Sisters of the Raven (Sisters of the Raven, No. 1) - Softcover

Barbara Hambly, author of the acclaimed Benjamin January mystery series, is also one of fantasy's best authors, as her complex, powerful novel Sisters of the Raven demonstrates.

In a world where only men possess magic, the mages are losing their power--and a few women are discovering that they can cast spells. This adds turmoil to an already dire situation. Drought is ravaging the Yellow City. Its king is a soft, untested dandy with many enemies. A radical new prophet is winning an army of converts with his dangerous preachings. And the women magic-makers, struggling to form an alliance and combat the drought, are being killed in the night by an unknown man who, impossibly, possesses a new, terrifying, and immensely powerful magic. --Cynthia Ward

As the magic that once powered the world begins to fade, leaving its male-only practitioners helpless, a new type of magic arises among the women of the Yellow City and threatens to overturn the male-dominated society. While a few magically talented women in strategic places seek to gain recognition for their abilities, a murderer stalks the streets, preying upon the new sisterhood. Hambly's (Dragonshadow) latest novel presents an exotic fantasy world that draws from Asian and Middle Eastern cultures for its societal trappings and offers strong male and female protagonists as well as a unique methodology of magic. Once again, the author demonstrates her graceful storytelling style and flair for world-building in a stand-alone fantasy that belongs in most libraries. Highly recommended.
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