Elfsorrow: Legends of the Raven (GollanczF.) [Paperback]

The latest of James Barclay's series about the Raven mercenary company, Elfsorrow handily picks up on various loose ends. The war between the Colleges of Magic has ever more terrible consequences--the mages of Xetesk steal magic from a remote temple triggering a curse that will exterminate all elves. The Raven mage Erienne is racked with guilt over her failure to save her daughter and her possession of the vast magical power that burned her daughter out. The witch-hunters of the Black Wing are busy exploiting the situation and recruiting dispossessed farmers for a massive pogrom of magic workers. Barclay's work is always at its best when conveying a sense of urgency and of people caught up between bad choices; he is also not frightened of killing his characters off, which means that the sense of jeopardy here is real. We know, by now, that the Raven is more than individual vulnerable warriors--it is a way of life and a commitment to muddling through to righteousness. Barclay has many of the faults of pulp fantasy--his dialogue is unmemorable and his characterisation perfunctory--but his well-paced tales have both emotional force and a sense of being about things that matter. --Roz Kaveney

Large space colour advertising in The Guardian reaching 1.5 million people. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Another action-packed adventure from the new master of fantasy. The Raven travel to a new continent in search of mages to help the ruined college of Julatsa rebuild . . . and find themselves in the midst of ancient curse - a curse that has unleashed a plague that threatens to wipe out the elven race. Barclay excels with another tale that pitches The Raven against the clock and unseen foes. Full of desperate fights and secret betrayals, the story also fills in more of Balaia's history and delves deeper into the ancient emnities between the colleges. Barclay has created a wonderfully appealing group of heroes and with every book their history grows and the land they live in becomes wider and richer. This is landmark fantasy in the making.

Legends of the Raven: One

THE ELVES ARE DYING

The rivalry between the four colleges of magic has brought misery and war to Balaia, and throughout it the Elves have remained apart. They have watched, aloof and untouched, from their homeland of Calaius as human dynasties came and went. Until now. Suddenly, the Elves are dying in their thousands, seemingly struck down at random.

Ilkar, an Elven mage, is uniquely placed to find the cause of this plague and put an end to it. For Ilkar is one of The Raven: a tiny mercenary band of warriors and mages, bound together by a vow stronger than blood. Over many years their prowess has become legendary. But like elves, even heroes are mortal . . .

'A page-turning romp with engaging characters and bags of, often brutal, action. It is story telling at its very best: excellent entertainment' VECTOR

'Truly excellent heroic fantasy'

SFSITE.COM

www.jamesbarclay.com

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Trained as an actor James Barclay now works in the city as an advertising manager. Born in 1965 in Suffolk he went to Sheffield City Polytechnic to study Electrical Engineering but quickly realised his mistake and switched to communications studies. He then moved to London where he lives now.