First off, I have to thank my editor Gillian Redfearn who started this fairy tale with me, and without whose input they would not be so magical. Secondly – or in fact, on a par, as I’m sure Gillian would agree – I owe a massive debt to Les Edwards whose beautiful illustrations really bring the stories to life and also to those in the cover department at Gollancz who make the books a joy to hold and look at. Also thanks to Jon and Genn for their hard work promoting these, and to my agent Veronique for always being there when I need her.
On a more personal note, thanks to Lou Abercombie and Muriel Gray for their kind words on the books, and to my flatmate Lee Thompson for putting up with boxes of books arriving, paper everywhere and my general writer stresses. And for buying me wine when required.
Also By Sarah Pinborough from Gollancz:
Poison
Charm
Beauty
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Sarah Pinborough 2013
Interior illustrations copyright © Les Edwards 2013
All rights reserved.
The right of Sarah Pinborough to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2013 by Gollancz
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2013 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 0 575 09308 9
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.