Battle Magic

Acknowledgments

Thanks to my Scholastic editors Anamika Bhatnagar, who got things rolling, and Kate Egan, who saw it through, and the wonderful Scholastic gang, including the Boss, David Levithan, and Emily Seife, our concertmistress.

Thanks and sorrow to Judy Gerjuoy, who did research on historical China, including menus, for me, and couldn’t stick around to read the end result.

To the Sunday night Bollywood gang: Bruce, Kathy, Cynthia, Tim, Craig, Catherine, Julie, and Cara, because of the characters and actors and just plain relaxing fun.

To Bruce Coville, my writing partner, whose patience, good humor, and excellent advice helped keep the story on track and contributed some strong reality testing, and to Bruce and Kathy for admitting me to vacations at the lake, which soothe my brain.

To Cara Coville, Julie Holderman, Tim the Spouse-Creature Liebe, and the fans on my “Dare to Be Stupid” Live Journal, for bailing me out when I get stuck and remembering what I have forgotten. To Andy Samuel, who makes sure I can find things in my office.

And to Tim, who still puts up with me. It’s thirty-one years in August, and you haven’t come to your senses yet.

Tamora Pierce

March 12, 2013