Product Description

Exiled from his land, Terrel has travelled the world with little to guide him but the mysterious prophecies of the Tindaya Code. Now his journey is at an end, for Terrel has returned to Vadanis. But the powers that have sought to destroy him are not yet defeated. For the prophecy to be fulfilled the Ancients must arise and it is Terrel who must struggle to defend them...And as the Dark Moon rises, Terrel makes his stand - but this time he does not fight alone. One of the most exciting fantasy adventures of recent years, the epic Guardian Cycle reaches its spectacular conclsion with ALYSSA'S RING. Find out more about this title and others at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #131186 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

Review
'Julia Gray is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best new fantasy writers on the block' SFX 'A spellbinding new storyteller' Maggie Furey

Maggie Furey
'A spellbinding new storyteller'

About the Author
'Julia Gray' is the pseudonym of an author whose previous novels have sold over 300,000 copies.

Customer Reviews

Coming full circle.
This is the fifth and final book of The Guardian Cycle (after The Dark Moon, The Jasper Forest, The Crystal Desert, and The Red Glacier).

More years have passed since the events of The Red Glacier, and after failing to heal the insane Elemental on Myvatan, it's now time for Terrel to cross the Movaghassi Ocean once more and make his way home, to Vadanis.

Terrel is now travelling in the land of Kenda with a ragtag group of men: Faulk, an imposing but taciturn former mercenary, Lawren, who believes he's a seer, Nomar the healer and his son Taryn, who can see in other people's dreams, and Roskin, a falconer. On the way, they also meet two runaways, a young lady called Yllen and Pieri the storyteller.

Stopping for the night at the Haven Inn, it isn't long before they pick up rumours among the local gossip that the city of Vergos is in turmoil. That same night, Terrel learns that there are Sleepers in Vergos, and that the next lunar conjunction, prophesied as the end of the World, is scheduled for less than three months later. He has to go there before it's too late. Alas, it is soon apparent that the elements are against him, as huge balls of fire start to fall from the sky and spurts of molten lava start to gush form the surrounding volcanos.

The book goes on to describe Terrel and his companion's struggle to avert disaster and find a way to finally get back to the Floating Islands before the next conjuction to fulfill the promise he and Alyssa made eachother so many years ago.

Again, I enjoyed this book a lot, but more because of the interaction between its characters than for the way the overall plot is solved. Indeed, Mark & Julia Smith (Julia Gray) once more introduced interesting and loveable protagonists, whom I liked spending time with, whereas the conclusion left me somewhat unmoved. But don't they say that the journey is more important that the destination?

Slower than the rest of the series
This book took a lot of reading to get over the first part, but it builds in momentum towards the end. That said, if you've read the first four books, you aren't going to miss out on this one and finding out what happens in the end, and if Terrel is reunited with Alyssa and what happens to his twin brother.