"Enthralling...gritty, down-to-earth. The best new fantasy I've read in years."-Maggie Furey

"Action fantasy at its best"-SFX

"Barclay...has a great eye for action....A scorching debut."-Time Out

"Full of magic and adventure and immensely enjoyable from start to finish."-John Marco

Six men and an elf make up The Raven, swords for hire in the wars that have torn apart the land of Balaia. For years, they have remained loyal only to themselves and their code. But a secret mission has changed that, and drawn them into a new world of politics and ancient mysteries. Now the band has chosen to fight for the Dark College of Magic. They want the location of Dawnthief, a spell to end the world-a spell The Raven intends to cast...