Catherine Fisher

Galen has spent the winter in Sarres, building a power-base round the symbolic leadership of the Interrex. Also, Galen and Raffi rescue two men from execution by the Watch: a keeper and a sceptic. These new men severely test Galen's and Raffi's belief in the Order's ultimate success.

Following the success of How Poets Work comes this guide for would-be and published novelists. Ten contributors share their experiences of how to write a novel, where to begin, how to develop plot, character, structure, imagery, and - importantly - where to end. Literary novels, thrillers, cowboy stories, post-modem confections are all discussed, together with the difficulties of getting - and staying - published. The relationship between writer and publisher looms almost as large as that between writer and reader. In addition to advice and tips these often humorous essays also point to the diverse and idiosyncratic world of the novelist, who may write only in hotels, only in a particular room at home, only in longhand, only on a computer, only with a carefully devised plan, only with a character and no idea for a plot. Maura Dooley is a much admired poet and editor, who would like to write a novel. She is a freelance writer and arts administrator in London.

Having tapped into the Crow, the Order's legendary powerhouse, Galen is charged with a force beyond anything he, or his apprentice, Raffi have ever known. And when, during the ritual ceremony on the night of Flainsdeath, Galen receives a message from the makers urging him to find the Interrex - the child of the last great Emperor - Galen knows that the Keepers are tantalisingly close to the brink of a revolution. Meanwhile, Gary is struggling to come to terms with her past, her identity and the mystery of how she became a member of the Watch.

The fate of an Italian icon damaged by floods, a Victorian skeleton, and a Vampire Ballet are amongst the many unusual subjects of the poems in this new collection by Catherine Fisher. Lyrical grace combined with a sharp eye for imagery and a precise use of language are her hallmarks. Her themes are history, religion, and distinctively for this book, memory, highlighted in her sequence about an amnesiac and in the final section of sonnets, an imaginative chronicle of immigrant forebears."... an enviable clarity of intent, purpose and execution"Ian MacMillan, Poetry ReviewCatherine Fisher is the author of three volumes of poetry for Seren: Immrama, The Unexplored Ocean and Altered States. She is also a novelist for children; her books include The Conjurer's Game which was shortlisted for the Smarties prize in 1992 and has been serialised on Radio 5. She works as a teacher in Newport, Gwent.

Raffi is apprenticed to the Relic Master, Galen, whose task is to keep safe the relics of a bygone age. But his powers are weakening and he and Raffi set off to meet the Makers in the City of the Crows and discover why. The journey is beset with dangers and Raffi's courage is tested at every turn. They are joined by the enigmatic girl Carys and face an uncertain future in the City of Destruction. Will they be able to summon the Crow to help them? Or will the everpresent Watch eventually eliminate them?

'Immrama' is an old Irish word meaning "voyages to islands", and many of the poems in this volume are journeys to islands of the past, to ancient sites, and into religion." There is a classic dignity in Welsh poet Fisher's work, a sculptural or graven quality that makes each poem linger in the mind." Booklist"Fisher's economy and elegance shine... richly imagined and musical poems show disciplined verse that relies on its own internal logic... These delightful poems weave myth and dream in new and lyrical ways..." Kirkus ReviewsCatherine Fisher is the author of three volumes of poetry for Seren: Immrama, The Unexplored Ocean and Altered States. She is also a novelist for children; her books include The Conjurer's Game which was shortlisted for the Smarties prize in 1992 and has been serialised on Radio 5. She works as a teacher in Newport, Gwent.

In this striking collection Catherine Fisher mixes vivid and particular poems about the Welsh landscape such as 'The Four Seasons' and 'Field-walking', with historical monologues such as 'Incident at Conwy' and scenes from myth like 'Merlin on Ynys Enlli'. With an archeologist's care, she sifts her imagery from the past and examines it in minute, careful detail. The title sequence, based on the journals of James Hartshill, a traveller on the voyages of Captain James Cook in the south Pacific in the eighteenth century, is a triumph of her technique. The famous explorer's stubborn and heroic character and his adventures in the perilous frozen wastes of the Antarctic and among the natives 'sudden and dangerous as children' of the lush Pacific islands are marvellously portrayed." She writes imaginatively, bringing dead things to life, boldly placing them in the present world"Planet"I am conscious here of the quality of passion implicit in her work, and the exciting prospect of the future for a writer who clearly has so much more to say"New Welsh ReviewCatherine Fisher is the author of three volumes of poetry for Seren: Immrama, The Unexplored Ocean and Altered States. She is also a novelist for children; her books include The Conjurer's Game which was shortlisted for the Smarties prize in 1992 and has been serialised on Radio 5. She works as a teacher in Newport, Gwent.