Emily R King - Into the Hourglass

PRAISE FOR EMILY R. KINGS

THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN SERIES

THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN

Winner of the 2017 Whitney and UTOPiA Awards for Best Novel by a Debut Author

Kings debut is built on a solid premise that draws on Sumerian mythology for inspiration... The tale maintains a consistent thread as King embarks on a deep examination of sisterhood, first between Kali and her best friend Jaya, and later when she must fight the rajahs other wives to keep her place within the palace.

Publishers Weekly

The Hundredth Queen plunges readers into a fantasy world full of love, betrayal, rebellion, and magic.

Deseret News

King writes multiple strong female characters, led by Kalinda, who has the loyalty and bravery of spirit to defend her friends even if that means facing death. Strong characterization, deep world building, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out. This outing opens a trilogy; readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment.

Kirkus Reviews

This lush and lovely first novel brings a beautiful and brutal culture to life. The ending is left open for sequels, and readers will eagerly follow Kalinda and Deven on their future adventures.

Booklist

Filled with many action-packed sequences, forbidden romance, and unexpected surprises, this debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters.

School Library Journal

A gripping plot with twists and turns, a unique setting, and strong female charactersa solid foray into the fantasy romance genre.

VOYA

This book is definitely a page-turner...

Teenreads

The Hundredth Queen is a culturally rich tale of both self-discovery and self-mastery. Emily R. King transports readers to a lush and fascinating world where our heroine, Kalinda, pitted against hardened and clever antagonists, embraces her weaknesses and follows her heart. King leaves you wondering, What happens next?

Charlie N. Holmberg, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician series

Richly imagined and gracefully written, The Hundredth Queen is a vibrant tale of forbidden love and personal sacrifice.

Becky Wallace, author of The Keepers Chronicles

THE FIRE QUEEN

King treats the readers to stunning descriptions of Kalinda and her sister warriors characters, even giving villains redeeming traits and hints of sympathy. A descriptive action-packed fantasy in a vivid world...

Kirkus Reviews

The most poignant and important parts of this novel are the relationships that blossom and grow. If youre a fan of The Hundredth Queen, rest assured that The Fire Queen is definitely its equal. Its just as fascinating, heartbreaking, and exciting...

Hypable

A great follow-up to the series. King writes with such a vivid detail that the imagery of The Fire Queen is stunningly real. The world she created is both extremely dangerous and invitingly beautiful. You will be drawn into this world of fantasy with ease and it holds your attention till the very end.

Fresh Fiction

THE ROGUE QUEEN

King delivers a fiery fantasy-adventure in her fast-paced third installment to the Hundredth Queen series. The Rogue Queen moves the series main action from a tournament to a large-scale war, injecting a feeling of freshness and vitality to the Hundredth Queen books... Kalindas crusade to save and unite her empire, regardless of the cost, will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

Booklist

The Rogue Queen exposes new angles on established ideas and stories that make it a really enjoyable novel. It has the perfect amount of action and strategic planning, as well as a healthy dose of female empowerment. Fans of the series certainly wont be disappointed with this new installment and, by the end of it, will be cheering Bring on The Warrior Queen!

Hypable

This book is all high-stakes action and magic. The characters come alive even more...

Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)

ALSO BY EMILY R. KING

The Evermore Chronicles

Before the Broken Star

Into the Hourglass

Everafter Song (forthcoming)

The Hundredth Queen Series

The Hundredth Queen

The Fire Queen

The Rogue Queen

The Warrior Queen

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Text copyright 2019 by Emily R. King

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Skyscape, New York

www.apub.com

Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Skyscape are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

ISBN-13: 9781542092258 (hardcover)

ISBN-10: 1542092256 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 9781542043946 (paperback)

ISBN-10: 1542043948 (paperback)

Cover design by Kirk DouPonce, DogEared Design

First Edition

For Joseph,
My firstborn and my favorite reader

CONTENTS

Prologue

Once upon a time, before the worlds were crafted from the heavens, two competing stars each thought they were the greatest and brightest in all the cosmos. To prove their might, the stars set off in a race across the eternities. Both were so preoccupied with flying the fastest that they collided and shattered into tiny pieces.

Only a single prong of one star remained, and she was brokenhearted.

The Creator cradled the weeping star in her hands. She pitied the star and wished to give her a new purpose. Grasping the star like a blade, the Creator cut seven worlds from the cloth of the eternities. When finished, the star no longer belonged in the heavens. She was an immortal sword. The Creator gave the sword to a protector, for, in the wrong hands, the blade could be wielded to split apart the very worlds she had molded. After a while, the sword was so content in her new calling she forgot she was ever a star.

One day, the sword was hidden away and forgotten until, years laterin a moment appointed by fatea sad little lass with a clock heart discovered her.

As the sword rested in the girls eager hands, she remembered that, before she was a blade, she had been a star. Although the lass was also broken, she, too, had a purpose, and together, the two of them would rival the sun.

Chapter One

Nothing and no one hides more secrets than the sea. Forgotten stories whisper over the whitecaps, lurk under the reflective surface, and dissipate in the winds. Our ship groans and creaks as her full sails elbow a path through the crests of the deep. Our course is set for the far-off thunderheads, making way for another world.

After two months of sailing open waters, neither I nor the captain nor our crew of outlaws on the Cadeyrn of the Seas can isolate our precise heading. My skill in reading and creating maps and my strong sense of direction are no help either. To find our destinationa portal to an Otherworldwe must lose ourselves in our own world.