Praise for the ISLES OF GLORY trilogy by Glenda Larke
“Sharp intelligent fantasy for those who like ideas mixed in with their action…
Larke obviously relishes world building, and the cultures she creates are so original, in comparison to many fantasy worlds, that the whole series has a very fresh feel to it…
…It is very interesting to see a little more of the different cultures as our heroes move from island to island. I really enjoyed these aspects of The Isles of Glory.
I was genuinely surprised by the ending of Book Two (Gilfeather) as well, another experience I always enjoy…
The Tainted…brings to the fore a narrative thread which has been a clever and sometimes amusing framing device in the earlier books…
(The writing style is) always very smooth and readable, and punctuated with a dry wit that helps lighten much of the darkness of the story. This is sharp intelligent fantasy for those who like ideas mixed in with their action.” –Kate Forsyth, Aurealis Magazine, Issue 37, March 2007
“I’m really not certain how to begin praising Australian writer Glenda Larke’s Isles of Glory trilogy. Do I begin with her detailed and intricate world-building? Her skill in characterisation? Her original take on the whole business of magic? Her seamless incorporation of highly intellectual explorations of the psychology of perception, the social and personal functions of religion and the dynamics and consequences of colonialism into a damned jolly action thriller with a truly kick-ass, take-no-prisoners swordswoman? The structure of the trilogy that permits not only multiple perspectives on the action, each from characters with their own culture and personal philosophy, but also a metanarrative from another culture altogether?…
Larke’s novels are deceptively easy to read and enjoy, but so difficult to talk about. And they’re brilliant.” –Morgan Dhu, Bibliogramma: My life in books, books in my life
The Aware
ISBN: 9780992284411
Ebook RRP: $2.99
August 2013 (originally published by Harper Voyager in 2003)
Imagine what it’s like to be born citizenless in a world where citizenship is everything.
Imagine what it’s like to be abandoned by the parents you can’t remember before you are two years old, in a city that despises you for being a halfbreed.
Imagine what it is like to be able to see magic when others can’t.
Imagine what it’s like to live in the Glory Isles at a time when your archipelago is about to be discovered by another civilization from half a world away. Changes are in the wind
This is the world of The Aware.
“Rich world building will capture the reader’s interest. With a forceful heroine who is mature and experienced, Larke crafts a fantastic tale that moves beyond a typical coming-of-age fantasy. Fans of Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey’s strong heroines will relish Blaze’s adventures.” —Romantic Times, USA.
“The Aware is part mystery, part political intrigue, part love story and many parts rollicking adventure…
…Blaze is an uncompromising agent who must work out who to trust, who to love and who to help as magical and political forces collide. Her journey from lone mercenary to lover and friend is an enjoyable ride, made all the smoother by Larke’s metaphor-rich prose.” –Jason Nahrung, Brisbane Courier-Mail. January 2005.
“Larke has made a conscious effort not to write a formula fantasy novel…. if you have come to The Aware looking for comfort reading then you have come to the wrong place…. (She) clearly has the ambition and courage to write interesting fantasy novels…
“There is humor in the book as well. One of the somewhat different aspects of the book is that it is presented as the result of a series of interviews with the central character, Blaze HalfBreed. The author is a pompous twit called Shor Iso Fabold, who describes himself as a field anthropologist and claims to be investigating the culture of the Isles of Glory. Fabold doesn’t believe any of Blaze’s tales of sorcery.” –Cheryl Morgan, Emerald City #114 February 2005
“I think the true test of any book in a planned series is whether after reading the first one, I’d actively seek out the remainder – I hope Glenda Larke writes the next book soon.” –Sally Murdoch, in Fiction Focus, New Titles For Teenagers, Western Australia, Vol.18 No. 2, 2004.
“As with the superior fantasies by Lois McMaster Bujold, the main protagonist is not some callow adolescent trying to find her place in the world, but a mature woman who, through the course of the novel, finds her place in the world may need to be reconsidered and that what she thought she wanted no longer satisfies her…” –Sally Beasley, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Issue 13, June/July 2004.
“Blaze is a gutsy character. The sort you wish was your best friend – and you definitely wouldn’t want as an enemy! This book is hard to put down. It’ll keep you up late and make you stay home all day.” –Trudi Canavan, author of The Black Magician trilogy.
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Gilfeather
ISBN: 9780992284435
Ebook RRP: $3.99
September 2013 (originally published by Harper Voyager in 2004)
The unassuming Sky Plains healer Gilfeather is drawn into the adventure of a lifetime, as he joins a warrior and a sorceress on a quest to overcome a ruthless dunmagicker whose lust for dark power places the entirety of the Glory Isles in danger.
‘At this point Larke does something that Stephen Donaldson would have been proud of. When it comes to emotional torture of one’s heroes, Larke is getting very good.’ –Cheryl Morgan, Emerald City Issue #125 January 2006
“Gilfeather is a tragic yet alluring character. There is a beauty to him that draws me in. The reader visits his utopian home, but that society has a cutting edge that slices right through him. He is a pacifist and a healer, yet he can kill. He is an unbeliever, yet he can believe. He is a scientist, yet he can have faith in the supernatural…
“The first line in Gilfeather’s point of view is an eye opener: ‘I first met Blaze and Flame the day before I murdered my wife.’ And it just keeps on getting better.” –Donna Maree Hanson From “Visions“, the online magazine of Fantastic Queensland
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The Tainted
ISBN: 9780992284466
Ebook RRP: $3.99
January 2014 (originally published by Harper Voyager in 2004)
The balance of power in the Isles of Glory is threatened by the growing strength of the Keeper Isles. The alien ghemphs are forced to take sides, ending generations of neutrality. And it seems that Ruarth Windrider’s difficulties have only just begun – Flame is not at all happy to see him, and Blaze Halfbreed has disappeared. Against this backdrop of upheaval, the selver-herder Gilfeather and the patriarch Tor Ryder strive to find a way to destroy magic…all magic. They enlist a young tiderider to help them, but Elarn Jaydon has many secrets and divided loyalties. And in Kells, Anyara Teron dreams of voyages of discovery…
“Of the three books, The Tainted is probably the most addictive. Without needing to explain the motivations and the situations of all the main characters again…Larke is able to plunge straight into the heart of the plot, resulting in a well-paced story with its fair share of twists.” –Michael Cheang, The Star newspaper, Malaysia, Jan 14th 2005
“The Tainted is a brilliant and moving end to a wonderfully crafted fantasy series. Glenda Larke is a bit of magician in the way she delicately balances action, dialogue and points of view… Predictability is not a characteristic of this work. Larke manages to bring something new and breathtaking into her Isles of Glory…” –Donna Maree Hanson, Visions, the online magazine of Fantastic Queensland
“In The Tainted by Glenda Larke, we see the conclusion of a fresh and intriguing fantasy trilogy… Characterisation was one of the strongest elements of this book, particularly the plight of the Dustel islanders…” –Judges report of the Aurealis Awards, Fantasy Novel Finalists 2005
“Traditional fantasy assumes that magic is a good thing, a romantic thing, even if it is occasionally wielded by bad guys. Larke takes the view that, just like any other form of power, magic will be abused. And if only a small fraction of the population have that power then they will impose their will on everyone else. Interestingly the magic practiced in Larke’s books is primarily illusion, which brings us to interesting political comments such as this:
‘Ordinary people like illusion,’ I said. ‘They feel safe with handsome, strong, confident people in charge. Now they will see them as they are—just like the rest of us. Just like them. And ordinary people will think that if our rulers aren’t special, then maybe anyone can rule… a, um, fishmonger from Milkby, perhaps…’ –Cheryl Morgan, Emerald City Issue #132 – August 2006
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