Soulkeeper Read online

  The priests said to the people, how now will the souls of the dead be carried to the god in the waters, but the people replied, what are the dead to us? Unless we eat, we will be dead, too.

  And they killed the priests, and ate them, too.

  Still the people starved, and many of them died. The dead thronged the streets, for there were no more sacred beasts to carry them away into the deep waters of God.

  The dead thronged the streets, but they were houseless and bodiless, for their remains were eaten by the few people who were left.

  And the people of the city dwindled, and became the people of the tombs, and they were few in number.

  Over the frozen sea came a new people, the people of the ice, and they came upon the city and said: lo, here is a great city, but it is empty. Even its temples are abandoned. We shall dwell here, and shelter from the cold, and raise up shrines to our own gods there.

  The people of the ice endured where the people of the city had not, and survived the cold. Many of them died, too, and their bodies were interred in tombs, in accordance with their customs. And the people of the tombs stole those bodies, and ate of them.

  And in this way, the people of the ice and the people of the tombs survived the winter.

  When the ice melted, the people of the ice became the people of the city, and the people of the tombs became the ghouls. For they were also, in their new way, people of the city.

  And that is how the ghouls came to Guerdon.

  By David Dalglish

  Soulkeeper

  SERAPHIM

  Skyborn

  Fireborn

  Shadowborn

  SHADOWDANCE

  A Dance of Cloaks

  A Dance of Blades

  A Dance of Mirrors

  A Dance of Shadows

  A Dance of Ghosts

  A Dance of Chaos

  Cloak and Spider (novella)

  Praise for

  David Dalglish

  “Dalglish raises the stakes and magnitude, demonstrating his knack for no-holds-barred, wildly imaginative storytelling and worldbuilding.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Shadowborn

  “A must-read for fans of Michael Sullivan and Brent Weeks.”

  —Library Journal on Skyborn

  “A soaring tale that nails the high notes. Skyborn had me gazing heavenward, imagining what could be.”

  —Jay Posey, author of Three

  “Dalglish’s high-flying action sequences are crisp and exciting, and he sets the stage for book two with a solid ending that will have readers eager for the next installment.”

  —Booklist on Skyborn

  “[A Dance of Cloaks’s] core remains a winning combination of A Game of Thrones, sword-and-sorcery RPGs, and vivid description. Dalglish puts familiar pieces together with a freshness and pleasure that are contagious.”

  —Publishers Weekly on A Dance of Cloaks

  “Dalglish concocts a heady cocktail of energy, breakneck pace and excitement.”

  —Sam Sykes, author of The City Stained Red on A Dance of Cloaks

  “Fast, furious, and fabulous.”

  —Michael J. Sullivan, author of Theft of Swords on A Dance of Cloaks

  We hope you enjoyed this book.

  Wondering what to read next?

  Discover other books you might enjoy by signing up for Orbit’s newsletter.

  You’ll get the scoop on the latest releases, deals, excerpts, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox each month.

  Sign Up

  Or visit us at www.orbitbooks.net/booklink