Dawnthief: Chronicles of the Raven 1 (The Chronicles of the Raven)

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Serio Made it to page before I gave up. Seriously, these guys are The Best of The Best!

Just ask the author. Perhaps all the good shit happened off camera.

The code that somehow sets these guys apart from the rest of the world? Give me a big fat break. On the bright side, if this thing can be published, there's hope for suckers like me. View all 5 comments. The Raven are a renown group of mercernaries, known for being trustworthy and fierce, and have never failed a job.

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But after ten years it looks as though they may have taken their last job and settle in to retirement. However, fate has other plans, the Wytch Lords have escpaed their prison and are uniting the Wesman for an attack on Balaia, and The Raven and a Dark Mage may be the only people with the power to stop them. This book has been on my shelf waiting to be read for literally years, and I The Raven are a renown group of mercernaries, known for being trustworthy and fierce, and have never failed a job. This book has been on my shelf waiting to be read for literally years, and I am so pleased that I have finally read this book.

It took me about pages to really get into the story and involved with the characters, but once I was there I was gripped. The plot line in this was filled with adventure, with the usual fantasy-quest plot but with enough elements with in to keep it interesting and distinguish it from other books in this genre.

What I didn't like about this book and what stopped it getting 5 stars was the amount of characters that were killed off, especially early on in the book, I liked that he wasn't afraid to kill characters when he needed to, but I don't think it was necessary at some points, and that infact stopped me enjoying the first pages as much as the rest of the book. The other point was the way he jumped from one POV to another, it felt disjointed, especially towards the end, and I think it interrupted the flow of the story, especially when I was getting into one POV and then quite abruptly it would switch to another.

But a side from the points above, this book was great, it had magic and swords and the old fashioned dungeons and dragons feel to it that I was craving. The main characters were interesting, and I could really feel the bond between the characters in The Raven. I have the other books in this series and I think I am going to dive straight into the next one.

View all 16 comments. I'm not sure what should have been done differently, but this book read more like the summary of a possible storyline than a real and completely developed story. Or maybe a fictionalized version of an RPG campaign. I've read and liked other books that appeared to use that formula.

I just felt like it lurched from one event to another without much connection or much sense. Many of the scenes or ideas worked on their own, but the whole did not hold together. And there was no small amount of contradi I'm not sure what should have been done differently, but this book read more like the summary of a possible storyline than a real and completely developed story. And there was no small amount of contradictory behavior by the characters. I wanted to like the characters, and I sensed the beginnings of some interesting characters.

But I never got to the point where I felt like I "knew" them. Their behavior and decisions seemed a little too random. It was as if some of the characters were incompatible with the needs of the plot and storyline, so the characters were bullied into doing things that didn't fit. I'll need to think long and hard before reading any more of the series Oct 23, J.

Ashman rated it really liked it. Years since I read this and I don't remember it all, but I do remember being surprised and impressed at how unsafe every character is - it's tense, a lot, because no one is safe. There's plenty of action and intrigue as I remember it. A good fantasy read. Aug 16, Michael rated it it was ok. Dawnthief has sat on my shelf for awhile, promising a world of gritty mercenary realism reminiscent of Glen Cook or Joe Abercrombie. Imprisoned for centuries after failing in their last attempt to conquer the world of Balaia, the Wytch Lords are back--and this time will settle for nothing less than utter annihilation of their foes.

Four colleges of mages that can barely tolerate each other; charismatic and talented mercenaries whose life is bound to a code of honor; a fleshed-out backstory that sets the stage for the machinations to come. Unfortunately, Barclay fails to construct a story that unites these elements convincingly. While there were many aspects of the book that were enjoyable, the story progresses in fits and starts, feeling like a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative. For example, the first third of the novel features a seemingly important character that is inexplicably neutered, spending the latter portion of the book relegated to the background as a generic, completely unconvincing love interest.

There are other radical personality changes as well. Very little in the novel stands out. The history is somewhat generic, the supporting characters are one-note songs, and the author constantly reinforces how awesome The Raven is without much evidence to back it up. Remember the golden rule: Likewise, his magic system, though somewhat generic, has an affectation that I found surprisingly enjoyable: The simple naming of spells based on their effect. Nothing fancy here; this is FlameOrb, this is WarmHeal, an effective shorthand that eschews the overly-exotic names sometimes found elsewhere.

I had a good time reading it, even if I have trouble recommending it. Sep 27, Mark rated it liked it Shelves: This one was one of the hardest to get in to as I have ever experienced. I put it down twice and didn't expect to go back to it. Perseverance paid off in the end and after about the first four chapters, wherein there is way too much written about ponytails, the story really takes off. It doesn't get really amazing until about the middle of the book but from there on it I couldn't put it down.

I have read quite a few reviews on here where I can't bring myself to believe that the person who wrote This one was one of the hardest to get in to as I have ever experienced. I have read quite a few reviews on here where I can't bring myself to believe that the person who wrote them actually read through the whole book. It is worth pushing through the beginning and the slow but decent next few chapters to get to the meat of Barclay's writing.

Once you get past what seems to be the mistakes of a beginning author you are rewarded with epic battles, well written fights and a decently thought out magic system. From about the middle on hints are dropped here and there eluding to more depth in the magic system that I hope will be explored in the next book in the series. In short it is not easy to get through the good parts but it is worth the journey.

Sep 19, Cindy rated it really liked it Shelves: I was torn between wanting to give this book 3 stars and 5 stars. I loved the series and it was really something that I haven't encountered in a while. The characters were loveable and I loved the fact that they weren't perfect, as in they made mistakes in how they fought and they got hurt. All too often characters are invincible and it makes it hard to believe. There are character diaologe that is believe and makes it easy to understand what is I was torn between wanting to give this book 3 stars and 5 stars.

There are character diaologe that is believe and makes it easy to understand what is going on. However there were two things that made it a 4 star instead of a 5 and almost a 3 star. First off, there is a very graphic sex scene. Which there was a part to it but it didn't need to be so graphic, I was a little annoyed at such graphic nature of it.

Second, at times some of the fighting got a little confusing.

Dawnthief: Chronicles of the Raven 1 by James Barclay - Books - Hachette Australia

There is the last thing, sometimes as far as dialouge there are lots of questions asked. It helps clarify what is going on but it does get a little annoying. Over all I loved the book and will continue to read the series! Jul 25, Emelia rated it it was amazing. RTC when I have finished the series! Feb 18, Dave-Brendon Burgh rated it it was amazing.

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First things first - this was one hell of a ride! The cover of the edition I have is wonderful, first of all. The strength of this book is the characters. Goodbye, Sauron, goodbye, Shaitan, it was great knowing you. Gore in all the right places, none of it overdone, tension everywhere and some awesome imagery!

Paperback Editions

You actually see the magic forming around you and wince at its effects! My only issue with the book has nothing to do with the tale itself - it seemed to me that maybe this edition was rushed onto the shelves because I caught, here and there, maybe once every thirty or forty pages, mistakes in the type-setting that made it through to the finished product. Apr 22, Richard Bray rated it it was ok. And when some characters die early on and all the surviving characters are in mourning, there was a disconnect for me, since I never knew anything about the character past his name.

More books by James Barclay

While working a fairly routine job, they get caught up in a quest to gather the necessary objects for a spell that will destroy the Wytch Lords, who have broken free from their magical prison and are building an army in the West. Early on, I struggled to get through the book. Barclay opens with a mother who is kidnapped along with her sons which was actually a well-written scene , followed by a siege, followed by a chase into a dark temple, followed by a confrontation with a dragon.

All of which was action-packed, but all that action cost Barclay in the development of his characters. Prima di riuscire a districarsi tra le varie scuole di maghi, che rappresentano dei veri e propri centri di comando, bisogna pazientare alcuni capitoli. Lo stesso Denser, personaggio centrale della vicenda, mantiene un comportamento ambiguo per buona parte della vicenda.

I nostri guerrieri sono infatti molto agguerriti e uniti, pronti a tutti per di salvare i compagni e a guadagnare qualche soldo nel frattempo. Le sue magie sembrano essere soprattutto difensive, in grado di permettere agli uomini del Corvo di creare tattiche incredibili. Come comandante e fondatore della compagnia abbiamo invece un personaggio singolare: La trama sembra abbastanza lineare: Jun 16, Kelly Flanagan rated it it was amazing. Hmmm, not sure what all I want to write about this book.

I'll start by saying that I came to Barclay thru another of his series - Elves: Once Walked With Gods which blew my mind - surprise, I hadn't come across his name before. So I instantly took this one. I felt like there were two different writers using the name James Barclay to write fiction. Seriously I read Elves: Once Walked With Gods in one sitting but this book was so radically d Hmmm, not sure what all I want to write about this book.

Once Walked With Gods in one sitting but this book was so radically different -in style; prose; character creation etc. I know there was 7 intervening years, but I have never come across such a turn around in writing. I think this had a huge effect on the way I read this book and my enjoyment level was far below what it would have been not having read 'Elves' the previous week. I think if there was a larger space in time between readings or if I didn't conscientiously relate the two books so heavily t wouldn't have soured my perspective.

In fact I'm a little ashamed as an avid reader to have allowed such trivial knowledge as a better written story by the author to sour me on a book or series. I'm going to continue the series and see where it leads, and damn my perspective if it leads to not enjoying a rawer story this time round. Guess I'll have to live with it. Oh, to only have such first world problems is my life's dream.

I was in the mood recently for an old school, romp n stomp fantasy adventure story. Not a page opening to the latest swooning, overwrought fantasy epic, not another urban fantasy filled with vamps and werewolves, but something that brought back memories of my high school days tearing through Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser tales. I'd heard about Barclay's Raven novels for a decade, but avoided them because they sounded too much like what I was now in the mood for.

So I gave it a shot, and had a fun time reading the first in the series, Dawnthief. Gritty, fast-paced in your face action is the name of the game with Barclay, who has produced a novel that I would have loved when I was a teenager. Sometimes you can go home again. The novel tells the tale of the Raven, an elite mercenary group who have gotten a bit long in the tooth, just a bit past their prime. Or at least their part of the world. Most of the novel describes their attempt to rekindle their glory, save the continent, and prove to themselves that they are still the Raven to be feared and admired.

It worked for me. Sometimes nostalgia can lift a novel higher than it probably deserves to be, but Dawnthief was just what I was looling for, and I will definitely read the next book in the series when I need a break from the current trend in fantasy novels. Una compagnia di mercenari , una quest, diverse razze, diverse magie, diversi mondi e gli splendidi draghi! Quindi la Compagnia si fa leggere , si segue, ne si apprezzano valore, amicizia e indipendenza ma restano una buona compagnia per qualche giorno da passare senza troppi pensieri e pretese.

Pieno di Magia, f faticoso. Pieno di Magia, forse troppa, manca di un background sui personaggi Manca anche quel fattore ironico, quel qualcosa che serve nei Fantasy per alleggerire una tensione, per strapparti un sorriso, quel personaggio sarcastico Inoltre tutti ci mettono sempre 2 giorni a raggiungere qualsiasi cosa, Balaia sembra una mappa del Monopoli Jul 28, Wouter rated it it was ok. As most others already said, indeed very fast paced good, no boring sections at all but very very shallow bad and fuzzy explanations of the given lore.

There are parts where there's a lot of new stuff introduced, and always one character logically explains everything and they carry on on their epic quest. It's too bad, it could have been much more "epic" if I for instance even remotely cared about the plot. Then there's an "evil guy" who in the beginning you think is up against the heroes bu As most others already said, indeed very fast paced good, no boring sections at all but very very shallow bad and fuzzy explanations of the given lore.

It's a spell - one created to end the world - and there's a danger that someone is going to use it Beyond the Mists of Katura. Rise of the TaiGethen. The Raven eBook Collection. Once Walked With Gods. Cry of the Newborn: The Ascendants of Estorea 1. Shout For The Dead: The Acendants of Estorea 2. The Legends of the Raven 3. The Legends of the Raven 1. The Chronicles of the Raven 2.

The Legends of the Raven 2. The Chronicles of the Raven 3. James Barclay is the author of the Chronicles of the Raven and Legends of the Raven series, which have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

Dawnthief: Chronicles of the Raven

The Raven saga came to a conclusion with the stunning Ravensoul. He also penned the epic fantasy duology The Ascendants of Estorea and completed an Elves trilogy: Once Walked With Gods, Elves: Rise of the Tai'Gethen and Elves: The World According to Anna. The Unfinished Novel and Other stories.

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