Product Description

There had been four Artefacts of Power, belonging to the four branches of the Magefolk. Now, millennia later, only the human Mages survived, and the Artefacts were lost. Until the coming of Aurian...Child of wizards, swordmistress, the headstrong Aurian had set her power against that of Miathan, the evil Archmage. Whilst he possessed the Cauldron of Rebirth, Aurian had recreated the Staff of Earth, the first of the three lost weapons, the only defence against Miathan's plans of conquest. Trapped in the Southern Lands, her powers reft by pregnancy, Aurian must rely upon the untried powers of the half-blood Mage Anvar as their odyssey takes them to the realm of the mysterious Xandim, to the peaktop city of the Skyfolk, and to the worlds beyond. But, Miathan's webs of deceit are only beginning to unfurl...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #167845 in Books
• Published on: 1994-11-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
' A new classic. It has the potential to stand with the best' LOCUS

About the Author
Maggie Furey was born in North East England. She is a qualified teacher, but has also reviewed books on BBC Radio Newcastle, been an advisor in the Durham Reading Resources Centre and organised children's book fairs. She now lives in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Well thought, well wrought.
This the second book in The Aterfacts of Power series (following Aurian, and followed by The Sword of Flame and Dhiammara).

After their harrowing ordeal in the blinding desert of glittering gem shards where they recreated the Staff of Earth, one of the lost Artefacts of Power, the Mages Aurian and Anvar find themselves victims of yet another treachery.

Aurian, now several months pregnant and so bereft of her powers, ends up in the stronghold of the Tower of Incondor, prisoner of Harihn, Prince of the Khazalim, whereas Anvar is taken hostage by Blacktalon, High Priest of the Sky Folk, in the high-peaked city of Aerillia. Both are in league with Miathan, who covets Aurian's child, on which he's put a terrible curse.

Shia the great cat might be their only hope.

In this second volume, Maggie Furey takes the opportunity of Aurian and Anvar's confinement not only to develop background characters such as Vannor and his daughter Zanna, Parric, Forral's former horsemaster, or the Nightrunners, but also to introduce the reader with a whole cast of new characters, among which the winsome shapeshifting Xandim Chiamh and Shiannath, therefore letting the story unravel gently, without slowing the pace of action.

And all the while, the mountain is watching...

Fab Follow Up!
A much darker and brooding book than the first - it continues the story line in a believable and logical way, and sweeps you along with it. If you loved the first one, how could you not enjoy the second!

Everything that can go wrong will go wrong
The feeling that nothing will ever go right for the characters follows you through this book as well as the first. Forral is dead, Aurian is pregnant and evil archmage is after them. It's exciting and it's enchanting and you can't help but bond to the characters; even the bad ones.