Ian Irvine was born in Bathurst in 1950, and educated at Chevalier College and the University of Sydney, where he took a PhD in marine science. After working as an environmental project manager, Ian set up his own consulting firm in 1986, carrying out studies for clients in Australia and overseas. He has worked in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region. An expert in marine pollution, Ian has developed some of Australia's national guidelines for the protection of the oceanic environment and still works in this field. Ian's previous fantasy quartets, The View from the Mirror and The Well of Echoes, are being published in eleven countries.