James Barclay

For other uses, see James Barclay (disambiguation).

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

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)

References

  1. ^ a b c "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. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Attack of the Tomes," The Bookseller, Issue 5068, 3/14/2003, page 38.
  5. ^ Abercrombie, Joe; Lee, Tanith; Barclay, James (October 2013). Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell. NewCon Press. ISBN 978-1-907069-57-4.
  6. ^ "Dawnthief: Chronicles of the Raven by James Barclay". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Noonshade: Chronicles of the Raven, Book 2 by James Barclay". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Nightchild: Chronicles of the Raven, Vol. 3 by James Barclay". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  9. ^ "MBR: MBR Bookwatch, January 2010". www.midwestbookreview.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Elfsorrow: Legends of the Raven, Book 1 by James Barclay". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Elfsorrow". Library Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Shadowheart by James Barclay". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Shadowheart". Library Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  14. ^ "MBR: MBR Bookwatch, January 2011". www.midwestbookreview.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Demonstorm". Library Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  16. ^ "MBR: MBR Bookwatch, February 2011". www.midwestbookreview.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  17. ^ Yon, Mark (24 November 2008). "Ravensoul by James Barclay". SFF World.
  18. ^ "Once Walked with Gods by James Barclay". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  19. ^ Yon, Mark (September 2010). "Elves: Once Walked With Gods by James Barclay". SFF World.
  20. ^ "SFFWorld Review of the Year, 2012 Part 1". SFF World. December 2012.