They took him deeper into the forest, and soon Corban discovered the one thing that broke his heart more than listening to Storm’s weak and fading howls.

The moment when she stopped howling.

By John Gwynne

By John Gwynne

MALICE

VALOUR

RUIN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I can’t believe we are three books into The Faithful and the Fallen. I’m still not used to seeing them on shelves in bookshops, with paper and cover art and everything, and here we are now with the third! As with Malice and Valour, writing Ruin has been a rollercoaster of an experience, with a small warband of helping hands throughout.

First of all I must thank my wife, Caroline, and my children, Harriett, James, Ed and Will for their unceasing and passionate support of all things Banished Lands, and also for allowing me to retreat into my very own fantasy world for a large chunk of last year. I did emerge from my ivory tower (messy desk!) for brief periods of weapons sparring (read: helping with homework), in which I tended to come off worse. This book wouldn’t have been written without their support.

Thanks must also go to my agent, John Jarrold, without whom The Faithful and the Fallen would never have seen the light of day. He is a man of immeasurable class and a fantastic agent. There is no one I’d rather have in my corner.

Also my wonderful editor at Tor UK, Julie Crisp, one of the few people I’ve met more bloodthirsty than myself. Her talent and polishing skills are a constant source of amazement to me, without which The Faithful and the Fallen would have been a much duller affair. Of course, along with Julie I must thank Bella Pagan, Louise Buckley, Sam Eades, Rob Cox, James Long and all at Team Tor, a host of people that make this writing malarkey look easy – which I can assure you it is not!

Thanks must go to my copy-editor Jessica Cuthbert-Smith, a lady with a most remarkable eye for the minutest of details.

And thanks of course to Will Hinton, my editor across the pond, as well as the whole team at Orbit US.

I’d also like to thank those who have taken the time to read Ruin and provide feedback. It is not a small book; indeed, I suspect it’s large enough to bludgeon a fully grown giant to death. Firstly Edward and William Gwynne – to say they have read Ruin is really an understatement. They’ve buried themselves within its pages, frequently reminding (catching me out!) on details I’ve neglected or overlooked (forgotten!). I must also confess to the dubious fact that Ruin reduced Edward to tears – something I am coming to realize equates (hopefully) with a good bit in the book.