – creatures of the Desolate Lands that resemble shaggy flying spheres. When the freezing conditions in the open expanses of the Desolate Lands are at their fiercest they appear, chanting a song that kills all living things.

Thorns – the soldiers of this detachment carry out reconnaissance work and raids deep into the territory of the Desolate Lands. The Thorns have a reputation as daredevils and swashbuckling desperadoes.

Tresh (orcish) – a polite term of address used by elves to an elf of noble birth. Sometimes used by other races when addressing high-born elves.

vampire – a creature of legend. Even today it is still not known if it exists in reality or only in the tales told by drunken peasants. According to the legend, only human beings and dark elves can become vampires. Vampires are credited with magical powers, such as the ability to transform themselves into a bat or mist. The Order of Magicians regards the existence of vampires as doubtful.

Vastar’s Bargain – in 223 E.D. Vastar, the king of Garrak, concluded an alliance with a dragon so that the creature would assist him in attacking neighboring kingdoms. The agreement, however, proved worthless to the king: the dragon failed to engage the humans in battle and Vastar’s army was routed. The term “Vastar’s Bargain” signifies any similarly disadvantageous agreement.

Wild Hearts – the detachment of soldiers who serve at the Lonely Giant.

Wind-Jugglers – the name given in the army to experienced bowmen, no matter to what detachment they belonged. Even when there was a strong wind interfering with the flight of the arrow, the “jugglers” almost always hit their mark.

wizardry – the magicians of men and the light elves possess a higher magic, based on the earlier magic, or shamanism, of the orcs and dark elves.

Zagorie, or the Free Lands – the lands beside the southern spurs of the Mountains of the Dwarves. All who are discontented with the rule of the authorities or the laws of the kingdom flee here: peasants, younger sons, courtiers in disgrace, adventurers, and criminals. Such people can always find land and work in the Free Lands.

Zam-da-mort (gnomish), or the Castle of Death – the highest and most majestic peak of the Mountains of the Dwarves.

Alexey Pehov is a fantasy and science fiction writer who has gained popularity in Russia as the author of nine books (seven fantasy novels, one post-apocalyptic fantasy, and also the author’s collected stories).

Pehov’s first novel to be translated into English, SHADOW PROWLER, the first book in a trilogy, was sold in a pre-empt to Tom Doherty at Tor Books for six figures. Shortly after it sold in the U.S., the series found success in the foreign markets, with Simon & Schuster in the UK pre-empting the trilogy with a six-figure deal at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and Piper buying the series at auction for the German market.

SHADOW PROWLER (first published in Russia in 2002 as STEALTH IN THE SHADOWS) was the first book in the series THE CHRONICLES OF SIAL, and became one of Russia’s biggest, most successful debuts.At the international fantasy convention Star Bridge (held in Kharkov, Ukraine, in 2002), STEALTH IN THE SHADOWS received the award from the publishing house The Sword Without a Name for best debut in the adventure and fantasy genre published in a large volume.

Later that year, the complete CHRONICLES OF SIAL series was awarded the highest professional honor, the Silver Kaduzei. The trilogy was also recognized as the best fantasy series of 2003. Today, THE CHRONICLES OF SIAL (STEALTH IN THE SHADOWS, DGANGA DANCE WITH SHADOWS, and BLIZZARD OF SHADOWS) are the most popular fantasy books in Russia, with many role playing clubs inspired by the books. A computer game based on the books is also being developed.