James Barclay biography

When I first encountered the purple and black book that was Dawnthief, written by James Barclay, a name I had never heard, I was hopeful. It was the beginning of the year and I had chosen six book number ones from six different authors that I was going to start reading. By the end of the year I had read five of the authors, but it was Barclay who claimed the number one spot for that year.

Finishing Dawnthief, the first in Barclay’s Chronicles of The Raven trilogy, was a bittersweet moment. The book had been fantastic, and I fell immediately in love. Sad though, that I had to restrain myself from going out and purchasing the rest of his books immediately; see, I still had five other book number ones to get through.

As it was, I only made it to the third book one before I had to stop and go find the rest of Barclay’s tales of The Raven.

And though I could try and sell it to you myself, I think I’ll let the author himself do it, as he does it much better than I ever could:

Q. For those out there who haven’t read the Raven books, how would you want to “sell them”?

A. The Raven series of books brings you heroes who are all too human (or elven…) in their characters. They argue, they make mistakes and they can most certainly die. They are, though, true heroes. Selfless, courageous and utterly loyal to each other and the world they try to save.

The books are fantasy action thrillers, ripping along to breathless conclusions. The novels are a continuous series but each book is complete in itself, no necessity to read a sequel to find out what the hell happens next (unless you want to know how the consequences of one unravel in the next). If you want entertainment, adventure and characters you grow to love as they travel their journeys, get on and buy them.

If you want some kind of ultra-descriptive, literary examination of man and morals in a fantasy setting, you’d best go elsewhere.

All six of the Raven books currently published can be found reviewed here at Fantasy Book Review. But before we look at what Barclay has to say about Ravensoul, the upcoming seventh book dedicated to the Raven, I want to focus on Mr. Barclay for a moment.

Married to Clare, and father to Oscar, and owning a Hungarian Vizsla (a dog) named Mollie, James Barclay resides in Teddington, Middlesex.

He says that he started writing at 11 “and never stopped,” and thank heavens for that. The Raven came first, seeing its first notes and drafts put to paper while he was still at school (the Ascendants of Estorea, his other series, saw its first notes jotted down at college in 1983).

I’ve spoken to James several times, as both his interviewer (once for Geeks of Doom and now for FBR), and as a fan. I remember him thanking me for buffing his ego “up to a nice healthy shine” before later suggesting that J.R.R. Tolkien missed out in not naming Gandalf Gary (we had been discussing fantasy naming). He is genuinely one of the nicest authors I have had the pleasure of communicating with, and a gentleman.

One of the accusations that I have light-heartedly thrown James’ way is regarding what I once termed his “distressing penchant for never letting a character live for too long.” But James backs himself admirably when I suggest that he kills them off gratuitously.

Well, it isn’t gratuitous, that would be wrong. The fact is that The Raven live in a dangerous world. Their chosen profession as mercenaries, fighting with sword and magic, brings them into extreme danger day after day. Saving the world is not a business without risk. It just seemed to me (and it still does) that to have all my heroes survive every battle is just not credible. Eventually, inevitably, they will die or be seriously injured. They are heroes but they are not invincible super heroes. Simple, really.

Barclay also shares a commonality with another of FBR’s favoured authors: Steven Erikson. Both Barclay and Erikson can thank dice based role-playing games for the genesis of their stories. But where Erikson’s stories are based entirely on his characters, Barclay describes his role playing days as “the genesis of the Raven.”

It shouldn’t surprise anyone either that the two are good friends, Erikson thanking Barclay in the acknowledgements for Gardens of the Moon.

But our latest communication has focused on the latest addition to the Raven legacy, Ravensoull, released in the UK on the 20th of November, 2008.

Q. Ravensoul is being labeled on Amazon as the fourth book of the “Legends of the Raven” series. Is this true?

A. Not strictly speaking. It’s not part of the Legends series though it does come after them chronologically speaking. It’s a stand-alone finale and its action takes place ten years after the final battles of Demonstorm. It’s a book I hadn’t thought to write when Demonstorm was done but one that grew in the intervening years and was not to be denied.

The next few questions are a little bit spoilerful and inside baseballish, as they shed light on what is coming up in the seventh and, supposedly, final instalment. When I read these answers I was hopping around in my chair, as they really have me excited to read the book. If you’ve read the books, you’ll know why, but if you haven’t, here’s a quick summary: Barons Gresse and Blackthorne are back, as well as Auum and Rebraal; it looks as if Septern is back; and though I did want to see Talan again, the way in which he’ll be bringing back the characters should be fascinating. 

Read on...

Q. Who’s the story going to be focusing on, given the events of Demonstorm?

A. Aside from the new enemy (who make the demons look like amateurs carrying small vegetable peelers) Ravensoul focuses on The Raven (those alive and those returned to life), old favourites like Barons Gresse and Blackthorne; elves, particularly Auum and Rebraal; the old guard of Xeteskian magic and one long-dead magical genius. That’s pretty much it.

Q. From the blurb on Amazon, it seems as if you will be using the “beyond the grave” plotline you set up in Demonstorm? Did the plotline spawn the story or did the story spawn the plotline?

A. Neither, actually. As it grew, the idea for Ravensoul was always one that concerned the idea that love transcends the boundaries of life and death, how true heroes will return to stand against any evil and how greed and the lust for power can blind people from the reality of approaching extinction, from the magnitude of the threat. I didn’t consider the piece with Ilkar in Demonstorm when I was putting Ravensoul together. It was useful I’d trailed the idea but it wasn’t a deliberate act since I had no idea I was going to write Ravensoul at the time.

Q. The blurb says “It is left to the Raven, both dead and alive…” Will we be seeing all the Raven, including the hapless two who disappeared back at the beginning of Dawnthief?

A. Nearly all of them but see below… We certainly see Sirendor and Ras back in the fray. Hapless indeed! Neither died by their own stupidity, after all… unlucky they certainly were. The question is, does their luck change second time around? Read and find out.

Q. Finally, do we get to see Talan again?

A. No. Sorry. I thought about it but in the end, felt it would muddy the story since I’d have to fill in his back story. I wanted to keep the novel tight and I wanted those new to The Raven to be able to read it with the minimum of confusion. Talan wouldn’t help with that so he’s not there.

James Barclay is definitely one of fantasy’s cult masters, and with a little bit of help from us (his reviewers) and you (his readers), his name will one day be synonymous with brilliant high-fantasy. Stay tuned for reviews to his The Ascendants of Estorea books, as well as the Raven novella Light Stealer.

All James Barclay Reviews