Author:Robert Newcomb

'Only the four Mistresses remained from the hundreds she had loved, lost and left behind. "Soon, my dear Sisters," she thought. "So many shall pay. Pay for the sins of their ancestors . . ."'
It is three centuries since the devastating war that all but destroyed the kingdom of Eutracia. Those who masterminded the bloodshed - four powerful, conquest-hungry sorceresses -- were banished and sent into exile beyond the feared Sea of Whispers, with return all but impossible, death all but inevitable. Since those dark days, Eutracia has flourished, protected and guided by its council of wizards. Now a land of peace and plenty, it is about to crown a new king and the spirit of celebration fills every heart. Except one. Prince Tristan is a reluctant monarch-to-be. Though born with the endowed blood that will enable him to master magic, and destined to succeed his father as ruler of this land and its people, he is a rebel soul.
But more than tradition compels Tristan to ascend the throne. The very survival of Eutracia depends upon it. For after these long years of peace, dreadful omens have begun to appear, heralding something too unspeakable to ponder. It seems an ancient evil, nurtured over centuries of darkness, has returned and is thirsting for blood, for domination and, above all, for revenge. Tristan's fate is to fulfil a role chosen for him by an ages-old prophecy - to face an adversary whose hatred knows no bounds and whose greatest weapon is the person he loves most...
Not since Terry Goodkind unsheathed the Sword of Truth has such a tale of heroism and magic so captured the imagination. Brimming with excitement and wonder, dark intrigue and dread enchantments, THE FIFTH SORCERESS marks the beginning of a magnificent fantasy adventure by a remarkable new storyteller.
'Beautifully and vividly drawn ...impressive'
—— SFX'A complex and sweepingly conceived adventure...Newcomb's impressive narrative skill is such that the pages turn very quickly indeed'
—— Good Book Guide'A fantastic read. Fantasy novels can be hit or miss but this one is a definite hit ...Newcomb writes with a boldness and originality rarely seen in first novels'
—— OutlandA revelation. Dan Simmons is a giant among novelists
—— LINCOLN CHILDGo out and buy this book . . . a fantastic achievement. Gripping, well-observed, and at times genuinely frightening
—— SFXDramatic and vivid . . . Simmons has given us a host of colourful, believable characters caught up in a driving, hell-bent narrative. The Terror is a tour de force
—— KEN McGOOGAN, author of Lady Franklin's RevengeMeticulously researched and brilliantly imagined . . . a dramatic and mythic argument for how and why Franklin and his men met their demise . . . a compelling read
—— WASHINGTON POSTDan Simmons is brilliant
—— DEAN KOONTZThe best and most unusual historical novel I have read in years . . . a haunting, precisely imagined fictional solution to one of history's most disquieting mysteries . . . brilliantly executed
—— BOSTON GLOBEBrilliant . . . Simmons takes this 19th-century tragedy and crafts an imaginative hybrid tale. It's a historical horror novel . . . the kind of rich epic that requires a touch of patience at the beginning but amply rewards the reader by the end
—— USA TODAYA beautifully written historical, which injects a note of supernatural horror into the 1840s Franklin expedition and its doomed search for the Northwest Passage . . . should add significantly to Simmons's already considerable reputation
—— PUBLISHERS WEEKLYConvincingly renders both period details and the nuts and bolts of polar exploration . . . the supernatural element helps resolve the plot in a surprising yet highly effective manner
—— KIRKUS REVIEWSThis book really is an astonishing achievement, blending meticulous research with excellent characterisation. We can't recommend this one heartily enough
—— DEATHRAYA lengthy and ambitious book, but gut-wrenching tension, a true sense of fear, and vivid historical detail combine for an unputdownable read
—— GOOD BOOK GUIDE[A] terrific novel… Lasdun presents the inexorable turnings of fate in a subtle and disconcerting way.
—— Publishers WeeklyThis sleek, sexy, expertly constructed thriller oozes with a malign, overheated atmosphere.
—— MetroLasdun has produced a fascinating study of how friendship can sometimes become obligation.
—— ScotsmanIrresistibly devious.
—— Mail on SundayLasdun is a renowned writer.
—— Western MailExpertly playing the noir card, Lasdun dissects the mercurial relationships among a wealthy financier, his photographer wife and an aimless cousin during a long hot summer in upstate New York. There are plenty of lies and betrayals in this stylish thriller, but it’s the slow burn of obsession that makes it sing.
—— PeopleThe Man Booker-nominated author's critically praised new novel is a Trump Age thriller: A rich banker and his cousin, an unemployed chef, both covet the banker's wife, who is having an affair with a fourth person. Things end badly.
—— Hollywood ReporterThis is a one-sitting read, a whitewater ride to hell in which Lasdun hurls headlong into the psyche of his stalker, in this instance a thirty-something former chef called Matthew… In fearlessly observing sentences, Lasdun – who has an architectural imagination – unlocks room after room of Matthew’s psyche… Brilliant.
—— Frances Wilson , OldieWe all wish we could erase, obscure, or even simply accept the past. Perhaps the message of The Fall Guy is that, however extreme our mistakes, we will still regard them as aberrations, bizarre swerves away from our true selves, rather than what they really are: the purest expressions of our prejudices, fears and desires.
—— J. Robert Lennon , London Review of BooksSuperbly engaging and intelligent psychological thriller… A compulsively readable tale of money, power and betrayal.
—— Rebecca Rose , Financial TimesA creepy little satire.
—— Harriet Lane , ObserverA riveting psychological thriller.
—— Guardian, Books of the YearThe story becomes very intense as Lasdun masterfully turns the screw.
—— William Leith , Evening StandardA hugely affecting, moving read. I was heartbroken by the end, but adored every chapter
—— Image MagazineBeautiful
—— Woman’s WayEach section displays Ryan’s range as a writer... [he] writes with brilliant empathy.
—— Boston GlobeExquisitely rendered, with raw anguish sublimated into lyrical prose.
—— Washington PostHeartbreaking … Arguably the best of the new wave of Irish writers to have emerged over the last decade
—— Irish Mail on the Sunday, Books of the YearRyan has the gift of ventriloquism - he inhabits his fictional creations thoroughly, enveloping you in their worlds
—— Sunday Business Post, Books of the YearSublime
—— Irish Independent, Books of the YearFrom a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan made me laugh and cry and forced me to look strangers in the eye
—— Liz Nugent , Irish Times, Books of the YearBeautifully bleak and characterised by his remarkable ability to write about grief and common humanities.
—— Diarmaid Ferriter , Irish Times, Books of the YearBeautiful, compassionate
—— Sinéad Crowley , RTÉ Culture, Best Books of 2018Superlatives wouldn’t do for describing From a Low and Quiet Sea … understated, and gloriously heart rendering
—— Hot Press, Books of the YearStrout turns her clear, incisive gaze on the intricacies and betrayals of small town life
—— Maggie O'FarrellAnything is Possible is predictably great because it's written by Elizabeth Strout, and brilliantly unpredictable - because it is written by Elizabeth Strout
—— Roddy Doyle