The Company of Glass

First of a projected fantasy trilogy from the England-based American. Everien, a sea-girt plateau, was once inhabited by a race of magical beings. Now all that remains are fragments of imperfectly understood magic that today's Clans mostly avoid. Threatening the Clans are the Sekk, ethereally beautiful non-humans who hypnotize humans into slaughtering their fellows, depopulating entire regions. The Clans' allies are the Pharicians - or so it's assumed until former Clan warrior Tarquin gallops to the ancient, magical city of Jai Khalar seeking an audience with King Lerien. Tarquin reports that a Pharician army is poised to invade. But Lerien's Seer, Mhani, and her all-seeing magic Eyes can find no such army, and Lerien's General Ajiko insists that his own army blocks any invasion. Still, Tarquin (years ago he lost his entire company in recovering the Eyes from the vanishing city Jai Pendu) is insistent, so Lerien rides forth to investigate. Meanwhile, the time approaches when the magical White Road to Jai Pendu will open, giving access to Everien's ancient magics. Others will test an alternate path to Jai Pendu through the perilous Floating Lands. Lerien and Tarquin learn that in reality the Eyes are being deceived and that both the Pharician and Ajiko's armies have been enslaved by a powerful Sekk, Night, and are marching on Jai Khalar. Tarquin glimpses the ghosts of his lost comrades galloping along the White Road; worse, they have been trapped by Night and become the Company of Glass. All of this is barely a glimpse of the attractions here: an inventiveness that takes no prisoners, dazzling embroidery, and astounding plot wrinkles, even if it's all rather uncomfortably complicated: a flawed but utterly fascinating debut. (Kirkus Reviews)