An apocalyptic spell has been cast, an ancient evil banished. Now the land of Balaia, still driven by war, must live with the consequences. The Dawnthief spell - designed to destroy the world, but cast to save it - has torn a hole in the sky, a pathway into the dragon dimension, and, through it, unfriendly eyes are turning to Balaia. With war already sweeping the land, there are no armies to send against the dragons. All that stands between Balaia and complete dominion by these tyrannous beasts is a tiny, but legendary band of mercenaries: The Raven. And if they fail, Balaia will fall beneath the wings of countless dragons.
Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven 2)
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As the mercenary band the Raven and their mage and mundane allies continue their wartime trials (begun in 2009's Dawnthief), yesterday's solution becomes today's problem. After banishing the Wytch Lords with the Dawnthief spell, the Raven realize they've ripped a hole in their dimension. They must piece together clues left by dimension-traveler Septern in the eastern lands before enemy dragons destroy them all. Meanwhile, the barbarian Wesmen's invasion of the eastern lands still rages. Individual voices stand out, though the action cuts back and forth among battles on land and in air, sieges, arcane rituals and quiet conversations of longtime companions. Despite RPG-style dialogue and fantasy standards like supercilious elves and imperious dragons, Barclay's novel arcana, such as a cadre of warriors with shared souls, are mostly enough to keep readers intrigued. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Multiple plots are detailed and woven together in an incredible fashion. The story yanked us along and we loved every minute of it--all the way up to, and including, the satisfying conclusion. At this time we would like to remind you all that this is, in fact, the second book of a trilogy. So let us repeat this. There is a satisfying conclusion. Let there be much rejoicing in the land!...In Noonshade, we are given everything that made Dawnthief incredible, with added layers of detail of the world and its characters. We are positively thrilled that we finally have these novels here in the US! Seriously, if Barclay's next novels continue to be this enjoyable, we may have found the guy that tops our Heroic Fantasy list of favorite authors. Noonshade bears a cover-quote from the late and great David Gemmell. It is one of the few novels that actually deserves those words of praise from the Legend." -- Elitist Book Review, November 6, 2009
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No "Middle Book Slump" here.,
By
This review is from: Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven 2) (Paperback)
As ever, no spoilers.
The story of NOONSHADE picks up literally minutes after the first book, DAWNTHIEF, ends and throws us right back into the exploits of the mercenary band, The Raven. In the first few pages we are given a brief, "Hey, look! There's a freaking-huge hole in the sky as a consequence for saving the world in a dangerous way in the last book" summary. Then, BAM! We get right into the events of the current book. Salvation brings its own can-of-worms in this novel. Actually it isn't a can of worms, so much, as a rift in the sky through which all manner of destruction is manifest. By, "all manner of destruction" I mean interdimensional dragons that want nothing more than to obliterate everything, and kick your dog. Twice. Yes I know what you are thinking. It's not an entirely unique premise, and if it sounds familiar, it should. The creation of new problems by the method of solving the old is a well-used mechanism for fantasy stories. However Barclay takes this trope and does it right (unlike Terry Goodkind...you know what I mean). Hold on, you say? Dragons? Yes well, let's address that. One of the first things that hit me while reading NOONSHADE, was that within the first few pages there are elves and a dragon (actually more than one), and they weren't obtrusive in the slightest. In fact they are really cool. A very good friend of mine--you may have heard of him--Brandon Sanderson, once wrote an article entitled "Kill the Elves." While Dark Fantasy (AKA Gritty or 'Realistic' Fantasy) is certainly trendy right now, it has been around for decades, though previouslyit was overshadowed by the more traditional High Fantasy. You know, the fantasy we all grew up with that had Dwarves, Elves, Mages, dragons, etc. Well, back to the point at hand... In the "Kill the Elves" article Brandon Sanderson talks about how the time of these fantasy tropes has passed, and the genre is in search of the new successor to the throne. I agree with him, and not just because he is my friend. However, James Barclay shows us in his Chronicles of The Raven series that perhaps Brandon's depiction of the death of the elves is not always correct. For me to be saying this, it means that Barclay's elves were done very well. It's not about their pointy ears, or arrogant attitudes, or even their ubiquitous racism. They are characters just like everyone else. This leads us to perhaps the most important part of the review. While completely full of action, (seriously, I was well-sated on the action aspect of this novel.) James didn't forget that Fantasy stories are about the characters and character growth. The emotions, ambitions, concerns, and thoughts of each of the characters were as tangible to me as the book in my hands. As readers, we know and understand what each of the characters are feeling. No small accomplishment in a book with dragons, eh? Oh, speaking of dragons--as if making elves cool again wasn't enough--James does it with the dragons who are strong characters themselves! Multiple plots are detailed and woven together in an incredible fashion. The story yanked me along, and I loved every page of the story...all the way up to, and including, the satisfying conclusion. Remember, this IS the second book of a trilogy. So let me repeat this: There is a satisfying conclusion. Awesome. Typically when you read the middle novel of any series (especially trilogies), the first half of the book is telling you what happened in book 1 while the last half tells you what will be important in book 3. It gets real old, real quick, and I figure that is why many authors are getting away from traditional trilogy set-ups. You know why Barclay is swiftly becoming one of my favorite authors? His novel doesn't suffer "middle-book syndrome." It doesn't have a stand-alone feel by any means, but it certainly doesn't ride on the coat-tails of its predecessor and the promise of its successor. I'll admit that I was worried about how this book would read. Would the style get old? Would NOONSHADE suffer the 2nd Book Slump? The answer to all those questions is a resounding, "No!" In NOONSHADE, we are given everything that made DAWNTHIEF incredible, with added layers of detail of the world and its characters. I'm positively thrilled that these novels are finally here in the US! Whatever it is that draws us all to stories about the exploits of mercenary bands, James Barclay knows what it is. This is a group of mercenaries that I don't see myself getting tiring of. Recommended Age: 16 and up. Language: Nothing explicit. Violence: This book is action packed. With swordplay aplenty, this is a definite yes. Sex: Nothing of note.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
super sword and sorcery fantasy.,
This review is from: Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven 2) (Paperback)
The Raven mercenary band has no time to celebrate the victory over the Wytch Lords, who they banished with the DAWNTHIEF spell. Instead they have learned the spell tore a hole in the dimensional walls.
Deadly dragons have started to cause havoc so the Raven team must find answers fast to close the hole and destroy those creatures that have entered through the gap. Dimensional traveler Septern has left hints how to fix the growing gulf so the Raven seeks him at the same time the Wesmen barbarian horde invade the eastern lands on the ground while the dragons assault both sides from the sky. There is plenty of action, both mundane and arcane, as NOONSHADE with its fantastic spin from DAWNTHIEF is a super fantasy. The sword and sorcery story line is fast-paced from the onset, but the key to James Barclay's strong tale is the cast. The Raven team comes across as individuals instead of a Borg like collective though they fight as one. Although the villains are stereotypical of the genre, fans will enjoy this terrific thriller as the Raven learns the lesson of unintended consequences. Harriet Klausner
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Read,
By SoCalMom (Lakewood, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven 2) (Paperback)
This was an absolutely wonderful follow up to Dawnthief. It's filled with plenty of fast paced, steel flying, blood spewing, magic slinging battles to keep the pages turning.
I wanted to give this book five stars, but I could only give it four. While The Raven are the central point in the story, I found the other characters and their situations much more interesting: The Barrons Greese and Blackthorne; Stillian and the Protectors; General Darrick; and the Wesman Army. Don't get me wrong, I love the Raven mercenaries. It's a great story line, but they just seemed to take a back seat on this one for me. But all in all, it was a damn good read. Two thumbs up!
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