Garrett Hanrahan: New Global Head of Aviation at Marsh JLT Specialty

Who is Garrett Hanrahan. What is his new role at Marsh JLT Specialty. How will he impact the global aviation industry. What challenges does the aviation sector face today. How can Marsh JLT Specialty help clients manage risks effectively.

Table of Contents

Garrett Hanrahan’s Appointment as Global Head of Aviation

Marsh, a leading broker and risk advisory firm, has made a significant move in its global aviation practice. Garrett Hanrahan has been appointed as the new global head of aviation for the Marsh JLT Specialty business, effective from April 15, 2020. This strategic appointment marks a new chapter in Marsh’s commitment to serving the aviation industry.

Hanrahan brings a wealth of experience to his new role, with 25 years in the industry. He joined Marsh in 2013 and previously served as the US head of aviation for Marsh JLT Specialty. This promotion showcases Marsh’s confidence in Hanrahan’s expertise and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities in the New Role

In his new position, Hanrahan will oversee Marsh JLT Specialty’s entire global aviation practice. This practice is responsible for advising a wide range of clients, including:

Airlines
Manufacturers
Airports

The global aviation practice is a substantial operation, employing 300 specialists across 20 global offices. This extensive network allows Marsh to provide comprehensive support to clients worldwide.

The Significance of Hanrahan’s Appointment

Hanrahan’s appointment comes at a crucial time for the aviation industry. The sector faces numerous challenges and opportunities, making experienced leadership more important than ever. Lucy Clarke, president at Marsh JLT Specialty, expressed confidence in Hanrahan’s abilities, stating, “Garrett is an outstanding expert in his field, and we look forward to welcoming him to the role.”

This appointment also marks a transition in leadership, as Hanrahan takes over from Simon Harker, who is retiring after a successful 44-year career. Clarke acknowledged Harker’s contributions, saying, “On behalf of the business, we thank Simon for his enormous contribution and dedication over the last 35 years and wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement.”

Challenges Facing the Global Aviation Sector

Hanrahan steps into his new role at a time when the aviation industry is grappling with several significant challenges. He outlined some of these key issues:

The advent of new technologies
Geopolitical concerns
The need for carbon-efficient travel
Rising demand for greater global connectivity

These challenges present both risks and opportunities for industry players. Hanrahan emphasized the importance of addressing these issues, stating, “By leveraging our unrivalled expertise, our clients can boost their resilience, manage these risks more effectively and continue to thrive.”

Marsh JLT Specialty’s Role in the Aviation Industry

Marsh JLT Specialty plays a crucial role in supporting the aviation industry. As a leading broker and risk advisory firm, it provides valuable insights and services to help clients navigate the complex landscape of aviation risks.

Services Offered by Marsh JLT Specialty

The global aviation practice at Marsh JLT Specialty offers a range of services tailored to the unique needs of the aviation sector. These may include:

Risk assessment and management
Insurance brokerage
Strategic advisory services
Claims management
Industry-specific research and insights

With Hanrahan at the helm, Marsh JLT Specialty is well-positioned to enhance its offerings and provide even more value to its aviation clients.

The Formation of Marsh JLT Specialty

Marsh JLT Specialty is a relatively new entity, formed after Marsh and McLennan acquired Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) in April 2019. This acquisition led to the creation of a new specialty business that combined Marsh and JLT’s specialty teams.

The integration process has been substantial, with significant costs associated with restructuring and acquisition. According to the firm’s financial results:

Integration and restructuring costs amounted to $229 million for the Risk and Insurance Services division at the end of 2019
Acquisition-related costs, including retention costs, were $97 million
Acquisition-related derivative payments resulted in a $337 million loss
Investing cash flows in acquisitions reported a $5.5 million loss

Despite these costs, the formation of Marsh JLT Specialty has created a powerful force in the specialty insurance market, particularly in the aviation sector.

Marsh and McLennan’s Financial Performance

The appointment of Hanrahan comes against a backdrop of strong financial performance for Marsh and McLennan. The company’s 2019 year-end results showed impressive growth:

Year-end revenue of $16.7 billion, an 11% increase from 2018
Operating income of $2.7 billion
Adjusted operating income rose by 14% to reach $3.4 billion
Net income attributable to the company was $1.7 billion
Earnings per share increased by 6% to $3.41
Adjusted earnings per share were $4.66, up from $4.35 in 2018

These strong financial results provide a solid foundation for Marsh JLT Specialty to invest in its aviation practice and support Hanrahan’s leadership initiatives.

The Future of Aviation Risk Management

As Hanrahan takes on his new role, the future of aviation risk management looks both challenging and promising. The industry faces numerous risks, but also has access to more sophisticated risk management tools and expertise than ever before.

Emerging Trends in Aviation Risk

Several trends are likely to shape the future of aviation risk management:

Increasing focus on cybersecurity in aviation systems
Growing importance of environmental sustainability
Rapid advancements in autonomous flight technology
Evolving regulatory landscapes across different jurisdictions
The impact of global events on air travel demand and safety

Marsh JLT Specialty, under Hanrahan’s leadership, will play a crucial role in helping aviation clients navigate these trends and manage associated risks effectively.

The Impact of Technology on Aviation Risk Management

Technology is revolutionizing the aviation industry, and with it, the landscape of risk management. Advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are providing new tools for assessing and mitigating risks in the aviation sector.

Key Technological Advancements

Some of the key technological advancements impacting aviation risk management include:

Predictive maintenance systems that reduce the risk of mechanical failures
Advanced weather forecasting tools for improved flight planning
Real-time tracking and communication systems for enhanced safety
Drone technology for aircraft inspections and airport security
Virtual and augmented reality for pilot training and simulation

As global head of aviation, Hanrahan will likely prioritize leveraging these technologies to enhance Marsh JLT Specialty’s risk management offerings.

The Role of Sustainability in Aviation Risk Management

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor in aviation risk management. As the industry faces pressure to reduce its environmental impact, new risks and opportunities are emerging.

Key Sustainability Challenges

Some of the key sustainability challenges facing the aviation industry include:

Reducing carbon emissions
Developing and implementing sustainable aviation fuels
Managing noise pollution
Improving waste management practices
Adapting to potential climate change impacts on aviation infrastructure

These challenges present both risks and opportunities for the aviation industry. Marsh JLT Specialty, under Hanrahan’s leadership, will need to help clients navigate these issues effectively.

The Importance of Global Connectivity in Aviation

As Hanrahan mentioned, there is a rising demand for greater global connectivity in the aviation sector. This trend has significant implications for risk management and insurance in the industry.

Challenges of Increasing Global Connectivity

Some of the challenges associated with increasing global connectivity include:

Managing risks associated with operating in diverse regulatory environments
Ensuring consistent safety standards across global operations
Addressing cultural differences in risk perception and management
Coordinating emergency response plans across international boundaries
Managing supply chain risks in a globally interconnected industry

Marsh JLT Specialty’s global network of 300 specialists across 20 offices positions it well to help clients address these challenges.

The Future of Marsh JLT Specialty Under Hanrahan’s Leadership

As Garrett Hanrahan takes the helm of Marsh JLT Specialty’s global aviation practice, the future looks promising. His extensive experience in the industry, combined with Marsh’s global reach and resources, creates a powerful combination.

Potential Areas of Focus

Under Hanrahan’s leadership, Marsh JLT Specialty may focus on:

Enhancing data-driven risk management solutions
Expanding expertise in emerging technologies like autonomous flight
Developing innovative insurance products for sustainability-related risks
Strengthening global collaboration within the practice
Providing thought leadership on evolving aviation risks

As Hanrahan stated, “I look forward to leading our talented team as we continue to deliver the innovative solutions and expert counsel our clients need to succeed.” This forward-looking approach bodes well for Marsh JLT Specialty’s future in the aviation sector.

In conclusion, Garrett Hanrahan’s appointment as global head of aviation at Marsh JLT Specialty marks an important milestone for the company and the aviation industry. As the sector faces new challenges and opportunities, Hanrahan’s leadership and expertise will be crucial in helping clients navigate the complex landscape of aviation risks. With a strong team, global reach, and a commitment to innovation, Marsh JLT Specialty is well-positioned to play a leading role in shaping the future of aviation risk management.

Woodbridge – BlueRaiders-Sports

Scoring Summary:

Conrad 72 SAS 3

106 Andrew Barclay (Conrad) won by Forfeit

113 Double Forfeit

120 Jeffrey Gunter (Conrad) won by Forfeit

132 Dylan Gallagher (Conrad) won by forfeit

138 Elijah Walton (Conrad) won by forfeit

145 Brando Leggott (SAS)Won Dec 7 – 4

over Roland Ribaya (Conrad)

152 Ryan Hersh (Conrad) won by forfeit

160 Casen Carr (Conrad) won by forfeit

170 Andrew Chin-A-Loy (Conrad) won

Fall: 3:10

182 Chris DeAngelo (Conrad) Won InjDef

over Alec Maloney (SAS)

195 Adam Reamer (Conrad) won by forfeit

220 Michael Zwack (Conrad) won by forfeit

285 Devin Colla (Conrad) won by Forfeit

Delaware Military Academy 81 SAS 0

106 Shane Cawman (DMA) won by forfeit

113 Zachary Martinez (DMA) won by forfeit

120 Ryan Loose (DMA) won by forfeit

126 Daniel Rhoades (DMA) won by forfeit

132 Jose Czajkowski (DMA) won by forfeit

138 Xavier Glanzel (DMA) won by forfeit

145 Chris Howell (DMA) won Dec 6 – 4 over Brando Leggott (SAS)

152 Michael Leonard (DMA) won by forfeit

160 Nicholas Reckner (DMA) won by forfeit

170 Nathan Riley (DMA) won: FAll: 331

over Garrett Hanrahan (SAS)

182 John Howell (DMA) Won: Fall: 1:01

over Alec Maloney (SAS)

195 Joey Scalia (DMA) won by forfeit

220 Mike Lyons (DMA) won by forfeit

285 José Maldonado (DMA) won by forfeit

DMA 69 Conrad 10

120-Loose(DMA) pin Gunter 5:34

126-Rhoades(DMA) pin Broussard 1:02

132-CzajkowskiDMA) pin Gallagher 1:57

138-Glanzel(DMA) pin Walton 1:23

145-Ribaya(Con) maj. dec. Riley 13-2

152-Leonard(DMA) dec. Hersh 5-4

160-Chin-A-Loy(Con) pin Reckner 5:17

170-Riley(DMA) pin Carr 2:45

182-Howell(DMA) pin DeAngelo 4:20

195-Scalia(DMA) pin Zwack :49

220-Lyons(DMA) pin Golla 1:23

285-Naughton(DMA) win by F.F

106-Cawman(DMA) pin Barclay :36

113-Martinez(DMA) win by F.F

Marsh hires new global head of aviation | Latest News

Broker and risk advisory firm Marsh has appointed Garrett Hanrahan as its new global head of aviation for the Marsh JLT Specialty business, effective from 15 April 2020.

Hanrahan will be taking over from Simon Harker, who is retiring after a successful 44-year career.

In this capacity, Hanrahan will oversee the entirety of Marsh JLT Specialty’s global aviation practice, which advises airlines, manufacturers and airports, to name a few.

The global aviation practice employs 300 specialists across 20 global offices.

Expertise

Hanrahan, who has 25 years of industry experience, originally joined Marsh in 2013; his last role to date was as the US head of aviation, again for Marsh JLT Specialty.

In his new position, Hanrahan will report to Lucy Clarke, president at Marsh JLT Specialty.

Clarke said: “Garrett is an outstanding expert in his field, and we look forward to welcoming him to the role.

“On behalf of the business, we thank Simon for his enormous contribution and dedication over the last 35 years and wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement.”

Acquisition cash flow

Marsh and McLennan acquired broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) in April last year – integration and restructuring costs around this at 2019’s year-end amounted to $229m for the Risk and Insurance Services division, according to the firm’s financial results published last month. This includes costs incurred for staff reductions, lease related exit costs and consulting costs.

Acquisition related costs, which reflects retention costs in the Risk and Insurance Services segment relating to the closing of the JLT transaction, were $97m at the end of 2019.

In terms of financing cash flows, acquisition-related derivative payments were recorded at a $337m loss at year-end, while investing cash flows in acquisitions was reported at a $5.5m loss.

Marsh JLT Specialty was a new specialty business created after the acquisition – this combined Marsh and JLT’s specialty teams.

Year-end profits

Considering the global business, Marsh and McLennan reported a $16.7bn (£12.7bn) year-end revenue for 2019, reflecting an 11% increase since 2018. Operating income was recorded at $2.7bn, while adjusted operating income rose by 14% to reach $3.4bn.

Net income attributable to the company was $1.7bn for 2019, and earnings per share increased by 6% to be $3.41 – adjusted earnings per share were $4.66 compared to $4.35 in 2018.

Hanrahan added: “The advent of new technologies, geopolitical concerns, the need for carbon-efficient travel and the rising demand for greater global connectivity are just some of the major risk issues the global aviation sector now faces.

“By leveraging our unrivalled expertise, our clients can boost their resilience, manage these risks more effectively and continue to thrive. I look forward to leading our talented team of aviation risk and insurance specialists.”

Cloudflare

	The Free Trial Requires a Valid Credit Card
	Basic Plus	Research	Prospect	Premium	Premium Plus
Monthly Subscription PLans	$ 14	$ 49	$ 79	$ 99	$ 169
Annual Subscription Plans	$ 99	$ 399	$ 699	$ 899	$ 1499
Subscribe to Annual Plans & Save	41 %	32 %	26 %	24 %	26 %
Company Research
Access 17+ million Company Profiles
Access to 18,000+ Industries
Create & Save Basic Company Lists
Access to Basic Search Filters & Formats
Create & Save Adv. Company Lists & Search Criteria
Advanced Search (filter by dozens of criteria including revenue, employees, business activity, geography, distance, industry, age, phone & demographics)
Company Information Export Limits		250 / month	500 / month	750 / month	1,000 / month

Place Research
Tenant List @ 6+ million Buildings
Building & Tenant Search by Address or Street Name
Create, Save & Share Place Lists and Search Criteria

Contact Research
Access Information on 40+ million Contacts ( No Email)
Advanced Contact Search
Create, Save & Share Contact Lists & Search Criteria
Contact Information Export Limits (No Email Addresses)			500 / Month	750 / Month	1,000 / Month
Monthly Subscription – Contact Email Address Limits				100 / Month	200 / Month
Annual Subscription – Contact Email Address Limits				1,200 / year	2,400 / year

Content Use Limits (Pages per Day)	200	700	1,000	1,500	2,000
Click Here to Start Your Free Trial 212-913-9151 ext. 306
Note: Free trial requires registration and a valid credit card. Each user is limited to a single free trial. [email protected]

Marsh JLT Specialty names new global aviation head

Marsh has announced the appointment of Garrett Hanrahan (pictured) as global head of aviation for Marsh JLT Specialty, effective April 15. Hanrahan will succeed Simon Harker, who is retiring after 44 years in the industry. Hanrahan will be based in Houston and will report to Lucy Clarke, president of Marsh JLT Specialty.

In his new role, Hanrahan will oversee Marsh JLT Specialty’s global aviation practice, which advises airlines, manufacturers, airports, and other aviation industry players on their insurance and risk management programs. The practice includes more than 300 specialists in more than 20 offices around the world.

Hanrahan joined Marsh in 2013, and has worked in the global aviation sector for more than 25 years. He most recently served as head of US aviation for Marsh JLT Specialty.

“Garrett is an outstanding expert in this field, and we look forward to welcoming him to the role,” Clarke said. “On behalf of the business, we thank Simon for his enormous contribution and dedication over the last 35 years, and wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement.”

“The advent of new technologies, geopolitical concerns, the need for carbon-efficient travel, and the rising demand for greater global connectivity are just some of the major risk issues the global aviation sector now faces,” Hanrahan said. “By leveraging our unrivalled expertise, our clients can boost their resilience, manage these risks more effectively, and continue to thrive. I look forward to leading our talented team of aviation risk and insurance specialists.”

Benefit Bidding Auctions – CKS Christmas Auction

Lip Sync Battle :

2018 “CKS Lip Sync Battle” Party

Date: Saturday, January 20, 2018

Cost: $125 per person

Limit: 160 guests (NO EXCEPTIONS), plus only party hosts

Time: 7:30pm – 11:30pm

Location: Ozona Grill & Bar

Hosts: Kim & Garrett Hanrahan, Courtney & Gilbran Andujar, Lori & Jimmy Archie, Kelly & Franklin Diaz, Nancy & John Dunn, Emily & Chris Hebert, Angie & Tim Hubach, Lynne & Simon Fletcher, Sissi & Paul Jorge, Allison & Jason Kidd, Cynthia & Matt Langhorst, Jana & Jeff Lovejoy, Christy & Brannon Marlowe, Annie & Stewart McLeod, Erika & George Moussa, Amy & Jorge Ramirez, Jennifer & Dan Spears, Jenny & Jeff Staubach, Sophia & David Tice, Lorena & Mike Tolle and Danielle & Brian Tusa

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!

CKS parents will once again take the Ozona stage at the “CKS Lip Sync Battle” Party on Saturday night, January 20, 2018! On this hilarious SpikeTV hit, “Lip Sync Battle”, celebrities dress up in costume and imitate their favorite artists while lip syncing. Parents who purchase party tickets will be able to submit acts in early January and a competition will be organized. Guests may participate as an individual act or as a group. Do you have what it takes to beat 2017 “Best in Show” winner Danny Llana? What do the 2^nd grade parents have up their sleeve this year? How will you win over the crowd when you step up on the stage in January? Or just come and enjoy the fun! In addition to enjoying the fun competition and music played by DJ Andy Duvall, party guests will be treated to heavy appetizers and 3 drink tickets per person.

Proceeds from this “CKS Lip Sync Battle” party will be donated to the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters for Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School in San Juan, Puerto Rico to assist with the devastation from Hurricane Maria. This school and community is home to Sister Andreen, the Principal, and Sister Joelle, the Assistant Principal, who are suffering alongside their 700 students and their families. Both Sister Joelle and Sister Andreen have been long-time missionaries in Puerto Rico. The scope of the devastation is unlike anything Sister Andreen and Sister Joelle have ever experienced. The school lost most of its roof and the gymnasium lies in ruins. The school and community desperately needs drinking water, fuel for the school’s generator, fuel for cooking stoves for families in most need, basic medicines and first aid supplies, classroom supplies and books, a new roof and repairs to the school. We will also be donating 15% of the proceeds to CKS to give support to our faculty and staff.

Be sure to buy your “CKS Lip Sync Battle” Party tickets on the Christmas Online Auction when bidding begins before the party is SOLD OUT! The party hosts are so excited about this fun community-building event while raising much needed funds for the devastated community of Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

If you cannot attend the party, but would like to make a donation to the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, please click here. $25 / $50 / $100 / $250 / Other

Please Click Here To Donate!

[ Image View ]
[List View]

–Select a Sort Order–Sort by Title: A to ZSort by Title: Z to ASort by Item Number

enlarge item
Lip Sync Battle –

2018 “CKS Lip Sync Battle” Party

Date: Saturday, January 20, 2018

Cost: $125 per person

Limit: 160 guests (NO EXCEPTIONS), plus only party hosts

Time: 7:30pm – 11:30pm

Location: Ozona Grill & Bar

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!! CKS parents will once again take the Ozona stage at the “CKS Lip Sync Battle” Party on Saturday night, January 20, 2018! On this hilarious SpikeTV hit, “Lip Sync Battle”, celebrities dress up in costume and imitate their favorite artists while lip syncing. Parents who purchase party tickets will be able to submit acts in early January and a competition will be organized. Guests may participate as an individual act or as a group. Do you have what it takes to beat 2017 “Best in Show” winner Danny Llana? What do the 2^nd grade parents have up their sleeve this year? How will you win over the crowd when you step up on the stage in January? Or just come and enjoy the fun! In addition to enjoying the fun competition and music played by DJ Andy Duvall, party guests will be treated to heavy appetizers and 3 drink tickets per person.

If you cannot attend the party, but would like to make a donation to the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, please click here. $25 / $50 / $100 / $250 / Other

CKS Donor List – Christ the King Catholic School

ANNUAL FUND 2018

HONOR ROLL OF GIVING

It is with immense gratitude that we acknowledge our parents, grandparents, faculty & staff, parishioners, past parents, alum, friends, and their employers, for investing in our CKS students by supporting the CKS Catholic mission to educate the hearts, minds, and spirits of our future servant leaders.

PASTOR’S CIRCLE – $10,000-$14,999

Shannon and Jeff Estes

Erika and George Moussa

Kara and Mark Schlueter

ST. FRANCIS SOCIETY – $5,000-$9,999

Brinley and Chris Czuppon (Brinley Wallace Czuppon ’91)

Sue and Jim Gragg

Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Hanrahan

Mr. and Mrs. David Martin

Elissa and Sean McClure

Mr. Colin and Dr. Tia Raymond

ST. CLARE SOCIETY – $3,500-$4,999

Ali and Spencer Browne

Tom and Lucy Burns

Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Carlton

Suzanne and Jim Duda

Mary Ann & Paul Fego

Mr. and Mrs. Enrique Marroquin

Amy and Michael Meadows

Todd and Stephanie Murray

Andrew and Karla Noone (Karla Navarro Noone ’95)

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Ronk

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE – ($2,000-$3,499)

Nicole and Anthony Aramoonie

Lori and Jimmy Archie

Taylor and Jen Bledsoe

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Brauer

Britteny and Ryan Browne

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Busch

Patrick and Lois Carver

Jeannie and Alex Chuang

Greg and Sara Colvin

Bill Cox

Mr. and Mrs. David de la Pena

Faye and Scott Dieckhaus

Nancy and John Dunn

Eric and Andrea Earnhart

Ellen and Caleb Fernandes

Chris Galante

Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Garcia II

Randall and Melissa Graham

J.M. Haggar, Jr. Family Foundation (Lydia Haggar Novokov ’64)

Mr. and Mrs. Fuad Harfuch

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Harlan

James and Maria Hegar

Bill and Madeline Holbrook

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy F. Hubach (Timothy F. Hubach ’93)

Mr. and Mrs. Brad Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Kelton

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kiran

Heather and Zack Klein (Zack Klein ’95)

Colleen and Chad Kolar

Amy and Tim Lobner

Clint and Brandon Madison

Jan and John Madison

Mr. and Mrs. William Manion

Brannon and Christy Marlowe

Michael and Jennifer McCosker

Mr. and Mrs. JD McCulloch

Stewart and Annie McLeod

Mr. Luis Miranda and Mrs. Patricia Schmidt-Miranda

Mr. and Mrs. David Monteiro

Lisa and Randy Muck

Mr. and Mrs. John Murray

Christine and Matthew Nevitt

Mr. and Mrs. Giovanni Nieto Giovanini

Danny and Kate O’Connell

Jim and Jill Ombrello

Stephanie and Todd Phillips

Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Ramon

David and Samantha Riley

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sargis

Mr. and Mrs. Lee Seidel

Mr. and Mrs. G. Wyndham Smith

Ms. Cindy Carpenter-Smith

Mr. Michael Spoor and Mrs. Claudia Knop

Doris and Tim Stark

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Staubach

Lauren and Alec Stewart (Lauren Saller Stewart ’90)

Mr. and Ms. Ramon Suarez

Peter & Shirley Tart

Jackie and Roland Tilden

Mark and Paige Tinker

Chuck and Mercedes Treadway

Mr. and Mrs. John Tyler

Mr. and Mrs. Jason Waldie

Julie and Todd Weissmueller

Ashley and Steve Wilson

Suzy and Matt Yaeger

Mr. Michael Young and Mrs. Cristina Barbosa

Denise and Richard Zulick

BLUE RIBBON – $1,000-$1,999

Cribb & Kayla Altman

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbran Andujar

Dori and Jesus Araiza

Matt and Sarah Beddoe

Mr. and Mrs. Jared Behnke

Mr. and Mrs. David Benitez

Greg and Lizzy Blake

Sandy and Chris Borkowski

Mr. and Ms. Jon Claude Bove

Mr. and Mrs. Brian Broadbent

Steven and Shelley Collora

Mr. Francisco Corvera Fadrique and Mrs. Irma Orta

Juan and Ines de Urtubey

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Drabinski

Mr. John Eder and Mrs. Cheryl Klase

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Farris

John and Kathleen Fern

Mr. and Mrs. Simon Fletcher

Michelene and Chase Galbraith

Michael and Stephanie Garcia

Dr. Scott and Dr. Keila Garoutte

Charles & Kim Giglio

Sue and Jim Gragg

John and Liz Grimley

Ed and Jenny Halvorsen

Nancy and Fred Hartnett

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Heisley

Jim and Pat Henry

Trecie and Randy Hoff

Lisa and Scott Jackson

Paul and Sissi Jorge

Christina and Ajoy Karna (Caitlin Karna ‘10) (Myles Karna ’12) (Leila Karna ’13)

Belinda and Mike Keeley

Douglas and Katherine Kennealey

Vicky & Doug Lattner

Mr. and Mrs. Mark LeClair

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Liston

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Lovejoy

Marc and Megan Marrocco

Mr. and Mrs. Jorg Mast

Caroline and Wyatt Maxwell

Helen and Brendan McGuire

Jose Menchaca and Celina Garza (Catalina Menchaca ’11) (Jose Menchaca ’11) (Raquel Menchaca ’15)

Robert and Antonia Moran

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Moser

Mr. and Mrs. Alex Nettune

Dr. Jeff and Caroline Nguyen

Dr. and Mrs. Todd Odom

Mr. Alejandro and Ms. Tara Ortiz

Brian and Lisa Parro

Shawn and Greta Preston

Katie and Brian Quinn

Mr. and Mrs. Florentino Ramirez

Jorge and Amy Ramirez

Lee and Angelique Reagor

Robby and Melissa Rieke (Melissa Zaegel Rieke ’82)

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Rodriguez

Neall Rose

Sandy and Max Schulz

Sophia Serrano

Mark and Christina Siepiela

Dr. and Mrs. Matthew Simon

Mr. Nicholas Smith and Mrs. Vera Ogorodnikova

Jen and Dan Spears

Alison and Dan Stump

Marco and Amanda Thornton

Jack Trammell and Suzanne Sprague-Trammell

Kelly and Daniel Turley

Preston and Kristen Whisenant

Mary and Joe Pete Wilbert

CRUSADER – $500-$999

Danielle and Michael Austry

Campbell and Chrissy Bourland

Mr. and Mrs. John Bourret

Bruce and Amy Bowers

Jennifer and Matt Bryarly

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Buchanan

Burnett Family Trust

Regina Burns

Gene & Anna Carver

Mr. and Mrs. Jud Clements

Amy L. Daniels

Jonathan and Kate Dubroc

George and Mary Felix

Brian and Traci Finch

Mr. and Ms. Michael Frazier

Dr. Alfredo Garcia and Mrs. Carmen Fernandez

Juan and Claudia Garza

Mr. and Mrs. Adam Graham

Jorge A. Guerrero and Cecilia Rivera

Mr. Peter and Dr. Kelly Halverson

Mr. and Mrs. Reed Hatfield

Campbell and Meagan Henry

Frank and Nora Hubach (Frank Hubach ’84)

Win and Molly Humphrey

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Jones

Anne and Thomas Knight

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lahart

Stefanie and Doug Lattanzio

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Liberi

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter McGuire

Michael and Jennifer McLochlin

McNulty Family (Molly McNulty ’12) (Caitlin McNulty ’13)

Mr. and Mrs. John Mizerany

Sean and Jennifer O’Brien

Ms. Valerie Omage

Robert Paredes

Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Prater

Noelle and Stephen Schmidt

Filo and Fran Sedillo

Tommy and Mary Kay Shank

Julie and Trem Smith

Mr. Mark Smith and Mrs. Evangelina Ramirez Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Trottier

Diann & Vic VanGrowski

Laura and Philip Villasana

Cliff and Ashley Wade

KJ and Mary Wagner

Mr. and Mrs. Bret Walton

Janis and Peter Wilbert

Ana and Jim Yoder (Peter Yoder ’05) (Cristina Yoder ’06) (Isabel Yoder ’11)

GOLD & RED – (up to $499)

Michael and Christina Alfers

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Balady

Michael and Caroline Baum

Mr. and Mrs. Robbie Bezdek

Walter Bourland

Mr. Richard Bowman

Mr. Doug Box

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Buckner

Frank and Patty Busch

Larry and Fran Butler

Jeff Caguioa and Lauren Phillips

Ms. Jennifer Cicardo

Mr. Joe Cicardo

Robert Core

Ann and Fernando Costa

Jennifer and Brian Dietsch

Charlotte and Kirk Dooley

Ed and Linda Driesse

Maura and Richard Emery (Maura Hubach Emery ’83)

Gloria Erdman

Florence McLeod Ervin

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Field

Mr. and Mrs. Micah Fields

Mr. and Mrs. John Fox (Nicole Lattner Fox ’96)

Tracy and Mike Gottlieb

Mr. David Hairston and Ms. Irma Eristavi

Richard and Donna Hanus

Mr. and Mrs. James Hayden

Dr. Christopher and Dr. Emily Hebert

Barry N. Henry & Lenore M. Sullivan

Tom and Janet Horton

Ms. Trish Judson

Mr. and Mrs. Carl LaBarba

Mr. and Mrs. Jet Leonard

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Llana

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Lott

Jeanie and Wally Lyssy

Albert and Diane Madeley

Mr. and Mrs. Slade Manos

Dr. and Ms. John Mansour

Carol Mazzu

Matt and Melissa Mettry

Donna Mullen

Jean and Jim Neil

Mr. and Mrs. John M. Nelson Jr.

Robert and Jane Nettune

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Paredes

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Parker (Laurie Hymes Parker ’86)

The Saez Family (Andres Saez ’15)

Mr. and Mrs. Derek Sandler

Betsie and Jim Sears

Dr. and Mrs. John J. Stoltenberg

Shelby and Mike Tomaso

Mr. and Mrs. James Tsevoukas

Mr. Billy Underwood III and Mrs. Gina Underwood

Kasi and Brooks Verschoyle

Mrs. Sherilyn Christian-Williams

Bret and Angela Winterle

Mr. Kejin Zhou and Ms. Chengfeng Ling

FACULTY AND STAFF

Ruby Ackerman

Soledad Almerido

Silvana Bacigalupo

Julie Blue

Susan Boeglin

Thomas Burns

Debbie Champion

Jeanne Chavez

Amber Clark

Kasey Dow

Madeline Elliott

Maria Esteves

Amanda Evans

Elizabeth Fritts

Donna Giuliano

Laura Kelly Griffith

Gabby Higgs

Maggie Higgs

Mike Higgs

Valorie Hodgkinson

Ron Hudson

Elizabeth Simmons Jarrett

Carol Jeffers

Rosemary Kohut

Bonnie Larsen

Bill Leicht

Irma Maher

Mary Kate Oeftering Mandel

Mary Melle

Lauren Mooney

Sherrie Negrete

Sherry Nelson

Claire Odom

Erin Ray

Elaine Reimann

Sandra Ronk

Nubia Sanchez Rodriguez

Molly Schroepfer

Selena Short

Erin Silkey

Jeffrey Solomon

Maryfran Utz

Connor Vincent

Diane Wood

Nancy Wrozek

Ashley Young (Ashley Lattner Young ’95)

MATCHING GIFTS

AT&T

Bank of America

CIT Group

Howard Hughes Corporation

Hunt Oil Company

Intelligent Mexican Marketing

MassMutual

The Meadows Foundation

Microsoft Corporation

Oracle America

PNC Bank

Texas Instruments

UBS Financial Services

Wells Fargo

Havana Nights: Mardi Gras Gala 2019 | News Detail Page

Ursuline Academy’s 2019 Mardi Gras “Havana Nights” will be held Saturday, March 2 at Million Air Dallas at Addison Airport. The 29th annual celebration is the premier scholarship fundraising event for Ursuline Academy of Dallas. Honorary Chair of the 2019 Gala is The Diane and Sam K. Smith Family; this year’s Mardi Gras Co-Chairs are Kim Blades Askew ’93, Kelly Moore Cook ’85, and Wells Gibbons Housson ’93.

Ursuline’s Mardi Gras Gala is an essential source of funding for financial need-based scholarships for young women in grades 9-12 who attend the Academy. For the 2018-2019 school year, Ursuline granted approximately $1,300,400 in need-based financial assistance to approximately 20% of the student body as a result of endowment earnings and net proceeds from Mardi Gras events.

Preview the Mardi Gras 2019 event program to view details on the Live and Big Board Auction items.

To make reservations, contact the Ursuline Academy Mardi Gras Office at 214-389-2675. Individual tickets are $175 each. Raffle tickets on a $15,000 gift card are also available for $10 each.

Ursuline Academy is very grateful to all the donors and volunteers who make Mardi Gras a success! The following list includes endowed scholarship donors, underwriters, sponsors and other scholarship donors for Mardi Gras 2019 “Havana Nights”:

$50,000 – $300,000
Susan Wing Oglesby ’65 and Marion B. Oglesby
Susan Irwin Piot ’87 and Jon Piot
Carolyn and Rudy Tovar

$25,000 – $49,999
O. Brad Anderson, Jr., Belinda Grant-Anderson, and Maria Anderson ’17
The David M. Crowley Foundation
Pamela and Mehrdad Moayedi

$10,000 – $24,999
Lisa and Mike Anderson
Allie Morgan Dunklin ’04 and Bill Dunklin
Kara Sherman Gehan ’85 and Peter Gehan
Mary Kay Inc.
Mary De Loache Terry ’73 and Mike Terry

$5,000 – $9,999
Baillargeon Family
Laura and Jerry Braun
Castle Montessori Schools
Shelly and Tom Codd
June Dales
Myriam and Eduardo Diaz
Ann and Barry Drees
Molly and Jeremy Fernandes
The David G. and Mary Fox Family
Jennifer Staubach Gates ’84 and John Gates
Denise and Shawn Gilbert
Belinda and Ben Golding
Jackson Walker
J.P. Morgan
Susan and Frank Kobyluch
Vicky Pitts Lattner ’69 and Doug Lattner
Barb and Gerald Louviere
Chelen and Bill Moore
Public Service Plumbers, Inc./The DiFrancesco Family
Dee Ann Baillargeon Smith ’82 and David Smith
Marianne and Roger Staubach
Mary and Rich Templeton
Ursuline Academy Dads Club

$2,500 – $4,999
Cindy and Kevin Bartholomew
Gina and Michael Elliott
Angie and Andy Fisk
J.M. Haggar, Jr. Family Foundation
Kim and Garrett Hanrahan
Molly and Ron Horner
Wells Gibbons Housson ’93 and Matthew Housson
Legacy Texas
Amy Staubach Mentgen ’95 and Jamie Mentgen
Laura and Scott Moore
Cindy and Chris Pierce
Prosora Technologies
RAS Services
Amy and Scott Scheel
Stewart Organization
TechScape, Inc.
Kathleen Barger Thorson ’88 and Todd Thorson
Mary and Joe Pete Wilbert
Winston & Strawn LLP

$1,000 – $2,499
Molly and James Adams
Kim Blades Askew ’93 and Jeff Askew
Balady Beach Real Estate Team
Mary Lynn and Fred Bangs
Lynn Feather Bell ’82 and Win Bell
Jessica and Jeff Burrow
THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
Kelly Moore Cook ’85 and Peter Cook
ExponentHR
Extreme Studio Performance
Glenn Partners
Ellen and John Grimes
Local Traveler
Maria and Frank Parigi
Mary Walker Sladek ’79 and Bill Sladek
Ursuline Sisters of Dallas

Visit the 2019 Mardi Gras Gala website.

Gareth Hanrahan “Gutter Prayer”

Alhimpunk or For Whom Do the Bells Toll in the Divine City of Gverdon?

From the funny. Goodreads recommends Prayer to those who liked No Hope of Redemption (furthermore, Fletcher seems to have been promoting Prayer in the West), and I just put Fletcher aside to read Hanrahan.

Henrakhan is a game designer and RPG creator.

I’m not a big expert in modern thieves’ low fantasy, as I haven’t gotten to Hulick, Lawrence and Bardugo yet.True, I read Sanderson’s Ashes and Steel.

Characters.

The main characters are colorful. The thief Kari with a difficult past and unusual ability, a young ghoul (aka ghoul in the original) Rats and a gradually stony man Spar, the son of the former head of the Thieves Brotherhood. Thieves, but value friendship.

In addition to the three main characters, there is also a thief catcher Jeri, a local bounty hunter. A very charming and colorful character.

Another main character is the city of Gverdon itself.Bennett’s Divine Cities are discipleship sketches compared to the geography, history and mythology of Gverdon. Urbanism at some transcendental level. Many districts, each with its own attractions, prevailing population, architectural styles and different temples. The author’s website has an inspirational A Guided Walking Tour of Guerdon in eight parts. I would, of course, be the publishers, or simply translate this excursion tour for promotional books, or add right in that, with an afterword or a preface.Easy to write, with jokes and jokes. And very informative.

World.

There are already pistols, effective alchemy has been developed. Steam subway. Thieves Brotherhood. Extensive geography with several countries (despite the fact that the action does not go beyond Gaerdon) and God’s Wars going somewhere far away.

Bestiary.

Wax glands with a candle in the body, analog of golems. Universal guards.

Creepy spindles.

Crawling magicians, consisting of a swarm of worms. Bird-people – “cormorants”. Cholera Knight.

In general, the world and the creatures inhabiting it are so strange that the genre of the novel is slowly drifting from the grimdark towards the weird Mieville.

Yes, what about the grimdark? The characters swear, the ghouls devour carrion to disgust. Sex violence and torture porn have not been noticed.

Moreover, the intonation of the novel at times almost falls into, not by nightfall, be remembered, young adult.

It is curious that even in the conditional Middle Ages there is a “garbage island” where waste of alchemist weapons is brought and where the poor sort out suitable fragments and rubbish. This nuance stretches the thread to the “Garbage Surf” of Qiufan. Qiufan, by the way, is also from IT. Coincidence? I do not think.

Plot.

Everything is logical and, at the same time, not primitive. I haven’t met a more whimsical, twisty and at the same time reasonable plot in fantasy for a very long time. The goals and objectives of the characters change under the influence of external causes; the characters themselves, scary to say, evolve.The antipode of quest straightforwardness. For the last hundred pages, the plot acquires such dynamism and twist that it becomes physically difficult to follow it.

What is the novel about?

Let’s give the floor to the author.

First, the author jokingly replies:

“Oh,” I say, “it’s a sort of steampunky fantasy novel, only there’s no steam. It’s alchemy and stuff. ”

“Oh, this is like a science fiction novel in the genre of steamsun, but no steam. There’s alchemy and everything.”

Then he notes that the definition is accurate, but it’s like saying that “The Lord of the Rings is about trees.”

Then he formulates for a long time and gives out a polished synopsis of the novel:

“It’s about three thieves – a woman who ran away, but doesn’t know what she’s running from. A dying man who wants to leave a monument behind. A cynic who’ll survive at any cost. And what happens when they’re given a weapon they don’t understand and can’t control. ”

“A novel about three thieves.About a girl running away, but not knowing what she is running from. About a dying guy who wants to leave behind a monument. About a cynic who survives at any cost. And about what will happen when they receive a weapon, the essence of which they do not understand and cannot control. ”

Exhaustive. I would also add about the city.

It’s dark, but not makeup. A tightly knit, dynamic and thoughtful novel. I’m already waiting for the second volume !!!

9 (EXCELLENT)

Gareth Hanrahan “Saint from the Shadows” | Books, Book Reviews

Six months have passed since the Crisis, when the power of the guild of alchemists fell in Gverdon.On the site of their laboratories, a New City arose, and the power was divided by the formal ruler Effro Kelkin, along with the council and the Church of the Guardians. In the meantime, Gverdon is teeming with spies who with might and main are preparing a springboard for a future battle. After all, the insane War of God will sooner or later come to the city …

The first part of the cycle, “Prayer from the Gutter”, was scolded for poorly written, albeit bright characters. But the elaborate setting with a ton of exotic details, on the contrary, was praised. This is not surprising, since the author has more than fifteen years of experience as a game designer for tabletop role-playing games.And we have to admit that “Saint from the Shadows” is definitely a step forward compared to the previous novel.

If in the center of the first volume were heroic (and not so) adventures, then in the second the reader, together with the characters, unravels the tangle of intrigues. In the book, there are a dozen parties with their own interests, and almost all Hanrahan confront each other in one way or another: they enter into unexpected alliances, get rid of supporters, manipulate, betray, and sometimes even commit noble deeds.

Key characters came out much more interesting.Maybe they still lack depth, but it’s a pleasure to watch, say, an Ishmir spy, who over and over again changes disguises and mode of action. Is he “his”? Is he a “stranger”? Does he help or harm? Old acquaintances also appear, albeit not in the foreground. Observing how they have changed after the events of the first volume, I just want to wipe away a tear: “Oh, children, how fast they grow! »

Two out of three storylines are assigned to characters outside of Gverdon, which helps Hanrahan finally show new cultures and give the setting a scale: now there is no longer the feeling that the world is limited by the walls of the city.True, the author does not have time to really introduce us to these cultures (the case when the glossary at the end of the book would not hurt). For example, the power in Hite is based on three structures – and this plays a huge role in the plot, but we only find out about this closer to the middle. And what a role dragons will play! ..

The increased scope allows both to delve into old topics and raise new ones. For example, the theme of religion and faith, only outlined in the “Prayer”, has received significant development. The powerful mad gods have drawn almost the entire world into their struggle.They call some mortals saints and endow with supernatural powers, while others, of whom the majority, are thrown into the millstones of war. The gods in this world are practically impossible to destroy, and their influence on people can be compared to the influence of almost any real ideology: the harder you hit on fanaticism, the less human remains in you. At the same time, the eternal conflict of the new and the old follows from the conflict of different religions. Gods are a relic of the past, from which it is worth getting rid of: let people themselves divide the world into parts, without the interference of these “spiritual tapeworms”.In this way, Hanrahan’s novel is very reminiscent of Bennett’s Divine Cities.

Alas, some shortcomings of “Prayer” have migrated to the sequel. The narrative again jumps too briskly between the characters, and since there are so many more, this creates some confusion. And the writer still abuses the technique when, within the framework of one scene, the past tense is replaced by the present and vice versa. In a number of episodes, this really increases the intensity, but it often seems excessive.

In an interview with the F (r) iction portal, the writer said that the first volume was created as an independent novel, but the publisher, when concluding a contract, offered to write a sequel.Hanrahan was glad that he left some ambiguity at the end of the first book, which helped develop the plot in the second. Writing a sequel was easier for him, since Hanrahan was used to working under a contract: with clear deadlines and certainty of payment. As a result, when the first volume came out, the second was about 90% ready.

– What nonsense. – Eladora stood up. – The so-called gods are self-sustaining magical structures that are nourished by the energy of the rituals carried out and the sediment of the souls of believers. They are… ethereal swirls, parasitic spells.Nothing more than spiritual tapeworms! – This dispute Eladora imagined a thousand times, as soon as she entered the university and began to study with Professor Ongent. Now she was hurling words at her mother. – I will not give myself to such creatures. I will not prostrate before them or indulge them … ritual delirium!

Gutter Prayer is a fantasy epic fantasy novel. Or, as my friend Ken summed it up, “an urban alchemy-punk fantasy novel about a thieves guild.” The book tells about three rogues who were betrayed by the master of their Guild.Now they use their newly discovered gift to hear the voices of the city bells and get revenge. At least, this is the starting point of the plot – in the future, the story expands, and in it there are possible apocalypses, lost gods, intrigue and deadly wax golems.

There are many crazy gods. The exact origin of the madness is unclear, but it is a kind of viral idea or infection. In the world of Prayer from the Gutter, the gods cannot die – but they can be destroyed to a state of near non-existence. They are not truly intelligent – they are more like magical thought patterns and goals that people can tap into. The War of the Gods is another pattern that reminds each of them that there are other gods, and that their patterns are incompatible.

Partly [I chose the present tense] because I was going to devote a significant portion of the book to the city’s past, and I needed to compare these deep dives into the history and archeology of Gverdon with what is happening now.Partly because it was convenient. In the prologue, for example, there is a second person, which is usual for the host of tabletop role-playing games – “you go down into the dungeon, and you see a dragon …”

I did not do any research for the book itself – rather, the book came out of the discarded bits of research that I did for other projects. For example, ten years ago I wrote a very, very early version of the bestiary oil seals, and the idea of wax horror stuck in the subcortex of my brain. Over the following years, enough material has accumulated there, and in the end the ceiling sags under its weight […]
“Where you get your ideas from” is far less important than “how you keep your ideas in check.”

I’ve played Dishonored for a few hours, which is obviously pretty similar. Played Thief for many hours. Board RPGs had more influence: Call of Cthulhu and Cthulhu with their elements of Lovecraftian surroundings, Saints – something like avatars from Unknown Armies, monsters from D&D, rogues and necromancers from Blades in the Dark. Oh, and the original UK House of Cards was a powerful influence.And, of course, Alan Moore’s comics “From Hell” and “V for Vendetta.” Not movies.

Obviously, experience with role-playing games influenced Hanrahan’s approach to writing. There are many areas of overlap in novel writing and adventure campaigns, and some of the skills are already well developed. First of all, this concerns the description and secondary characters, as well as the construction of the world. The difference lies in the fact that for the game you need to prepare as many story paths as possible so that players can make their own choices and get a unique experience.When it comes to a novel, the author must independently choose and build the most dramatic and convincing path.

Inspiration is mainly about banging stones together and looking for a spark, so you need a lot of stones.Especially in fantasy books, you can add all sorts of weird sides and quirks to your story without knowing how they’ll fit into it later. Often times, you solve plot problems by taking something that you initially thought was an insignificant detail of the entourage, developing it into a full-fledged plot element. But you need this entourage detail to begin with. So don’t be afraid to throw rocks around in your first sketches.

You are standing on a rocky hillock, dug by tunnels, like all the hills here, and you look at Gverdon from a height.The heart of the old city is in front of you – its palaces, churches and towers stretch upward, like the hands of a drowning man, striving to escape from the dense maze of streets and shacks that have sown them. Gverdon was always at odds with himself. The city was built on top of its previous incarnations, while rejecting them, trying to hide the mistakes of the past and show the world a new face. In the harbor dotted with skerries, which is covered by two long spits, ships of travelers and merchants from all over the world flutter. Some of them will settle here and merge with the eternal, immutable Gverdon.

Someone will come here, not traveling, but fleeing. Here you stand now as a visible evidence of the freedom that Gverdon promises: freedom of faith, freedom from oppression and hatred. However, this freedom is conditional, fickle, at one time the city gave power to tyrants, and fanatics, and real monsters – and you participated in this – however, under its exorbitant weight, the weight of the past and myriads of inhabitants, it again slipped under the cover familiar, cozy corruption, where everything is allowed, if you have money.

Someone will come here to conquer and conquer. Those are attracted by wealth. After one such feud, you were born, in honor of the winner. It happens that the winners stay here, and the urban culture – sown and ascended – slowly absorbs them. And it happens that they gather with the remnants of their strength and move on, and Gverdon again sprouts upward from rubble and ash, implanting its web of new scars into the flesh.

You know all this, as well as many others that cannot be said aloud. For example, that two oil seals are now on duty, to the west of you, and they move with unearthly speed and grace inherent in their family.The flame dancing inside their heads illuminates a bas-relief on your side – the stone immortalized the faces of the deceased judges and statesmen, although their bodies have long disappeared in the corpse mines. The oil seals swivel back and forth, then turn right onto Compassion Street, past your gate under the bell tower.

And in the interval between these guards, three thieves crept up to you in the shadows. The first one jumps out of the dark alley and climbs your wall.Hands in rags and rags with inhuman speed find recesses for support in the crumbling stone of your western side. A thief sweeps across the low rooftop and hides among the gargoyle statues as the second oil seal patrol walks past. Even if they lift up their flickering fiery eyes, they will not see anything wrong.

Back to the edge of the roof. Salnikov gives out the light – they are now far, at the bottom of the street, and the thief throws off the end of the rope. Another robber emerges from the same alley and climbs up. It’s a girl. The ghoul pulls, choosing a rope, catches it by the hand and drags it away from prying eyes, until there is another detour.As soon as she touches your walls, you understand that she is in the city for the first time – she is a wanderer, a fugitive. You have not seen her before, but with the touch, a shiver of anger runs through you, as if you were able to share her feelings.

They and the ghoul disappear behind the door, rush along your corridors, past the rows of offices, and then down the side stairs to the first floor. There are more guards inside, and they are human – but the guards are posted to the vaults on the north side, under the main tower. Here, in the den of papers and records, they are not – the two robbers were never noticed while they were descending.Here they come to one of the side doors: for scribes and secretaries on weekdays. That door is locked – and barred, and the bolts are pushed in, but the girl manages to unlock the lock, and the ghoul is using the bolts. The door is already unlocked, but they won’t open it. The girl clung to the keyhole and watches, waiting for the oil seals to go through again. Her hand probes her throat as if searching for a familiar necklace, but her neck is bare. The girl grins angrily, and you are bored with her outburst of anger over this robbery.

Now that he stomps down the street at the fastest pace he can, you can see why they needed to break open the first floor door. The third in their group is the stone man.Do you remember when this disease – or curse – took root in the city. Do you remember the panic, the squabbles about deportations to the camp, about the quarantine. Alchemists found a suitable remedy in time, and a full-scale epidemic was averted. But in the city there are still foci, areas of the disease – and settlements of sick sufferers. If you do not recognize the first signs of infection in time, you will get such a scarecrow that now makes its way to your doorstep – a person whose flesh and bone gradually turn to stone.Those infected with this dirty trick become immensely strong, only any wear and tear of the body, any wound accelerates, spurs their calcification. The internal organs are affected by the latter, so that by the end they are living statues, unable to walk or see, forever chained to their place. They breathe with difficulty and save life only thanks to the mercy of others.

A spy ascends to heaven by a ladder of fire. The foot of the stairs tramples the battlefield where the valiantly fallen lie, entwined with the bodies of their enemies. Black specks crawl down the field below. The priests, the bone collectors, sort the corpses, picking the severed heads and limbs to the bodies before sending the funeral rites.The bodies of the slain enemies will be divided by the pantheon of victors, in our time all the gods are scavengers. The old prohibitions were no longer respected, not now that every part of the soul is needed to continue fighting.

According to the foundations of the Righteous Kingdom of Ishmira, the souls of the valiantly fallen have to climb this ladder to paradise. Each step completely burns out one sin, one weakness, until the spirit is cleansed worthy of the holy abode of the goddess. This rule was also not observed now – the stairs curled like a funnel over the battle, greedily sucking in any soul dedicated to the goddess.

The height had a triple significance. Here stood the spiritual fortress of the gods Mattaura, where the eyeless priestesses gathered to worship their afterlife deity.On this hill it was possible to escape from the miraculous flood sent by the pantheon of Ishmira. And, most importantly, the spy examined the remains of an artillery firing position there. Alchemy cannons purchased at a fabulous price from the foundries in the city of Gverdon. As the battle progressed, these weapons nearly … well, the “turned the tide” metaphor is not appropriate for a battle where one side has long dominated the sea, but Ishmir’s armies have suffered terrible losses from alchemical weapons. The saints died in agony, their bones turned to lead, and poisonous gas dried up their lungs.Until now, non-flooded phlogiston was burning in the field.

Gods and people are mixed here.The naval forces set up a command post and pitched tents in the middle of the Heroes’ Court. Young officers in stylish uniforms rush to and fro, ignoring the legendary warriors of the past. Two famous demigods – one with the head of a snake, the other – birds – block the path of the spy. That is Sammet and the Cruel Urid, the guardians of the heavenly gates. The blade of Sammet is imbued with an incredibly saturated poison, one drop can kill a hundred people; a dozen elephants are ready to impale with one throw with Urid’s spear.

The spy notices how tightly the lieutenant’s hand is gripping the canvas curtain. There was definitely something between these military men.They are also too young for their titles – God’s war turned children into soldiers. The curtain falls. It is getting completely dark in the tent, but the spy can see how Captain Isigi neatly folds his tunic and uniform into a chair. Then, shuddering in advance, she takes the heart from the dish and bites into it.

At this moment of timelessness, the spy is unaware of anything other than the overwhelming presence of the goddess . He is now one with her in any battle, from the charred fields below to each of the wars around the world, from the present time to the first time someone lifted a stone and blew out the brains of their foe.He is one with her in all the oceans where the Ishmir fleet sails. Together with her in heaven, where the valiantly fallen gather under her banner and she absorbs their forces in order to perform miracles in the future – and in the future to win. There is no end to conquest, any victory deepens her power – and her greed.

However, the folder is still a folder. Isigi – or is this dual entity more Pesh than Isigi? – takes it, pulls out a claw and cuts the metal seal. The spy winced at the grace of the movement, knowing that those same claws had recently plowed half-mile ditches on the slope below them. Isigi goes through the papers, examines them silently.The tent is echoing with divine breath with the smell of meat and sandalwood.

Avoiding thinking about the inevitable, the spy wondered how many times Isigi had escorted the goddess into our world. Not much, he guessed — the scars were still fresh. The gods are harsh with the saints. One day, too little of Isiga will be left to return to mortal form. He almost sympathized with the young officer for bringing him here. The guy yielded to his beloved in the arms of the goddess, and there is no easy way to break such ties.

I haven’t gotten such a high from fantasy for a long time. This is a dynamic, lively and dark story, where the heroes are not grotesquely cute chosen young ladies and princes, but quite alive, ragged and embittered creatures. The trinity of friends on the “leading roles”: Kari – a girl without a home, whom fate nailed to the Thieves Brotherhood, Rats – a ghoul who, before shaking hands with a friend, will present how he opens his throat, Spar – a person who was born among thieves and retained in his soul Robingood motives, however, the disease slowly but surely turns him into a living stone.

But the city … The city here is not just a pale decoration – it is the main and full-fledged participant in events, the first whom the reader meets on the pages.An alchemical fog teeming with ghouls and rats swirls in it, in which you should not walk at night without a knife, and in the daytime, in fact, you should not … In this city you can meet the most terrible creatures from nightmares: here the leader of the thieves guild is thrown into cards with a creature, behind whose immovable mask worms swarm, and in the other side the shapeless shadow of ancient deities reels ribbons of caught flesh … alchemical experiments, which were poured into molds and lit a wick inside, and now it does not matter at all who they were before, they are ready to swing an ax while there is even a drop of wax on them.