James Barclay Explained

James Barclay (born 15 March 1965) is a British high fantasy author who has written multiple series including Chronicles of the Raven and Legends of the Raven.^[1] The Bookseller has called him "One of the UK's most popular genre fantasy authors."^[2]

Biography

Early life

Barclay was born in Felixstowe, Suffolk in 1965. He attended Sheffield City Polytechnic.^[1] Prior to his breakthrough as an author in 2004, Barclay worked as an actor and a policeman. He was also an advertising manager for a financial investment company.^[1]

Writing career

Barclay said his main inspirations as a writer were David Gemmell and the novel The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes.^[3] A reviewer has since compared his work with Gemmell's.^[4] An origin story of the company of The Raven entitled "Or So Legend Has It" appears in the 2013 short story collection Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell.^[5]

Works

Chronicles of the Raven series

• Dawnthief. Gollancz, 2002.^[6]
• Noonshade. Pyr, 2009.^[7]
• Nightchild. Pyr, 2009.^{[8] [9]}

Legends of the Raven series

• Elfsorrow. Pyr, 2010.^{[10] [11]}
• Shadowheart. Pyr, 2010.^{[12] [13] [14]}
• Demonstorm. Pyr, 2011.^{[15] [16]}
• Ravensoul. Gollancz, 2008.^[17]

Elves series

• Once Walked with Gods.Gollancz, 2010.^{[18] [19]}
• Rise of the TaiGethen. Gollancz, 2012.^[20]
• Beyond the Mists of Katura. Gollancz, 2013.

The Ascendants of Estorea series

• Cry of the Newborn. Orion Publishing Group, 2005.
• A Shout for the Dead. Gollancz, 2006.

Other novels

• Heart of Granite (Gollancz, 2016)
• The Queen's Assassin (Gollancz, 2022)

External links

• Official website
• James Barclay on Goodreads
• Interview with James Barclay

Notes and References

1. "James Barclay." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2012. Gale Literature Resource Center. Accessed 18 April 2023.
2. "Science fiction and fantasy" by Michael Rowley, The Bookseller, 9/17/2004, Issue 5146, pages 37-40.
3. "James Barclay Interview," Elitist Book Reviews, December 17, 2010, accessed April 18, 2023.
4. "Attack of the Tomes," The Bookseller, Issue 5068, 3/14/2003, page 38.
5. Book: Abercrombie . Joe . Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell . Lee . Tanith . Barclay . James . October 2013 . NewCon Press . 978-1-907069-57-4 . en.
6. Web site: Dawnthief: Chronicles of the Raven by James Barclay . 2023-04-17 . Publishers Weekly.
7. Web site: Noonshade: Chronicles of the Raven, Book 2 by James Barclay . 2023-04-17 . Publishers Weekly.
8. Web site: Nightchild: Chronicles of the Raven, Vol. 3 by James Barclay . 2023-04-17 . Publishers Weekly.
9. Web site: MBR: MBR Bookwatch, January 2010 . 2023-04-24 . www.midwestbookreview.com.
10. Web site: Elfsorrow: Legends of the Raven, Book 1 by James Barclay . 2023-04-17 . Publishers Weekly.
11. Web site: Elfsorrow . 2023-04-17 . Library Journal.
12. Web site: Shadowheart by James Barclay . 2023-04-17 . Publishers Weekly.
13. Web site: Shadowheart . 2023-04-17 . Library Journal.
14. Web site: MBR: MBR Bookwatch, January 2011 . 2023-04-24 . www.midwestbookreview.com.
15. Web site: Demonstorm . 2023-04-17 . Library Journal.
16. Web site: MBR: MBR Bookwatch, February 2011 . 2023-04-24 . www.midwestbookreview.com.
17. Web site: Yon . Mark . Ravensoul by James Barclay . SFF World . 24 November 2008.
18. Web site: Once Walked with Gods by James Barclay . 2023-04-17 . Publishers Weekly.
19. Web site: Yon . Mark . Elves: Once Walked With Gods by James Barclay . September 2010. SFF World .
20. Web site: SFFWorld Review of the Year, 2012 Part 1 . SFF World . December 2012.