Sorcery Rising

This is fantasy of a rare breed, combining full-blooded narrative sprit with a genuinely poetic sensibility. The plotting is dense, but always clear. From the barren isles of the North come the Eyrans, hardy seafaring folk. From the South come their old enemies, the Istrians - slave-owners who drove the Eyrans from their lands. And from all over Elda come the nomadic peoples - the Footloose - purveyors of charms and (until now) harmless potions. But dark sorcery will disrupt the annual Allfair at which they all gather. Katla Aransen and her family have sailed to the fair to trade their goods. The Vingo clan have travelled from Istria to purchase a bride for their appalling eldest son. Tycho Issian has come to sell his daughter to the highest bidder. King Ravn Asharson, Stallion of the North, seeks a political alliance, while others seek his downfall. For centuries, Elda has been bereft of magic; but this year something has changed. A mysterious force is abroad once more, and it will change the world forever. Book One of Fool's Gold is a solid, powerfully written piece with a thorough command of the genre; unsurprising, given that Jude Fisher is a nom-de-plume for Jane Johnson, head honcho of SF imprint Voyager. And she's demonstrated here that her own writing talents are equal to those of anyone in her stable of authors. (Kirkus UK)