"Enthralling...gritty, down-to-earth. The best new fantasy I've read in years."-Maggie Furey
"Action fantasy at its best"-SFX
"Barclay...has a great eye for action....A scorching debut."-Time Out
"Full of magic and adventure and immensely enjoyable from start to finish."-John Marco
Six men and an elf make up The Raven, swords for hire in the wars that have torn apart the land of Balaia. For years, they have remained loyal only to themselves and their code. But a secret mission has changed that, and drawn them into a new world of politics and ancient mysteries. Now the band has chosen to fight for the Dark College of Magic. They want the location of Dawnthief, a spell to end the world-a spell The Raven intends to cast...
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
James Barclay is 36. He works in marketing as a copywriter. He also holds an equity card. This is his first novel.
Barclay's hefty novel launches the Chronicles of the Raven, but be of good cheer, for it injects some originality into the traditional fantasy saga recipe. The Raven is a band of six humans and one elf in the war-torn kingdom of Balaia, which Barclay fills with the fruits of his considerable knowledge of military history and folklore. The comrades are no nicer than fellows loyal to one another and no one else need be, and their latest commission is a poser for them. They are to escort a Xeteskian mage, who is working for only the gods know whom, on a mission to find Dawnthief, a ring, or more precisely, a spell connected to a ring, that in the wrong hands could end the world. The mission is backed and supervised by the Dark College, which is even more untrustworthy than the mage. So matters rapidly deteriorate, to a cliffhanger ending. The narrative may be jumbled, but Barclay builds a world and peoples it intelligently. Roland Green
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Raven have fought together for years, six men carving out a living as swords for hire in the war that have torn Balaia apart, loyal only to themselves and their code. But when they agree to escort a Xesteskian mage on a secret mission they are pulled into a world of politics and ancients secrets. For the first time the Raven cannot even trust their own strength and prowess, for the first time their code is in doubt. How is it that they are fighting for one of the most evil colleges of magic known? Searching for the secret location of Dawnthief; a spell that could end the world? Aiming not to destroy it but to cast it. All at the behest of a man, cloaked by deceit, with a demon as a familiar and a wild story of a threat so old it has passed into folklore. DAWNTHIEF is an epic based on a band of all too human heroes. It crosses a fantasy world bought alive by realistic politics and terrifying magic. A world riven by war facing a nemesis it could never imagine. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR011513357
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Trade Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Stock Photos! We photograph every item. light edge wear, small remainder mark on bottom page ends; The Raven have fought together for years, six men carving out a living as swords for hire in the war that have torn Balaia apart, loyal only to themselves and their code. But when they agree to escort a Xesteskian mage on a secret mission they are pulled into a world of politics and ancients secrets. For the first time the Raven cannot even trust their own strength and prowess, for the first time their code is in doubt. How is it that they are fighting for one of the most evil colleges of magic known? Searching for the secret location of Dawnthief; a spell that could end the world? Aiming not to destroy it but to cast it. All at the behest of a man, cloaked by deceit, with a demon as a familiar and a wild story of a threat so old it has passed into folklore. DAWNTHIEF is an epic based on a band of all too human heroes. It crosses a fantasy world bought alive by realistic politics and terrifying magic. A world riven by war facing a nemesis it could never imagine. Seller Inventory # 041284
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Fred Gambino (illustrator). London: Gollancz:, 1999. First edition, TPBO, Trade paperback, Fine, 416 pp. Cover artwork by: Fred Gambino Pages very lightly toned at extremities. First edition, TPBO, Trade paperback, Fine, Seller Inventory # 60423
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