Karavans

A NEW JOURNEY DAWNS Audrun and her husband Davyd, along with the others of the land of Sancorra, have been left homeless because of the brutal Hecari. Consulting diviners, they learn that their newest child must be born in the peaceful province of Atalanda. They must now travel close to the sinister woodlands of Alisanos, where darkness awaits. Joining a karavan for safety, the family moves ever closer to the dangerous, mystical forest. And, as they are all about to discover, Alisanos is moving ever closer to them.

From Publishers Weekly

The first volume in a new fantasy saga from Roberson (Sword-Dancer) establishes a universe teeming with fascinating humans, demons and demigods, but a multitude of subplots make for a meandering start, with no real action until the final chapters. Fleeing the war-torn land of Sancorra and the bloodthirsty Hecari, who have conquered it, pregnant Audrun, her husband, Davyd, and their four children seek to travel in the last "karavan" of the season. The desperate journey to a new land is made more dangerous by the threat of nearby Alisanos, a place of doom and dark magic that can change locale at will—and for the first time in 40 years Alisanos is on the move. Ilona, a hand-reading diviner, can't see all the danger for Audrun and her family, but knows that tears, blood and grief most likely lie ahead. The karavan's guide, the mysterious Rhuan, has sworn to protect the karavan, but even his abilities may prove inadequate. Nothing is resolved by the end, but the pieces are in place for what promises to be a story of epic proportions. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In Roberson's rather original tale of sorcery and change in the aftermath of war, the land of Sancorra has been conquered by the bloodthirsty Hecari, and many of its inhabitants are fleeing. Audrun, a farmer, and her family join a karavan of folk seeking more peaceful habitations. But Alisanos, a sentient forest, is on the move. Home to many magical and dangerous creatures, Alisanos is yet more feared because of its ability to move and its habit of capturing humans and changing them into creatures that even their closest kin are obliged to kill. In fleeing the Hecari, the karavan must move closer to Alisanos than is safe. The aravan has its own resources in a guide from a nonhuman race with magical talents and a gifted diviner. But the guide must deal with intrigues among his own kind, and the growing strength of Alisanos throws all plots and plans into disarray. High-quality characterization and world building abet Roberson's novel conception. Frieda MurrayCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Jennifer Roberson is the author of the Sword-Dancer Saga and the Chronicles of the Cheysuli, and collaborated with Melanie Rawn and Kate Elliott on the historical fantasy The Golden Key, a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. She has also published three historical novels, and several in other genres. An exhibitor and breeder of Cardigan Welsh Corgis, she lives on acreage in Northern Arizona with eight dogs and two cats. She is currently working on the third Karavans novel, with prologue available at her website, http://www.cheysuli.com/author/Index.html.

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