Opfer

by Claire Powell

"Once upon a time in the mists of memory (or perhaps in a time to come)..." runs the opening to this extraordinary blend of fantasy and science fiction, which takes in an ancient feud between two barbaric races, the flight from a devastated planet Earth and the colonisation of other worlds, mental telepathy on a previously unimaginable scale, and the fabled Annals of Questria. In a situation where the future influences the past, and where free will and predestination combine and merge, the struggles, triumphs and disasters of individuals take on a new meaning - the survival or otherwise of the human race. As some of the questions are answered and the narrative begins to tie up the seemingly disjointed loose ends, there are still riddles to be solved, sacrifices to be made and battles to be won, and even the humblest person has an unconscious role to play in the working out of mankind's destiny. On first appearance, 'The Mission of Tor', the first of the three volumes that make up Opfer, seems to be a simple fantasy story. But where do the legends come from? Who are the Quallics? What exactly is Questria? Is this a scene from the past or the future? And does history repeat itself? As the second volume traces the ancestry of the Reeslanders and Frilanders, and the third volume begins to reveal the answers, one question still remains to be just who IS pulling the strings? Good value for money - three books in one! "The compulsion to read on is there, all right...we have a fine new writer," The Times

458 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

As I come from a family of journalists - my father, grandfather and great-uncle worked on Fleet Street newspapers - it is hardly surprising that I began to write stories at the age of six. I have been writing science fiction since 1987. My first science fiction offering, 'Opfer', was published in 1991. I have since written a sequel, 'The Fremden', 'The Breeding Machine' (set in 1989), have just completed 'Return to Utopia', and am in the middle of writing a book for my dyslexic son, 'The Healer's Apprentice'. I am also hoping to collaborate with a talented artist friend of my son's on a manga version of the latter.

My books are available in hard copy on Amazon and are also available in Kindle format.