The Soul Drinker

by Jo Clayton

THE SOUL DRINKER: Book (1) One: Drinker of Souls; Book (2) Two: Blue Magic; Book (3) Three: A Gathering of Stones

Bran was happy in her peaceful village--until the Temueng invaders came. Death for many, slavery for some was the curse these new rulers brought. Only the intervention of the goddess Slya Fireheart saved Brann herself from such a fate. For Slya had marked the young woman for a special purpose, and brought two companions to help her fulfill it.

Yaril and Jaril were beings of energy in their own dimension, demonic shpaeshifters to the people of Brann's world. Change children, they transformed Brann into their Drinker of Souls, able to drain the energy from the living so that they might feed on it and survive. Together, under the protection of Slya and aided (erratically) by Tungjii--the male/female god of chance and luck--Bran, Yaril and Jaril set out to free those of her family enslaved by the enemy Temueng. Before their quest was done, it would lead them to distant lands that were home to witches, murderious villains, and the ever-present ghosts of the restless dead.

Yet the search for those lost to her was just the beginning of Brann's adventures. Other gods besides Slya and Tugjii had designs upon her. They would remorselessly plunge the Soul drinker into a battle against the most powerful wizard to ever curse the lands of men, forcing her to stand with allies from worlds beyonbd her own, gifted with talents that defied all the laws of magic.

But even if Brann did triumph, she would remain all too vulnerable to a power that had sworn to break free of its gods-created prison at any cost. Hovering on the verge of total dissolution, the Chained God would call upon Brann and her comrades to undertake an impossible mission--to obtain six magical orbs from strongholds no one had ever been able to breach. And the price of failure would be greater than Brann's world and people could ever pay.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

889 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Jo 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.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't ever worry that the main characters might be in danger. They will never face anything they cannot easily overcome. You won't have to worry about the outcome of anything, so just sit back. But despite feeling like there were no stakes, the world-building was interesting and carefully done. The exposition is introduced so that it neither condescends to the reader nor dominates the story. I loved the animal names (e.g., a mist crane).

[Ekene Onuorah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry book, can't go anymore. I wanna give up and out this book. If you want it and you're around here, indicate.

[Kendra]

3-in-1 book.