Almeia :- The crystal queen of the Almecs (other world avatars) feeding upon blood it is she who transported her world into the Avatars to save her people and is now behind the war to gain blood to recharge her exhausted frame.

Ammon :- King of the Erek-jhip-zhonad (people of the stars) known to the avatars as Mud People as to a civilised society it is unthinkable that such a title is appropriate compared to them. It is he to whom Viruk is assigned to protect when the Almec invasion begins and it is also he who partially funds the Pajists

Anu :- The Avatar questor who saved the people by refining the date of the worlds fall. Prefers to age and die and as such is frowned upon by other avatars. It is he who is also the last avatar to understand the music of the great song and he who also constructs a pyramid to drain the magic from the land to save everyone from the Almecs.

Anwar :- High Councillor to King Ammon and teacher at the university.

Cas-Coatl :- Almec General and crystal-wed warrior Lord of the Third Sector.

Mejana :- Owner of a high class brothel which caters to the Avatars needs and leader of the resistance funded partly by King Ammon. Known as the Pajists thier goals are to see the avatars destroyed to end their vampiric ways over the "lesser" races.

Methras :- The Vagar sergeant who is half avatar (due to his high intelligence and the fact that he is ambidextrous.) Given command of Serpent 7 after being trained by Talaban.

One-Eyed-Fox :- an Anajo Shaman.

Pendar :- Half avatar and member of the Pajists due to his mothers and twins murder by the avatars. Was Methras' friend as a youngster and known to "prefer the company of men."

Rael :- The Questor General and leader of the avatars. Ro :- An Avatar who wants the days of old rather than the crumbling civilisation that has survived and continues to pratice the customs that he believes made the avatars great. Sadau the Potter :- The only survivor of a mud people war party. When requested by Viruk to return the kings brothers head he throws it into the river and returns home. When the king discovers this he is sent for and is allowed to live. It is to Sadau that the king comes when his city is under attack and manages to flee with him. Sadau is like by Viruk (the most despised of all the avatars.)

Sofarita :- The Avatars only hope created by Viruk by accident when he healed her, she became crysal wed not just crysalising but also able to absorb and use the power of the crysals through her own body.

Suryet :- Touchstone's wife. Talaban :- An avatar with morals. Whilst he is heavily loyal to his people he believes in compassion to the lesser races

Touchstone :- An Anajo warrior taken on a raid and is not only Talaban's scout but also his best friend. Talaban alsopromised that he would take Touchstone home after a period of time and held his promise.

Viruk :- The opposite of Talaban. A killer without morals. A keen gardener who takes a liking to Sadau the Potter and wills his house to his Gardener when he faces a suicidal charge hoping that the Gardener will take the little potter in. The only avatar to survive the whole experience other than Questor Ro.

Plot

My Views

Another stand alone novel with many memorable characters. Although the novel didn't receive much acclaim it is a novel worth reading as it represents a whole new world to the fan, concepts of love, honour and a building alliance against a powerful enemy who have ripped the fabric of time and space to invade.

It also has an unforgettable "charge of the light brigadesque" to which many fans would approve and a second chance for perhaps one of gemmell's most memorable psychotic villans.

Others Views