Halcyon, Book Two
About the book
Admiral Ferdinand Magellan has constructed the largest warship in history, intending to return his shattered homeland to power by the only means he knows: open warfare. But veteran soldier and master swordsman Lorenzo Quesada believes there is a better way. If he can find the fabled Skyfire Stone, Lorenzo hopes to restore his country’s prosperity and honor in an era of peace. But Salvator Fabris, the most feared fencer and assassin in Italy, is also seeking this powerful holy relic.
Before Lorenzo can set out on his quest, famed inventor and pilot Taziri Ohana arrives on his doorstep with a tale of a horrible plane crash and three frightened passengers: Persian scholar Shahera Zahd, Italian chemist Dante Aligeri, and the cunning politician Nicola DeVelli. Unwilling to delay his mission or to abandon strangers in need, Lorenzo takes these new arrivals with him across the wintry wastes into the mountains to find the Skyfire Stone, where they find that several creatures from myth and legend are all too real.
But when the holy relic is stolen and Magellan’s battleship sets sail for Marrakesh, Lorenzo and Taziri must prevent a war that could destroy all the nations of the Middle Sea, even if the attempt costs them both their lives.
The Halcyon trilogy of steampunk thrillers:
Book 1: The Burning Sky
Book 2: The Broken Sword
Book 3: The Bound Soul
The Other Earth series
This is a work of historical fantasy. Some of this world may be familiar to you. But in this world, Europe never emerged from the last Ice Age and only the southern regions are habitable. North Africa is cool, wet, and fertile. Ancient nations such as the Persian Empire have persisted, though others, such as the Romans, never rose to power. Some of the countries in this world reflect the cultures and attitudes of the Renaissance while others reflect the Industrial Age. Historical figures appear, though they too may be different from the ones you have known.
And while this world is separate and unique from our own, it generally resembles our world in the sixteenth century in some ways. But only some. Don’t expect this world to conform to the history that you know. The people and places are different. The climate and wildlife are different. Even death is different here.