Cover

Praise for Maria V. Snyder

“Shyla Sun-Kissed is back, and is just as bad-ass as ever in The City of Zirdai. Starting off where The Eyes of Tamburah finished, this sequel from Maria V. Snyder is not something to be missed! I had super high expectations for this sequel, given that I absolutely loved (and devoured, honestly) Tamburah, and I wasn’t let down at all. Full of the action, magic, and Snyder’s style I know and love, it firmly has a place in my 2021 favorites, for sure!” The Nerd Daily on City of Zirdai

“An enriching mix of fantasy, adventure, suspense with a touch of romance filled with witty dialogue that made it very easy for me to grasp the new world and terminology...The fast-paced plot made it almost impossible to put down.” The Nerd Daily on The Eyes of Tamburah

“Oh. My. Stars! I just raced through Maria V. Snyder's Navigating the Stars and Chasing the Shadows, and I'm blown away! …The plot is fantastic, the pacing spectacular, the intricacies, the snark, the banter...oh my! Go, go, go. You'll love this!” Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author on The Sentinels of the Galaxy series

“This is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it.” Publishers Weekly, starred review on Poison Study

“Snyder deftly weaves information about glassblowing into her tale of magic and murder.” Library Journal on Storm Glass

“Filled with Snyder's trademark sarcastic humor, fast-paced action, and creepy villainy, Touch of Power is a spellbinding fantasy adventure.” USA TODAY

“A wonderful, thoughtful book full of vivid characters and a place—Inside—that is by turns alien, and breathtakingly familiar.” Rachael Caine, New York Times bestselling author on Inside Out

Preface

Dedication

This is for my husband, daughter, son, parents, sister, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins…the entire crazy clan! I’m not worried I offended you by calling you crazy. After all, who has the craziest imagination of all of us? Hint: It’s not Uncle Joe. Speaking of uncles, I also wish to dedicate this to my Uncle Bill, a kind, loving, and funny man who will be missed.

One

Sand.

It was everywhere, in everything, and unending. Shyla moved yet another heavy shovelful of the reddish-orange stuff and glared at the pile as if her censure would keep the annoying grains from returning. Of course, they would blow right on back, invariably blocking one of the many critical air vents of their new headquarters. No wonder the underground cities of Koraha had entire crews of people whose sole job was sand removal. Yet another aspect of life that Shyla had taken for granted when she lived in the city of Zirdai.