First work originally published: New York : TOR, 1993. Second work originally published: New York : Avon Eos, c1998.

In "The Element of Fire," scientific magic and fairy magic collide headlong in the threatened kingdom of Ile-Rien, where the Captain of the Queen's Guard fights a perilous battle standing between opposing forces seeking to topple the kingdom's weak king;and in "The Death of the Necromancer," bent on avenging the execution of his godfather by a duplicitous count, master criminal Nicholas is diverted by a series of eerie events that forces him to confront an ancient evil.

Collecting Martha Wells' Element of Fire and Death of the Necromancer for the first time in one place, in a new and revised edition! From the author of Witch King and the Murderbot Diaries: Both novels included in this volume have been revised and updated. These are the author's preferred texts. The Element of Fire The kingdom of Ile-Rien lies in peril, menaced by sorcerous threats and devious intrigue, when Kade, bastard sister of King Roland, appears unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true desires are cloaked in mystery. It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard, to keep the kingdom from harm. But is one man's steel enough to counter all the magic of fayre? The Death of the Necromancer Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman and the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien. On the gaslit streets of the city, Nicholas assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for a long-pursued vengeance. But Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, and fatal events. A dark magic opposes him, and traces of a necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries abound. Nicholas and his compatriots find themselves battling an ancient evil. And if they lose? Death would be preferable to the fate that awaits them....--,Provided by publisher.