Child of an Ancient City

CHILD OF ANCIENT CITY Tad Williams, best-selling author of Tailchaser’s Song and The Dragonflight Chair, returns to epic fantasy with an Arabian Nights vampire story, written in collaboration with acclaimed new fantasist Kiriki Hoffman. CHILD OF AN ANCIENT CITY The caravan met disaster in the mountains. Bandits fell upon them by night, scattering their horses, looting and pillaging their cargo. When the survivors gathered together, they salvaged what they could and began the long trek home. For Susri, the merchant’s son, the journey home be- comes a nightmare as people around him begin to dis- appear at night. Masrur and Ibn Fahad, the men in charge of the expedition, blame a vampyr, a creature that preys on the living and shuns the light of day. Susri, nicknamed Fawn, knows it must be true. Fawn’s chance of stopping the vampyr is by story- telling. According to legend, a vampyr will stop and listen to a story told around a campfire if it is gripping enough, then retreat when dawn breaks. Over the next few weeks, the caravan travels hard by day. At night stories are told. On their last evening in the vampyr’s domain, the creature steps forward for the first time---and challenges them to a contest for the saddest story of all. If it wins, it will claim one of their number for its last meal. If they win, they may leave unharmed. When the vampyr agrees to let them judge which story is saddest, Fawn suspects a trick. He has his own story ready---but will it be enough to defeat a vampyr? DRAGONFLIGHT is an exciting series of fantasy novels written by today’s leading writers and illustrated by the best artists in the field. Each book deals with a major theme of fantasy.