King of Ashes. Raymond E. Feist

      

      RAYMOND E. FEIST

      KING OF ASHES

      THE FIREMANE SAGA: BOOK ONE

      HarperVoyager, an imprint of

      HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      1 London Bridge Street

      London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

      Copyright © Raymond E. Feist 2018

      Map © Jessica Feist 2018

      Raymond E. Feist asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

      A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, 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 hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

      Source ISBN: 9780007264858 (HB)

      Ebook Edition © April 2018 ISBN: 9780007290246

      Version: 2020-01-10

      This book is dedicated to the memory of Jonathan Matson.

      He was perhaps the finest man I’ve ever known. His generosity, support, and affection went so far beyond any business relationship, he held me together more than once. He never judged; that was the heart of his wisdom, and the wisdom of his heart. His memory will endure and he is missed every day.

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

       Map

       • Prologue •: A Murder of Crows and a King

       • Chapter One •: Passages and Departures

       • Chapter Two •: A Task Completed

       • Chapter Three •: Dangerous Discovery

       • Chapter Four •: New Considerations and an Old Friend

      

       • Chapter Five •: A Parting and Trials

      

       • Chapter Six •: Unequal Talents

      

       • Chapter Seven •: An Incident on the Covenant Road

      

       • Chapter Eight •: An Unexpected Change of Tide

      

       • Chapter Nine •: A Hint of Things More Dire

      

       • Chapter Ten •: In the Crimson Depths

      

       • Chapter Eleven •: A Quick Instruction and Introduction

      

       • Chapter Twelve •: Adrift and Alone

      

       • Chapter Thirteen •: A Short Journey and a Strange Event

      

       • Chapter Fourteen •: A Short Respite and Revelations

      

       • Chapter Fifteen •: An Unexpected Visit and Rumours of War

      

       • Chapter Sixteen •: Hints of Truth and Dark Designs

      

       • Chapter Seventeen •: Unexpected Bounty and Sudden Danger

      

       • Chapter Eighteen •: A Betrayal and Plot

      

       • Chapter Nineteen •: A Change in the Wind

      

       • Chapter Twenty •: Surprises and a Journey

      

       • Chapter Twenty-One •: A Quiet Journey Interrupted

      

       • Chapter Twenty-Two •: Different