A World Without Heroes - Brandon Mull [175]
First off, my wife, Mary, helped me create time to write the first draft of this story back before I was getting paid to write, so the biggest thanks goes to her. Without her support, this series specifically, and my writing career in general, may never have happened.
Huge thanks also go to my editor at Simon & Schuster, Liesa Abrams. She helped me find some key characters and moments to add, and provided smart feedback on issues large and small. She deserves credit for helping me get this book finished and polished. Smart lady.
Simon Lipskar, my awesome agent, got this project organized, and has provided important feedback on the story as well. The whole team at Simon & Schuster deserves lots of credit, including Mara Anastas, Fiona Simpson, Bess Braswell, Bethany Buck, Anna McKean, Paul Crichton, Lucille Rettino, and Lauren Forte. Sammy Yuen Jr. and Lisa Vega deserve big high-fives for designing a cool cover.
Many other readers contributed to the story. Some read early versions years ago—others read more recent updates. These readers include Mary Mull, Bryson Mull, Cherie Mull, Summer Mull, Pamela Mull, Gary Mull, Jason and Natalie Conforto, Dean Hale, Randy Davis, Jake and Dion Gulbransen, Chris Schoebinger, Tony Benjamin, Lisa Mangum, Liz Saban, Nancy Fleming, Sean Fleming, Mike Walton, Ryan Hamilton, and any others I may have missed. Tucker Davis provided a meticulous read and extensive notes. Very extensive. I practically have post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Thanks also to my amazing family, especially my kids: Sadie, Chase, Rose, and the new one who isn’t named yet, maybe Calvin Emmett, we’ll see. Also Tiff, Ty, Cy, Marge, the cousins, the nephews, the nieces, the aunts, the uncles, and the in-laws. Especially the mother-in-law, who recently provided a very memorable moment while hiking in the canyon near my home, when she laid down on a high trail and puked off a cliff. True story.
And thank you, reader, for trying this book. I hope you liked it. If you did, don’t miss the next two! Also if you liked it, please spread the word. People telling other people means everything for books. Visit me online at BrandonMull.com or on Twitter.
SO. . . WHAT NEXT?
Welcome to the end of the first book in the Beyonders series. I’ll be writing two more books in order to finish the story I started with this one. The second book, Seeds of Rebellion, will be out in spring 2012, then the third will follow in spring 2013. I have the rest of the story all figured out—the next two books will build on this first one in cool and exciting ways.
In the meanwhile, I do have some other books already published. If you haven’t tried my Fablehaven series, those books are fun as well. It’s about a brother and sister who discover that their grandparents are the caretakers of a secret wildlife park for magical creatures. The whole series is already finished, so there are five books waiting to be read. I’ve written one other novel so far, called The Candy Shop War, and a picture book called Pingo.
Thank you, reader, for trying A World Without Heroes. To stay updated, feel free to visit BrandonMull.com and to follow me on Twitter.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1 THE HIPPO
CHAPTER 2 THE LOREMASTER
CHAPTER 3 THE WORD
CHAPTER 4 THE BLIND KING
CHAPTER 5 RACHEL
CHAPTER 6 GIFTS
CHAPTER 7 JUGARD
CHAPTER 8 MACROID
CHAPTER 9 TARK
CHAPTER 10 NED
CHAPTER 11 FERRIN
CHAPTER 12 JAILBREAK
CHAPTER 13 NICHOLAS
CHAPTER 14 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
CHAPTER 15 CHANCELLOR
CHAPTER 16 WHITELAKE
CHAPTER 17 JASHER
CHAPTER 18 THE SUNKEN LANDS
CHAPTER 19 PYTHONESS
CHAPTER 20 THE ETERNAL FEAST
CHAPTER 21 DUEL
CHAPTER 22 ESCAPE
CHAPTER 23 THE WORD
CHAPTER 24 PRISONER
CHAPTER 25 DEEP PORTAL