He hit the ground, tumbling over and over, sinking into the salt-sand crust. His legs screamed in agony, then his ribs, his back.

Cade smelled the air as he stared into the wide blue sky, marred by a fresh crack in his helmet. It smelled familiar. Smelled like home.

Yes. His new home. He watched the black trails of the pantheon’s wreckage, and the flashes of light. He had set the sky on fire.

Hands lifted him. Twisted off his helmet.

Amber and Quintus were there, clutching him close. He could hear his name, distantly.

“It’s okay,” he whispered as Amber clutched him close. “We’re going to be okay.”

He lay back, letting them lift him. Letting them carry him back to his home.

Back to a new world.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There have been a great many people who I owe a debt of gratitude for their contribution to the creation and publication of The Champion.

I would like to thank my agent, Juliet Mushens, for all her hard work, teaming up with many amazing publishers around the world. She has been my guiding light throughout the entire process, and my life would not be the same without her.

Thank you to the publishing teams at Feiwel and Friends and Hodder Childrens for helping bring a beautiful book to as many readers as possible. They have done fantastic work and have stuck with me from start to finish. In particular, I would like to thank:

Jean Feiwel, Emily Settle, Liz Szabla, Kim Waymer, Dawn Ryan, Ilana Worrell, Julia Gardiner, Mariel Dawson, Trisha Previte, Kathleen Breitenfeld, Katie Quinn, Morgan Dubin, Katie Halata, Ruth Girmatsion, Naomi Greenwood, Sarah Lambert, Tig Wallace, Michelle Brackenborough, Naomi Berwin, Dominic Kingston, Nic Goode, and Liza DeBlock.

I would like to thank my friends and family for their ongoing support, guidance, and patience. Vic James, Sasha Alsberg, Dominic Wong, Michael Miller, Brook Aspden, as well as Liege, Jay, Sindri, and Raj Matharu, you guys rock.

Finally, thank you, the readers, for all you have done. Your comments, reviews, messages, and encouragement have meant the world to me. It is ultimately you who made me a success, and you who keep me writing. I will be forever astonished, honored, and grateful for your support.

Thank you.

TARAN MATHARU

Also by Taran Matharu

THE SUMMONER SERIES

The Novice

The Inquisition

The Battlemage

The Outcast

The Summoner’s Handbook

THE CONTENDER TRILOGY

The Chosen

The Challenger

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taran Matharu is the author of the Contender trilogy and the New York Times–bestselling Summoner series: The Novice (Book One), The Inquisition (Book Two), The Battlemage (Book Three), The Outcast (the prequel), and The Summoner’s Handbook; the series has been compared to the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series. Taran Matharu lives in London. You can sign up for email updates here.