Children of Fire (48 page)

Children of Fire
is the culmination of many, many years of sweat and toil—a project I've been working on in one form or another for over twenty years. The seeds were planted in my youth by the works of Tolkien, Terry Brooks, and David Eddings, authors I discovered because my parents—Ron and Viv—always encouraged me to read. Later, they opened up our home to me and my friends as we spent countless hours in the basement, lost in the fantasy worlds of Dungeons and Dragons. They bought me an electric typewriter in high school so I could start banging out the little bits and pieces spilling from my mind—pieces that over the years would evolve and coalesce into the foundation of my own original fantasy world.

When I dropped out of the business program at university, they supported me, even if they didn't fully understand why I did it at the time. Along with my wife, Jennifer, my parents always stood by me as I stumbled through a number of unappealing jobs and ill-suited careers, slowly finding my way to my true calling. They never once told me to give up on my dreams; they were always there for me when I needed them.

Ron and Viv—Mom and Dad—I've come a long, long way since those late nights in my room banging out those first few typewritten pages. But I'm here now, and it wouldn't have happened without you. Thank you, and I love you both.

About the Author

D
REW
K
ARPYSHYN
is the bestselling author of
Star Wars
: The Old Republic
Revan
and the
Star Wars
: Darth Bane trilogy:
Path of Destruction, Rule of Two,
and
Dynasty of Evil
. He also wrote the acclaimed Mass Effect series of novels and worked as a writer/designer on numerous award-winning videogames. After spending most of his life in Canada, he finally grew tired of the long, cold winters and headed south in search of a climate more conducive to year-round golf. Drew Karpyshyn now lives in Texas with his wife, Jennifer, and their cat.