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Drinker of Souls #1
Drinker of Souls
LIFE-CLAIMERS--
She was Brann, the Drinker of Souls, from whom all but the very brave and the very foolish fled in fear. Bonded to twin demonic shape-shifters, she roved the land in search of rich life source to feed her demons' need.
But Brann too had a need that couldn't be denied, a quest to free her family from the evil king who'd enslaved them - a quest that would lead Brann and her unearthly allies into magical realms ruled by witches and werewolves, lawless lords and murderous villains, and the ever-present ghosts of the restless dead....
(Source: back cover)
She was Brann, the Drinker of Souls, from whom all but the very brave and the very foolish fled in fear. Bonded to twin demonic shape-shifters, she roved the land in search of rich life source to feed her demons' need.
But Brann too had a need that couldn't be denied, a quest to free her family from the evil king who'd enslaved them - a quest that would lead Brann and her unearthly allies into magical realms ruled by witches and werewolves, lawless lords and murderous villains, and the ever-present ghosts of the restless dead....
(Source: back cover)
335 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1986
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About the author
Jo Clayton
71 books66 followersJo Clayton, whose parents named her after Jo in Little Women, was born and raised in Modesto, California. She and her three sisters shared a room and took turns telling each other bedtime stories. One of her sisters noted that Jo's stories were the best, and often contained science fiction and fantasy elements.
Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.
In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.
During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.
After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.
Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.
Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.
Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.
In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.
During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.
After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.
Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.
Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 1, 2014
Like most Clayton books, this has a rhythm and a language all its own. Sadly Clayton hasn't any imitators today; her vision of the world is so much more complete, her characters have a greater range of emotions and actions than most of what you pick up on the shelves today. She creates her powerful and dangerous women so well, and with such depth, that it's hard to imagine the world in any other form.
May 8, 2021
I am sorry it took me so long to discover Jo Clayton. Her world-building is spectacular with a heavy hint of Japanese/Chinese/Korean culture with ancestors and ghosts and clans. This was a welcome change for me who grew up reading books more bent toward Nordic influenced worlds. Her characters are rich and their interactions tightly drawn making for an altogether enjoyable read. The ending, to me, was a bit anticlimactic but that was the only complaint in an excellent adventure!
July 31, 2019
Really a 3 but I'll give her some extra credit for always finding a positive finish for her heroine.
October 7, 2013
Brann is just a young girl when her village is attacked and enslaved. The spirit of the mountain on which her village is built possesses Brann and gives her the power to suck the life out of those she touches. With this power, and the help of two little white spirits, Brann goes on a quest to reach the heart of the empire that destroyed her village.
The story skips around a little too much, and I was uncomfortable with Brann's relationship (her body is magically aged to that of an adult, and she considers herself to have the life experience of a teenager, but in fact she has only lived about ten years. The man she sleeps with is freaked out when she tells him her chronological age, but the matter is quickly dropped. I wish she just hadn't had a sexual or romantic relationship in this book--it wasn't necessary and it felt icky.). Otherwise, this is a well-thought-out fantasy novel, with fascinating world building and characters I'd like to see more of.
The story skips around a little too much, and I was uncomfortable with Brann's relationship (her body is magically aged to that of an adult, and she considers herself to have the life experience of a teenager, but in fact she has only lived about ten years. The man she sleeps with is freaked out when she tells him her chronological age, but the matter is quickly dropped. I wish she just hadn't had a sexual or romantic relationship in this book--it wasn't necessary and it felt icky.). Otherwise, this is a well-thought-out fantasy novel, with fascinating world building and characters I'd like to see more of.
July 22, 2015
The opening volume in a decent fantasy trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews