A haunted thief-girl. A vengeful sorcerer. If she fails, she dies.Karan, a sensitive whose family is cursed by madness, is compelled by honour to steal an ancient magical device and take it to the Magister. But it’s the treacherous Mirror of Aachan, and hidden within it is a deadly secret.Llian, a brilliant but naïve Tale-spinner, uncovers a 3,000-year-old mystery too dangerous to be revealed and … mystery too dangerous to be revealed and is expelled from his college.
Thrown together by fate as they struggle to get to safety, Karan and Llian are ensnared in the machinations of immortals, the vengeance of feuding warlords and the magic of all-powerful wizards. Magic that could break Karan’s fragile mind, and corrupt Llian as he pries into the riddles of the mirror.
And if they fail the two-faced mirror will spark a millennial war, terrible as a tsunami, that will deluge the land in forbidden magic, tear nations apart, and threaten the very survival of humanity.
You won’t want to miss this truly epic fantasy series by a million-selling author. More than 2,850 five-star ratings on Goodreads.
What reviewers say about the Three Worlds books
“A compelling adventure in a landscape full of wonders.” – Locus
“A page-turner of the highest order … Formidable!” – SFX on Geomancer
“It is the most engrossing book I’ve read in years.” – Van Ikin, Sydney Morning Herald
“Readers of Eddings, Goodkind and Jordan will lap this one up.” – Starlog
“Utterly absorbing.” Stephen Davenport, Independent Weekly
“For sheer excitement, there’s just no one like Irvine.” SFX on The Destiny of the Dead
“As good as anything I have read in the fantasy genre.” – Adelaide Advertiser
Reviews and Honours for A Shadow on the Glass
Shortlisted for the 1998 Aurealis Award, Best Fantasy Novel.
US edition listed in Sciencefiction.com’s Best of 2001.
“In a world full of epic fantasy clones, this stands out as a world-building labour of love with some truly original touches.” – Locus.
“A grand-scale epic fantasy that features a pair of unusual heroes and a complex world rich in history and variety.” Library Journal
“Those who like quests will enjoy A Shadow on the Glass. A recurring theme of betrayal – of people, places, and ideas – heightens the tension and increases the plot’s emotional grip.” Starburst, UK
“Ian Irvine is a great find! He writes beautifully about a vast and intricate world that seems utterly real. His characters are as well drawn as any I’ve come across in fantasy.” – Kate Elliott, author of King’s Dragon
“Irvine has built a history and wonderful culture for his vivid world. His first novel vibrates with originality.” – The West Australian
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This book is the kind of novel I love, long and complicated. It’s motives and aims are layered. We meet Llian first and watch as his graduation recital locks all doors against him. Then we meet Karan. She is facing an epic journey with no idea how much it will take out of her. This volume covers months of travel and acres of growth of the characters. This is the first volume; it is very necessary to set the foundations for the entire saga.
Too long without getting anywhere.
This is a surprise story. It does have a slow start, with the introduction of the main characters. Llian is a chronicler, (sic) and Karan is ??? Well different. Somehow these two are hero, best friends who hate each other at times. They live in a world that is inhabited by an mix of people that go beyond racial differences.
At over 500 pages you would think the story ends. Nope, there’s more. Hope it is as good as this one was. There is action, suspense, intrigue and suprise. Read enjoy, it’s also okay for younger readers.
A fun read
Great story telling
Really enjoyed this series. Interesting characters and plot.
Depressing
nice blend of mythology and history to make a great quest story
I didn’t finish the book. I started it and just couldn’t get into it.
Great book. Is hard to put down. Very in-depth world.
Loved it!
I was amazed to see that this book has been around since 1997 and that the author has written piles of more words. I see that the averages from book review site to site range pretty widely. It was free so I gave it a shot, thinking to find a new author to run, but alas I had to force myself after several stops to actually trudge through (skimming pages at a time, truth be told) to finish thisoverly wordy book. The ideas looked great – female reluctant heroine, wide ranging word building, cultural artifacts that could turn the power structures on end, and mythologies of the established cultures…all great stuff so I leapt in. What I found was a heroine (and all the other major characters) lacking consistency of personality let alone goals or motivations that led to erratic behavior and outbursts that just jarred constantly against the plot being developed. Their motivations are never explained and their behaviors lead to constant apologizing, which brings me to the next point: I have never seen so much ‘telling’ at the sacrifice of ‘showing’. Does he think he is Dickens? The author has never seen a situation in which 10 words of repetitive telling is not more desired than a succinct one word. You might think that with all the wordy telling that at least the plot would be well-developed, but let me spare you that assumption. I lost count of how many just out of the blue incredibly convenient resolutions were conjured out of nothing to resolve a difficulty the author had painted for a character. No corners here…there is ALWAYS a way out, often as blatently provided as ‘oh, didn’t I tell you? I am immune to those kinds of spells which is why only I am still standing here.” Come on. It was all a dream? Ever here of foreshadowing?
I saw a book blurb from another author saying the characters and story are brilliantly conceived…and at first I wondered what I was not seeing. Then I realized that I could actually agree that they were brilliantly conceived…just abysmally executed.
Thanks for including a pronunciation guide and glossary.
The ending was unsatisfactory. It ended without knowing whether Karan was alive or dead. There didn’t seem to be any closure. I realize that you want people to purchase the next book in the series but I prefer a series like the Wheel of Time. Each novel was self contained; each novel resolved a portion of the quest.
Very good read, a little wordy in some spots but overall kept moving.