Elfsorrow
core novel 2002 Chronicles of the Raven
Record
| First published | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.04 (1,247 ratings, collected 2026-11-05) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780575073289 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Rival colleges of magic have fought over Balaia for years, while the elves have kept apart on the continent of Calaius, watching human dynasties rise and fall. Now the elves are dying by the thousands, struck down seemingly at random by a mysterious affliction. Ilkar, an elven mage, is well placed to find the cause because he belongs to the Raven, a small mercenary band of warriors and mages bound by an oath stronger than blood. Their reputation is legendary, but even heroes can die. Ilkar's place in the Raven puts him in a position to investigate the cause amid the hatred and intrigue between the colleges.
Where it sits
- Universe: Chronicles of the Raven
- Series: Legends of the Raven core; position 1 of 4 in the series' recorded order
- Author: James Barclay
Notes
- From the series record (Legends of the Raven): The Raven face the war between Balaia's colleges, a plague among the elves and the return of their fallen friends.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Legends of the Raven: position 1 of 4: next Shadowheart (2003)
- Internal chronology, within Chronicles of the Raven: position 2 of 10: previous Dawnthief (1999) · next Elves: Once Walked with Gods (2010)
Sources
- Rising Shadow: James Barclay
- Fantasy Book Review: James Barclay biography
- AbeBooks: Elfsorrow edition list
- Gollancz / Hachette UK: Elfsorrow
- Rising Shadow: Elfsorrow
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