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Blackbird #3
A Blackbird in Amber
The terrible Serpent M'gulfn has been destroyed, but Earth's future is in peril. Its death has unleashed a chaotic power that may prove more dangerous than the Serpent itself. Journeying to Gorethria comes Melkavesh, daughter of Ashurek and Silvren, determined to harness the new power of sorcery for good. But can she resist the temptation to claim her birthright - the dark throne renounced by Ashurek? A ruthless usurper, Xaedrek, has already seized Gorethria's throne and is working his own warped form of sorcery to restore the evil empire. To save the Earth, Melkavesh must defeat him… but she has reckoned without Xaedrek's seductive charm… 'Fantasy doesn't come much better than this!' - Starlog
- GenresFantasy
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
3 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Freda Warrington
52 books327 followersFreda Warrington is an award-winning British author, known for her epic fantasy, vampire and supernatural novels.
“The Blood Wine books are addictive, thrilling reads that are impossible to put down and they definitely deserve more attention” – Worldhopping.net
Her earliest novels, the Blackbird series, were written and published in the 1980s. In the intervening years she has seen numerous novels of epic fantasy, supernatural and contemporary fantasy, vampires, dark romance, horror and alternative history published.
Her novel ELFLAND won the Romantic Times BEST FANTASY NOVEL Award in 2009, while her 1997 Dracula sequel DRACULA THE UNDEAD won the Dracula Society's BEST GOTHIC NOVEL Award.
Four of her novels (Dark Cathedral, Pagan Moon, Dracula the Undead, and The Amber Citadel) have been nominated or shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society's Best Novel award. The American Library Association placed MIDSUMMER NIGHT in its Top Ten for 2010.
Recently Titan Book reissued her popular romantic-gothic Blood Wine vampire series set in the 1920s - A Taste of Blood Wine, A Dance in Blood Velvet and The Dark Blood of Poppies - along with a brand new novel, The Dark Arts of Blood. In 2017, Telos Publishing will publish her first short story collection, NIGHTS OF BLOOD WINE, featuring fifteen lush dark tales - ten set in her Blood Wine world, and five others of gothic weirdness.
In 2003, Simon & Schuster published The Court of the Midnight King, an alternative history/ fantasy retelling of the story of King Richard III. To celebrate all the events surrounding the discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester, The Court of the Midnight King is now available on Kindle and in paperback format. Most of her backlist titles, including the Blackbird series, Dracula the Undead, Dark Cathedral and Pagan Moon, can already be found on Kindle or will be available in the next few months.
Warrington has also seen numerous short stories published in anthologies and magazines. For further information, visit her website Freda Warrington
Born in Leicester, Warrington grew up in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire. After completing high school, she trained at Loughborough College of Art and Design and worked in medical illustration and graphic design for some years. She eventually moved to full-time writing, and also still enjoys design, photography, art, jewellery-making and other crafts, travelling and conventions.
Series:
* Jewelfire
* Dark Cathedral
* Aetherial Tales
* Blackbird
“The Blood Wine books are addictive, thrilling reads that are impossible to put down and they definitely deserve more attention” – Worldhopping.net
Her earliest novels, the Blackbird series, were written and published in the 1980s. In the intervening years she has seen numerous novels of epic fantasy, supernatural and contemporary fantasy, vampires, dark romance, horror and alternative history published.
Her novel ELFLAND won the Romantic Times BEST FANTASY NOVEL Award in 2009, while her 1997 Dracula sequel DRACULA THE UNDEAD won the Dracula Society's BEST GOTHIC NOVEL Award.
Four of her novels (Dark Cathedral, Pagan Moon, Dracula the Undead, and The Amber Citadel) have been nominated or shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society's Best Novel award. The American Library Association placed MIDSUMMER NIGHT in its Top Ten for 2010.
Recently Titan Book reissued her popular romantic-gothic Blood Wine vampire series set in the 1920s - A Taste of Blood Wine, A Dance in Blood Velvet and The Dark Blood of Poppies - along with a brand new novel, The Dark Arts of Blood. In 2017, Telos Publishing will publish her first short story collection, NIGHTS OF BLOOD WINE, featuring fifteen lush dark tales - ten set in her Blood Wine world, and five others of gothic weirdness.
In 2003, Simon & Schuster published The Court of the Midnight King, an alternative history/ fantasy retelling of the story of King Richard III. To celebrate all the events surrounding the discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester, The Court of the Midnight King is now available on Kindle and in paperback format. Most of her backlist titles, including the Blackbird series, Dracula the Undead, Dark Cathedral and Pagan Moon, can already be found on Kindle or will be available in the next few months.
Warrington has also seen numerous short stories published in anthologies and magazines. For further information, visit her website Freda Warrington
Born in Leicester, Warrington grew up in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire. After completing high school, she trained at Loughborough College of Art and Design and worked in medical illustration and graphic design for some years. She eventually moved to full-time writing, and also still enjoys design, photography, art, jewellery-making and other crafts, travelling and conventions.
Series:
* Jewelfire
* Dark Cathedral
* Aetherial Tales
* Blackbird
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 10, 2017
The third in the Blackbird series jumps 25 years into the future after the events of the first two books. It follows Ashurek and Silvren's daughter Mellorn as she returns to Earth to aid the birth of sorcery. But the Gorethrian Empire has used warped demon sorcery to recover its strength and has returned to invading and enslaving other nations.
My favourite thing about the Blackbird series is the wonderful and well-written cast of characters who have complex relationships and motivations. Main character Mellorn / Melkavesh is a sorceress who sets out with the aim of creating a sorcery school on Earth. Strong willed and charismatic she is a natural leader and draws people to herself.
But she is swayed by her own ego and under the guise of stopping the Gorethrians conquest of other nations, she starts to get swept away with the idea of leading an army and overthrowing the Gorethrian ruler.
I really enjoyed the story. It's well paced and interesting, and makes sense in the context of the original books - it doesn't feel tacked on for the sake of continuing the series. I also love the lush descriptions of the world. They brought it to life for me and I couldn't stop reading. I'm excited to read the next one!
My favourite thing about the Blackbird series is the wonderful and well-written cast of characters who have complex relationships and motivations. Main character Mellorn / Melkavesh is a sorceress who sets out with the aim of creating a sorcery school on Earth. Strong willed and charismatic she is a natural leader and draws people to herself.
But she is swayed by her own ego and under the guise of stopping the Gorethrians conquest of other nations, she starts to get swept away with the idea of leading an army and overthrowing the Gorethrian ruler.
I really enjoyed the story. It's well paced and interesting, and makes sense in the context of the original books - it doesn't feel tacked on for the sake of continuing the series. I also love the lush descriptions of the world. They brought it to life for me and I couldn't stop reading. I'm excited to read the next one!
November 28, 2021
Set in the same world as the first 2 blackbird books, but is the next generation with a new cast of characters.
Normally when this happens, it is very inferior to the original series and feels like an attempt to cash in.
I'm thinking of Zelazny's second Amber series, with Merlin - still quite enjoyable but not so much as the original 5 books.
David Eddings Mallorean. Basically just a rewrite of the original Belgariad.
Martin Middleton's Chronicles of the Custodians - First three books were fantastic. Books 4-6 with the secondary characters taking the lead - not so much.
Anyway, in the Blackbird series case, I'm actually enjoying the start of this new duology (I assume) better than I did the original duology.
The original duology was a typical "quest" story against the personification of all evil and you just knew they would eventually get there and the only mystery was whether the author would kill off any of the main characters towards the end.
This book felt a little fresher. Still very standard fantasy storyline, but doesn't start with a quest but has goals evolving as the story develops, starting with basic survival. It's also nice to have the different storylines of the different characters as opposed to the first two books just following the same three characters and their points of view throughout.
I also like a villain who isn't simply evil just for the sake of it. This villain has charisma and the best of intentions but is becoming quickly irredeemable by the means he employs to reach for his goals.
Normally when this happens, it is very inferior to the original series and feels like an attempt to cash in.
I'm thinking of Zelazny's second Amber series, with Merlin - still quite enjoyable but not so much as the original 5 books.
David Eddings Mallorean. Basically just a rewrite of the original Belgariad.
Martin Middleton's Chronicles of the Custodians - First three books were fantastic. Books 4-6 with the secondary characters taking the lead - not so much.
Anyway, in the Blackbird series case, I'm actually enjoying the start of this new duology (I assume) better than I did the original duology.
The original duology was a typical "quest" story against the personification of all evil and you just knew they would eventually get there and the only mystery was whether the author would kill off any of the main characters towards the end.
This book felt a little fresher. Still very standard fantasy storyline, but doesn't start with a quest but has goals evolving as the story develops, starting with basic survival. It's also nice to have the different storylines of the different characters as opposed to the first two books just following the same three characters and their points of view throughout.
I also like a villain who isn't simply evil just for the sake of it. This villain has charisma and the best of intentions but is becoming quickly irredeemable by the means he employs to reach for his goals.
May 11, 2020
I was not sure if I would like the beginning of this second duology within the Blackbird series. But I did so much more than I ever anticipated.
It is a world and story so well crafted. And if you like journeying and nature description. There is aplenty in it and so well done as well.
Cannot highly enough recommend these books.
It is a world and story so well crafted. And if you like journeying and nature description. There is aplenty in it and so well done as well.
Cannot highly enough recommend these books.
November 1, 2020
Less otherworldly than the first two books this was, for me, an easier and more engaging read. Some of the dialogue is still hard to swallow and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of an action "system" to the magic (characters realise they can do something just as it becomes necessary), but I feel less inclined to add this book to the charity shop pile.
May 13, 2020
"Al igual que el vidrio podemos durar para siempre, o rompernos en mil pedazos."
4.5/5
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
September 17, 2015
Read some years ago and as with the rest of the series, liked it but not enough to keep.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews