Die Chroniken des Raben ist die erste von zwei Fantasy-Trilogien des englischen Schriftstellers James Barclay. Mittelpunkt der beiden Trilogien bildet eine Gruppe von Söldnern, die sich „Der Rabe“ nennt. Die gesamte Handlung spielt in der fiktiven Welt Balaia.
Zusammenfassung Bearbeiten
Dieb der Dämmerung ist der erste Teil der Trilogie und stellt dem Leser die als „Der Rabe“ bekannte Söldnerbande vor, die seit etwa zehn Jahren erfolgreich zusammenarbeitet. Dies ändert sich jedoch, als sie den xeteskianischen Magier Denser treffen. Sie erfahren von der nahenden Gefahr vom Volk der Wesmen und ihrer „Wytchlords“ und begeben sich auf die Suche nach Gegenständen, die benötigt werden, um den Zauber „Dawnthief“ auszuführen, der den Wytchlords effektiv die Kräfte nimmt. Die Wytchlords sind in der Vergangenheit bereits einmal besiegt worden und in der Stadt Parve in einem Tempel mit magischen Fesseln gebunden. Unterwegs werden sie von den „Schwarzen Schwingen“ gefangen genommen, einer radikalen Gruppe, die gegen alle Magie kämpft.
Zeitgleich sind die Dordovan-Magierin Erienne Malanvai und ihre zwei ebenfalls magisch talentierten Kinder in die Gefangenschaft der Schwingen gelangt. Der Rabe kann entkommen, während die Magierin samt Kindern in die Burg der Scvhwingen gebracht wird. In der Nähe der Burg trifft der Rabe auf Will Begman (ein Dieb), Jandyr (ein Elf) und Thraun (ein Gestaltwandler). Der Rabe hat im Laufe der Handlung zwei Mitglieder verloren und verbündet sich mit den dreien. Bergmann erklärt ihren Auftrag: Sie sollen Erienne und ihre Kinder befreien, den Auftrag erhielten sie von Eriennes Mann.
Der Rabe entscheidet sich bei der Befreiungsaktion mitzumachen. Im Laufe der Befreiung werden die beiden Kinder hingerichtet und ein weiteres Mitglied des Raben findet den Tod. Sie befreien Erienne und töten dabei fast die gesamte Besatzung der Festung der Schwarzen Schwingen. Der neu formierte Rabe macht sich auf den Weg, die erfordertlichen Gegenstände zu finden, die für den Zauber Dawnthief benötigt werden. Der Rabe reist nach Parve und Denser wendet Dawnthief erfolgreich an. Durch die Freisetzung von Dawnthief öffnet sich ein Dimensionstor in den „Interdimensionalen Raum“. Die Wytchlords werden durch dieses Tor geschleudert.
Das Tor hat dauerhaft einen Zugang zur Welt der Drachen XXXXX geöffnet. Der Rabe lernt den Drachen Shar-Kaan kennen, das Oberhaupt der Drachenclans der Kaan.
„Noonshade“ ist das zweite Buch der Trilogie und beginnt eine halbe Stunde (Buchzeit) nach dem Ende von „Dawnthief“. Am Ende von „Dawnthief“ hatte Denser den Dawnthief-Zauber gewirkt, um die Wytch-Lords zu vernichten, und nur um sicherzustellen, dass sie nicht zurückkommen, öffnete er einen Dimensionsriss, der ins Nirgendwo führte. Aber er hatte es unwissentlich in die Dimension von Sha-kaan (der goldene Drache im letzten Buch) geöffnet. Der Rabe muss den dimensionalen Riss schließen, der über Parve schwebt, der wächst. Wenn sie versagen, kann die Khaan-Brut die anderen, größeren Bruten nicht abwehren.
The trilogy spans a long period of time due to a gap of 4 and a half years between Noonshade and Nightchild.
Characters Bearbeiten
Hirad Coldheart: A barbarian warrior of unknown origin, Hirad is one of the original founders of the Raven. Erienne once described him as 'the heart of the raven' and Ilkar said that Hirad 'made the Raven live.' Although he is not the smartest member of the group his faith and unflinching loyalty to his friends are really their vital pulse. It is Hirad who reminds everyone that the members of the Raven never work away from each other and maintain their awesome strength precisely because they are always united.
The Unknown Warrior (Sol): Another founding member of the Raven. The Unknown owns a tavern with a friend named Tomas in Korina, the capital city of Balaia. The tavern, called The Rookery, is the only real headquarters of the Raven and gave the group its name. The Unknown's true identity is initially concealed but it later emerges that his true name is Sol and he comes from the city of Xetesk. His soul had been earmarked from birth to become one of the fabled Protectors, an elite force of masked soldiers whose souls are held in thrall by demons after death and forced to protect the magical college of Xetesk, and he had been trained from childhood to become a truly effective warrior. However, on discovering in his teens that he was destined for eternal servitude as a Protector, he ran away to Korina, where he met Tomas, and later formed The Raven. He does eventually escape that destiny, earning the undying loyalty of his former Protector brothers in the process. He has a wife named Diera, and a son, Jonas.
Ilkar: He is a Julatsan mage and another of the founders of the Raven. As an elf he is presumed to be very old, occasionally alluding to his great age in jokes at Hirad's expense. While providing vital mage support to the Raven, Ilkar is also often the voice of reason in the group. He feels his responsibility to his college very strongly, more so after the Wesmen invasion that nearly destroys it. He has a troubled relationship with his existing family, conflict stemming from the fact that he rejected his 'chosen' path as a protector of Aryndeneth (a site of great religious importance to the elves in their home on Calaius) and instead became a mercenary mage in Balaia. While you are never introduced to his parents, his brother Rebraal features in the second trilogy, Legends of the Raven. He has a relationship with the Julatsan mage Pheone during the period following the burying of the heart of Julatsa, but his true love is an elf from the Guild of Drech named Ren'erei.
Erienne Malanvai: She is a Dordovan lore mage and a later addition to the Raven group. Her life is streaked with terrible tragedies but she is nonetheless a truly strong woman. In many ways her character is really developed through grief. When she is first introduced she and her young twin sons have been kidnapped by Travers, the leader of the anti-mage Black Wings, and his lieutenant Selik. Although Erienne is eventually freed by the Raven (and notably not Dordover, her magical college) her sons and husband, Alun, are brutally murdered by the Black Wings. Though she believes she has exacted her revenge by helping The Raven defeat the Black Wings, and personally killing Selik with the spell IceWind, it is later revealed that he survived although terribly disfigured. Erienne is eventually persuaded to join the Raven despite her grief. She is elemental in helping them obtain one of the Dawnthief catalysts from Dordover thus breaking her association with the college that let her sons die and proving her faith in the Raven. She enters into a relationship with the Xeteskian mage Denser and it is not until later in the first trilogy that it's revealed that the child they conceive together harbours a new kind of magic known as the One. Erienne initially lay with Denser in order to produce a child of the One, but this soon develops into love and they later marry. Lyanna, their daughter, is the subject of the third book in the trilogy, Nightchild. In an attempt to protect her daughter from the four greedy colleges, all eager to control the power of the One magic, Erienne and Lyanna escape to an island known as Herendeneth, home to the last practitioners of the One magic, four ancient elves known as the Al Drechar. After a turbulent time Lyanna is finally killed despite the best efforts of the Raven and the power of the One magic is transferred to a devastated Erienne. When it becomes clear that the Al Drechar deliberately effected the transference at the cost of Lyanna's life because she couldn't contain the One entity, Erienne's fury is understandable; however, she now has the One magic whether she likes it or not and is eventually forced to allow the remaining Al Drechar help her shield her mind from the ravages of the One.
Synopsis of The Raven Bearbeiten
The Raven are band of mercenaries, from the continent of Balaia, who are famous, with a reputation for being the best at what they do. As a result, they already have all the money they need and so the fights and missions they choose to do during the books are what they choose to do and not what they are paid to do - this means that they do what they consider to be the just and right thing to do. The Raven have been together ten years before the beginning of DawnThief, and have already lost two members named Kirst and Halyn.
Each time a member of the Raven dies they observe their own private rituals, holding a Vigil and promising never to forget the dead member.
Philosophy of The Raven Bearbeiten
The Raven are a very close knit group of friends. They share an utter belief that they will succeed in what they choose to do simply because they are The Raven.
Their code of conduct is such that they will never commit an act of murder, never take an action without consulting the rest of the group and will trust one another with their lives.
Nothing is more important to them then their group and whilst they will fight for country, plane and the greater good of their world; it is wholly because of their love for one another that they decide on which missions to undertake. Even then the matter is discussed by The Raven as a whole before it is acted upon and all major decisions for the group are discussed openly amongst them.
They all devote themselves entirely to each other, such that should any one of them need help then the others will let nothing stand in their way to give it, even war or death.
Ausgaben Bearbeiten
- Dawnthief. Gollancz 1999, ISBN 1-85798-594-X.
- Zauberbann. Heyne 2004, Übersetzer Jürgen Langowski, ISBN 3-453-53002-0.
- Drachenschwur. Heyne 2005, Übersetzer Jürgen Langowski, ISBN 3-453-53014-4.
- Gesamtausgabe: Dieb der Dämmerung. Heyne 2010, ISBN 3-453-52728-3.
- Noonshade. Gollancz 2000, ISBN 0-575-06895-7.
- Schattenpfad. Heyne 2005, Übersetzer Jürgen Langowski, ISBN 3-453-53055-1.
- Himmelsriss. Heyne 2005, Übersetzer Jürgen Langowski, ISBN 3-453-53061-6.
- Gesamtausgabe: Jäger des Feuers. Heyne 2010, ISBN 978-3-453-52754-6.
- Nightchild. Gollancz 2001, ISBN 0-575-07215-6.
- Nachtkind. Heyne 2005, Übersetzer Jürgen Langowski, ISBN 3-453-52133-1.
- Elfenmagier. Heyne 2006, Übersetzer Jürgen Langowski, ISBN 3-453-52139-0.
- Kind der Dunkelheit. Heyne 2011, ISBN 978-3-453-53380-6.
Weblinks Bearbeiten
Einzelnachweise Bearbeiten
{{SORTIERUNG:Chroniken des Raben #Die}}
[[Kategorie:Literarisches Werk]]
[[Kategorie:Literatur (21. Jahrhundert)]]
[[Kategorie:Literatur (Englisch)]]
[[Kategorie:Literatur (Vereinigtes Königreich)]]
[[Kategorie:Fantasyliteratur]]
[[Kategorie:Romanzyklus]]