Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2)(120)

pasha: A noble in the Ottoman Empire, appointed by the sultan

pashazada: A son of a pasha

postern: A small gate designed to let troops in and out of Constantinople through the inner walls regent: An advisor appointed to help rule on behalf of a king too young to be fully trusted Rumeli Hisari: A fortress built on one side of the Bosporus Strait as companion to the Anadolu Hisari spahi: A military commander in charge of local Ottoman soldiers called up during war Transylvania: A small country bordering Wallachia and Hungary; includes the cities of Brasov and Sibiu trebuchet: A medieval engine of war with a sling for hurling large stones

vaivode: Warlord prince of Wallachia

vassal state: A country allowed to retain rulership but subject to the Ottoman Empire, with taxes of both money and slaves for the army vizier: A high-ranking official, usually advisor to the sultan

Wallachia: A vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, bordered by Transylvania, Hungary, and Moldavia





AUTHOR’S NOTE





Please see the author’s note in And I Darken for more information on resources for further study on the fascinating lives of Vlad Tepes, Mehmed II, and Radu cel Frumos.

As a note in this book, I would like to personally apologize to the nation of Hungary and its incredible history. The Hunyadi family legacy is worthy of its own trilogy, but in the interest of not writing three-thousand-page-long books, I had to dramatically simplify and compress things to suit my narrative needs. In the end, these books are works of fiction. I try to incorporate as much history as respectfully as I can, and encourage anyone intrigued to further study this time period and region.

The characters in the series each interact with religion, and more specifically Islam, in various ways. I have nothing but respect for the rich history and beautiful legacy of that gospel of peace. Individual characters’ opinions on the complexities of faith, both Islamic and Christian, do not reflect my own.

Spelling varies between languages and over time, as do place names. Any errors or inconsistencies are my own. Though the main characters speak a variety of languages, I made an editorial decision to present all common terms in English.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS



First, in correction to an error of omission for And I Darken: Thank you to Mihai Eminescu, the brilliant Romanian poet who wrote “Trecut-au anii” (translated into English as “Years Have Trailed Past”), a beautiful and deeply affecting poem that ends with the line that inspired the titles for these books: “Behind me time gathers … and I darken!”

Thank you to Michelle Wolfson, my tireless agent. I couldn’t do this without you, plain and simple. Here is to many more years of me sending you “I wrote a strange thing, please figure out how to sell it” emails.

Thank you to Wendy Loggia, my brilliant editor, whose guiding hand is on every page of these books. I’m so deeply fortunate to have you shaping my words and my career.

Special thanks to Cassie McGinty, who somehow escaped being thanked in book one, but who was a phenomenal publicist and champion of the series. And thank you to the devastatingly lovely Aisha Cloud, who called dibs on Lada and Radu’s publicity, much to my everlasting delight.

Thank you to Beverly Horowitz, Audrey Ingerson, the First In Line team, the copy editors, the cover designers, the marketing department, and everyone at Delacorte Press and Random House Children’s Books. You are the absolute best team and absolute best house I could have asked for. I’m constantly amazed by your dedication, innovation, and intelligence.

Thank you to Penguin Random House worldwide, in particular Ruth Knowles and Harriet Venn, for getting our vicious Lada into the UK and Australia with such style. I’m so jealous she gets to hang out with you.

Thank you to my first and last critique partners (that sounds more ominous than it is), Stephanie Perkins for the save-me-please emergency reads and Natalie Whipple for the save-me-please emergency moral support. We all know I wouldn’t be here without you.

Thank you as always to my incredible husband, Noah, without whom these books would have never existed, and without whom my life would suck. I’ll never get over how lucky I am to have you. And to our three beautiful children, thank me for marrying your father and passing along such excellent genes. (But also thank you all for being the delightful center of my life.) Finally, I always feared people wouldn’t connect with my brutal, vicious Lada and my tender, clever Radu. I should never have doubted you. To everyone who embraced the Dracul siblings and these books: thank you, thank you, thank you. A girl could take over the world with you on her side.