The Estorean Conquord has stood for 850 years. Its Advocate, Herine Del Aglios, knows that she presides over the greatest civilisation in history. But she wants more. And in Estorea's recently conquered territories dissent is brewing. Forced to fight old friends and neighbours in the cause of the ever-growing Conquord, they face brutal choices and savage demands for money and men to be fed into Estorea's wars - demands made by Paul Jhered, head of the Gatherers and the iron hand of the Advocate, With Jhered by her side, Herine believes that nothing can go wrong. Until a disastrous and bloody reversal in the war to overrun the Kingdom of Tsard puts Estorea's armies on the back foot and has Tsardon troops flooding into the Conquord. As the empire trembles, far from the war four unique children are discovering their powers. They are the first true Ascendants, in touch with the elements, able to shape the world. An empire descending into war is about to discover the wonder and terror of magic ...James Barclay's new series is a triumph of epic plotting and heart-stopping action.
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"The large scale battles are detailed and exhilarating. Cry of the Newborn is a satisyingly self-contained fantasy blockbuster. set against a more thoughtful, realistic background." -- David Langford SFX "A novel of staggering scope and skilfull storytelling. The Cry of the Newborn is a massive and epic work and looks likely to (deservedly) cement Barclay's place amongst the UK's very best fantasy storytellers." -- John Berlyne SF REVU
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
James Barclay is in his fourties and lives in Teddington with his wife. He is a full-time writer.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Sprawling Epic,
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This review is from: Cry of the Newborn (Ascendants of Estorea 1) (Paperback)
James Barclay's Cry of the Newborn is very much the epitome of Epic Fantasy. Known for his Raven series, James Barclay remains a bit of an unknown here in the States and I can't for the life of me imagine why. In recent years the overall trend of the fantasy genre has drifted toward the brutal, character driven personal conflicts of sword and sorcery. While Cry of the Newborn may lack some of the descriptive gore and intense moral ambiguity of George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie, it has depth of character and expansive world building in spades. Cry of the Newborn fits neatly into its own niche as a novel about imperialism, duty, and the emergence of magic in an otherwise natural world.Cry of the Newborn covers a fifteen year period of time, from the birth of the first magical beings in the world all the way till the end of a war between the Estorean Conquord and the Kingdom of Tsard. Along this arc, readers experience the highs and lows of imperial administration and politics, thrilling military victories and crushing defeats, as well as the growth and development of four very special children. This novel is epic in scope, encompassing a much larger world and series of events than Barclay's Raven series. There is a diverse cast of characters that provide an intense emotional perspective from varying levels. Readers will follow Herine del Aglios as she administers to the challenges of an empire 850 years old. You will be introduced to Exchequer Paul Jhered and the levium, perhaps the coolest tax collectors in the history of debt. The biggest pleasure I took from reading Cry of the Newborn, however, was watching the four Ascendants mature. The Ascendants are the first generation of humans with the magical ability to influence the elements of nature. Through trials and tribulations it is easy to nurture a love for these four gifted children and Barclay does a fantastic job in breathing life into each. Though very childish in most respects the children tend to also be quite wise in others. The only other book I can think of that so successfully portrayed exceptionally talented children is Orson Scott Card's classic, Ender's Game. Many comparisons can be drawn, as the Ascendants explore their magical abilities while learning the importance of duty and the bonds of friendship. Though the birth of the Ascendants remains a pivotal feature of the novel the real focus is the conflict between the Estorean Conquord and the Kingdom of Tsard. Barclay writes masterfully crafted battles, be they maneuvers across open ground, naval combat, or towards the very end a pulse pounding hundred page siege defense. Barclay seems to have a better grasp on military strategy and tactics than many fiction writers and each clash between opposing forces carries risk. Rather than the standard "charge the enemy" or "fight till the last man" scenario, Barclay weaves multi-layered battles composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Later on the inclusion of magic opens a whole new realm of possibilities but never does the use of magic seem overpowered. Cry of the Newborn does not glorify warfare but it does instill a sense of martial pride. Cry of the Newborn is much lighter in tone than a lot of modern fantasy. Granted, there are moments of desperation and horror as well as a graphic and chilling rape scene but for the majority the characters of Cry of the Newborn come across as decent folk fighting for what they believe in. As much as I love Martin and Abercrombie I found it extremely refreshing to have a cast of characters that weren't just varying shades of black morality. Though this novel wraps up rather nicely these are one or two plot strands that are not resolved and therefor continue on with the sequel Shout for the Dead. Which I will be ordering the moment after this review wraps up.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent, under apreciated series,
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This review is from: Cry of the Newborn (Ascendants of Estorea 1) (Paperback)
Cry of the Ascendants of Estorea volumes 1 & 2 is an excellent, under appreciated series. Reminds me of Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of Fallen series albeit in a much smaller scale. Get this while you still can.
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