[The River Into Darkness 02] • Compass of the Soul

In his quest to destroy all magic in the world, the last great mage, Lord Eldrich, has sent Erasmus Flattery to find and eradicate Anna, the leader of the Tellerites, a group of finatics desperate to preserve the magic--including the key to immortality--Eldrich wants to eliminate. 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 foundations of his world!

Praise for The Moontide and Magic Rise duology:

"This is lod-fashioned high adventure, complete with ancient ruins, a mysterious white falscon, a beautiful duchess, her homicidal brother, superstitious sailors, sea battles, miraculous rescues, and eager middshipman, and a sinister doctor."-- Locus

"A spectacular beginning of what is sure to be a successful fantasy series."-- Publishers Weekly

"Russell has wrttten a winner."-- Starlog

From Library JournalAs 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.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus ReviewsSequel 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. Butwhat 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. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.