The Rogue is a fantasy novel that has been released by author Trudi Canavan

Trudi Canavan

Trudi Canavan is an Australian writer of fantasy novels, best known for her best-selling fantasy trilogies The Black Magician trilogy and Age of the Five. While establishing her writing career she worked as a graphic designer...

. It forms part of her Kyralia series and is the second novel of The Traitor Spy Trilogy

The Traitor Spy (novel series)

The Traitor Spy trilogy is a projected fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. It will be set mainly in the fictional land of Kyralia. It is currently planned run to three novels....

. The Rogue returns to the themes of the Black Magician Series

The Black Magician (novel series)

The Black Magician trilogy is a fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. The books follow a slum-dwelling girl named Sonea who, although born and raised in the slums of Imardin, discovers that she has natural magical abilities usually restricted to the upper classes...

, and features Sonea and Lorkin (Sonea and Akkarin's son).

Plot

The Rogue continues from the events of the Ambassadors Mission. The Ambassadors Mission ended with Lorkin being confined to the Sanctuary (The Traitors' mountainous hidden city), and been given the job of assisting healing the inhabitants as the Sachakan magic users don't know healing magic, though Lorkin is doing this willingly. Ambassador to Sachaka Dannyl is no longer looking for Lorkin and has resumed his duties as Ambassador while awaiting for a new assistant. Sonea has exposed a rogue magician from Igra, with help from Cery and Regin. Though through reading the rogue's mind they have discovered that the Thief Skellin is also a magic user though he is unaware of Black Magic, this Thief is also responsible for the murders that have been plaguing the Thieves and the man directly responsible for importing and selling the drug Roet that is an attempt to gain a measure of control of citizens of Imardin from all the classes, low, high and magician.

Living among the Sachakan rebels, Lorkin does his best to learn about them and their unique magic. But the Traitors are reluctant to trade their knowledge for the Healing they so desperately want, and while he assumes they fear revealing their existence to the world, there are hints they have bigger plans. Sonea searches for the rogue, knowing that Cery cannot avoid assassination forever, but the rogue's influence over the city's underworld is far greater than she feared. His only weakness is the loss of his mother, now locked away in the Lookout. In Sachaka, Dannyl has lost the respect of the Sachakan elite for letting Lorkin join the Traitors. The Ashaki's attention has shifted, instead, to the new Elyne Ambassador, a man Dannyl knows all too well. And in the University, two female novices are about to remind the Guild that sometimes their greatest enemy is found within.

Main Characters

• Black Magician Sonea — Lorkin's mother and one of the Guilds Black Magicians. She is also directly responsible for the hospices located in poorer sections of Imardin, which she manages and works for.

• Lord Lorkin — Son of Black Magician Sonea and High Lord Akkarin. Formerly the Ambassador Dannyl's assistant.

• Ambassador Dannyl — Currently the Guilds ambassador to Sachaka.

• Lady Lilia;— A new character in the series, she is a Novice in the guild that makes friends with the wrong person.

Robes

In the book magicians wear different robes depending on their chosen discipline. The colours are:

• Red: Warriors
• Green: Healers
• Purple: Alchemists
• Brown: Novices who have yet to choose a discipline

There are also colours for denoting rank:

• Black: Black Magician
• Blue: Administrator
• White: High Lord
• Black sashes: Heads of Discipline
• Gold sashes: King's advisors

Countries

Members of 'The Allied Lands':

Kyralia: - Home of the Guild. Neighbour to Elyne and Sachaka ruled by Sachaka around a millennium ago. (Most Powerful Magical Talent in the 'Allied Lands').
Elyne: - Neighbour to Kyralia and Sachaka ruled by Sachaka around a millennium ago. Closest to Kyralia in Appearance and Culture. (Semi-Powerful Magical Talent).
Lan: - People of warrior Tribes.
Lonmar: - Desert land. Home of the Mahga religion.
Vin: - Island Nation.

Countries Beyond 'The Allied Lands':

Sachaka: - Home of the once great 'Sachakan Empire'. Most free men are Magicians (Ashaki). All but the most powerful are slaves. Once Ruler of Kyralia and Elyne, it is believed that knowledge of Higher magic, or Black Magic, was brought to these countries from Sachaka. (Users of Higher / Black Magic)
Duna: - Tribal people who live in the volcanic desert north of Sachaka (Magical Talent: Largely unknown, however they do seem to have discovered how to 'grow' magical crystals (blood-stones and store-stones for example))
Igra: - A land "beyond the great northern desert. It is a strange place, where all magic is taboo and punishable by death. Yet those who watch for and punish magicians are magicians themselves. They steal the children of those they execute to maintain their numbers." - The Ambassador's Mission, page 480.