Saffy started laughing. “Yes, all right! I just think I’m not going to be very good at … well … life. Us. Everything.”

“Well, you know what they say,” said Laura, with generous, merciless affection. “You’re never too old to learn.”

acknowledgments

It takes a lot of people to make a book. My thanks to everyone on the teams at Tor and at Orbit UK, in particular: Emily Byron, Stephanie Stein, Nazia Khatum, Sanaa Ali-Virani, Jess Kiley, Jen Edwards, Steven Bucsok, Rafal Gibek, Samantha Friedlander, Caro Perny, Sarah Weeks, Dakota Griffin, Christina MacDonald, Madeline Grigg, Will Hinton, Claire Eddy, Lucille Rettino, Devi Pillai, Chloe Nosan, Claire Beyette, and Isabella Narvaez.

Particular thanks are due to Ruoxi Chen, my longtime editor, without whose encouragement and enthusiasm this book would not exist; to Eli Goldman, whose editorial insight made this book better; and to Kurestin Armada, my agent, for all her support.

Thank you to the usual suspects: Everina Maxwell, A. K. Larkwood, Megan Stannard, Sophia Kalman, Ariella Bouskila, Catie Arbona, Freya Marske, Rebecca Fraimow, and to everyone else who read the manuscript in progress.

Thank you to Luke and James, for your great understanding. No thanks whatsoever to baby Caitríona, but many apologies; I’m sorry I had to hand you to Dad so I could finish this book. I love you.

I have been lucky enough to know many brilliant teachers. You all deserve more thanks than anyone. This book is for you.

And thank you to my students, past and present. I loved teaching you. None of you are in this book, not even the Year Elevens who specifically requested I put them in the book. That would be weird.

Also by Emily Tesh

ALSO BY EMILY TESH

Some Desperate Glory

THE GREENHOLLOW DUOLOGY

(NOVELLAS)

Silver in the Wood

Drowned Country

about the author

EMILY TESH is a UK-based author of science fiction and fantasy. Her debut novel, Some Desperate Glory, won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Tesh is also a winner of the Astounding Award, and the author of the World Fantasy Award–winning Greenhollow duology. You can sign up for email updates here.

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