Book excerpt: In the second volume of the Lyonesse trilogy, new threads are woven into the epic tapestry begun in Suldrun's Garden. While war rages across the Elder Isles, King Aillas's true love, Glyneth, is carried off to a parallel world by an amoral magician in the pay of the wicked King Casmir. Meanwhile, a sorceress's malice, condensed into a green pearl, passes from hand to hand bringing poignant misery to whomever it touches. Jack Vance conjures up a tale of war and politics, magic and derring-do, presented in the inimitable style that has made him one of fantasy's acknowledged grandmasters. - Matt Hughes "The Green Pearl" is Book II of the Lyonesse series, and Volume 53 of the Spatterlight Press Signature Series. Released in the centenary of the author's birth, this handsome new collection is based upon the prestigious Vance Integral Edition. Select volumes enjoy up-to-date maps, and many are graced with freshly-written forewords contributed by a distinguished group of authors. Each book bears a facsimile of the author's signature and a previously-unpublished photograph, chosen from family archives for the period the book was written. These unique features will be appreciated by all, from seasoned Vance collector to new reader sampling the spectrum of this author's influential work for the first time. - John Vance II