The Compass of the Soul

by Sean Russell

Overview

The second book in this spellbinding duology concludes the tale of a twilight age for magic, as one ancient mage tries to hide the secrets that might destroy the world.

In his quest to destroy all magic, the last great mage, Lord Eldrich, has sent Erasmus Flattery to find and eradicate Anna, the leader of the Tellerites, a group of fanatics desperate to preserve the magic—including the key to immortality—Eldrich wants to see lost.

Torn by his resentment of Eldrich's manipulations and his strange loyalty to Anna, Erasmus willl undergo a magical and spiritual journey which will cause him to question all he believes to be true...and rock the very foundations of his world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101666432
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	07/01/1999
Series:	The River Into Darkness , #2
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Sean Russell was born in Toronto, Ontario. His first novel, The Initiate Brother, was the first in a duology of its name and featured a dynastic fantasy adventure set in the world of Wa, similar to ancient China. His influence writing fantasy comes from J. R. R. Tolkien, and he knew he wanted to be a writer since the age of ten.

Editorial Reviews

As Lord Eldrich, Farrland's last mage, seeks to destroy all vestiges of magic in the land, a young woman newly awakened to her magical powers strives to thwart his plans. Caught between the pair of warring sorcerers, a countess, a painter, a priest, and a philosopher find their lives shaped by fragmentary memories and dark visions of catastrophe. This sequel to Beneath the Vaulted Hills (DAW, 1997) demonstrates the author's talent for evocative storytelling and intricately drawn characters. Best read in tandem with its predecessor, Russell's finely etched tale of a world on the threshold of change belongs in most libraries.

Library Journal

Sequel to Beneath the Vaulted Hills (not reviewed), or, better, the second half of a doorstopper entitled The River into Darkness. In a world where magic is vanishing, the last mage, Eldrich, has trained no successor, nor will he allow anyone else to practice the magic arts. Eldrich, you see, has had a vision showing him the world ending in a dreadful apocalypse unless the practice of magic ceases. But long ago, the Tellerites, a dissident group, rejected his vision; now they have secretly nurtured and trained a young woman, Anna Fielding, hoping she will develop into a mage and oppose Eldrich. Anna and her followers have good reason to resent, even hate, the ruthless and implacable Eldrich. Butþwhat if the old mage is right? A strange and beautiful book that offers an unusual depth and nuance of character, set forth in lustrous dialogue and prose the texture of honeyed silk.

Kirkus Reviews