Packed with all the spell-chucking, city-smashing, limb-hewing violence you could want. -SFX . . . an excellent capstone to a superb series of books. Barclay continues the fast-paced adventure and adds some great conflicting scenes of the Raven. Its not what Barclays characters say to each other, but rather, what they dont say and is understood through sheer knowledg Packed with all the spell-chucking, city-smashing, limb-hewing violence you could want. -SFX . . . an excellent capstone to a superb series of books. Barclay continues the fast-paced adventure and adds some great conflicting scenes of the Raven. Its not what Barclays characters say to each other, but rather, what they dont say and is understood through sheer knowledge of each other. Simple exchanges between Hirad and the Unknown or Hirad and Denser truly make the characters interactions superb. Nigthchild is a satisfying conclusion to this initial trilogy by James Barclay. He expertly brings hanging elements of each preceding volume to closure. Though, there are seeds for a future story or two left unexplored. Lets hope Mr. Barclay lets these seeds grow into new stories. -SFFWorld IT BEGINS WITH A TIDAL WAVE. There Is A New Power Coming. It will sweep aside the four colleges of magic. It is the power of the land, and it has manifested itself in Lyanna, a five year old girl. Unknowingly, she could destroy Balaia. Desperate to maintain their power, the colleges will do anything to control the child. If that fails, they will kill her. Terrified, Lyannas mother, Erienne the mage, takes her into hiding. But they cant hide forever. As the hunt goes on, Lyanna starts to test her powers and nature itself begins to turn on Balaia. Her father, Denser of The Raven, is also desperate to find her. But can even The Raven find Erienne and her child when they do not want to be found? And if they do find them, what then should they do? Lyanna is ripping the world apart. Thousands are dying. Can The Raven afford to let her live? James Barclay has made a trademark of blistering pace, superbly described action and characters who, with their flaws, humor and dedication to each other, are swiftly becoming cult heroes with fantasy fans. James Barclay is in his forties and lives in Teddington in the UK with his wife and son. He is a full-time writer. Visit him online at jamesbarclay.com.