Welcome to Aquarius, a distant planet that is vastly different than our own.
You do not need to read this note about the book's setting to understand the story. However, if you would find an overview helpful, please enjoy!
Aquarius is a world where:
* the lines between magic and science are blurred
* one side of the planet never sees sunrise and the other side never sees sunset
* the planet's day-side sky is filled with a magical web of golden light called the Trellis, and
* the night-side is eternally dark and full of eldrich horrors.
Aquarius is populated by two human races:
* the lower-class Pyrrhaei, who lack magic and are ruled by their sorcerous overlords, and
* the upper-class Promethidae, who carry the genetic potential to manipulate a magical particle called promenia.
The upper-class Promethidae are divided into two groups:
* the aristocratic Lightbearers, who have kindled their sorcerous abilities and can perform magic, and
* the wealthy Lightless, who have not but enjoy the prestige of being born to a family possessing sorcerous potential.
Lightbearers are recognizable on sight because they possess glowing tattoo-like tracings around their collarbones. These markings, called laurels, glow a different color depending on the kind of magic a Lightbearer can perform:
* A red laurel signifies that a Lightbearer is a starholder, the rarest and most powerful of the sorcerous lineages. Starholders possess augmented strength and intelligence and the ability to compel obedience.
* A blue laurel signifies that a Lightbearer is a mindholder, a powerful telepath. Mindholders possess the ability to heal, harm, and manipulate minds.
* A black laurel signifies that a Lightbearer is a worldholder, a sorcerer with power over the elements. Worldholders possess the ability to manipulate geography and weather as well as create and destroy magical particles called promenia.
* A green laurel signifies that a Lightbearer is a lifeholder, a sorcerer with power over biology. Lifeholders possess the ability to heal, harm, and manipulate living organisms.
* A purple laurel signifies that a Lightbearer is a forgeholder, a sorcerer who can craft magical artifacts. Forgeholders possess the ability to solidify promenia particles into crystals used to create everything from buildings, to weapons, to jewelry.
Five god-like Lightbearers of royal blood rule the planet and command their respective sorcerous lineages:
* the Rex, the planetary ruler, who is a powerful starholder;
* the Princeps Mindholder, the Rex's second-in-command;
* the Princeps Worldholder, who controls the weather and other planetary phenomena;
* the Princeps Lifeholder, who oversees the health of the people and the land; and
* the Princeps Forgeholder, who oversees technology and public works projects.
Below the Rex and the four ruling Princepses are the Praetors, who govern the four hundred provinces, called provincias, of Aquarius and lead their local guilds of Lightbearers, called curias. By law, every Lightbearer must join a curia for training and work assignments. A Lightbearer child grows up under the authority of a master within their curia, called an aedificans, who is more like a parent to them than their own family.
The magicless Pyrrhaei have no say in the affairs of Aquarius and are often exploited as workers or servants. However, they are dependent on the Lightbearers' magic, which keeps fields fertile, cities safe, and the public healthy.
But Aquarius is not a peaceful world. The red dwarf star that it orbits is prone to violent solar flares that can trigger catastrophic storms and threaten lives. The planet's night-side teems with incomprehensible and vicious lifeforms, called bestias, that become more aggressive and intelligent when three neighboring planets, known as the Devouring Eyes, are visible in the night-side sky. The Devouring Eyes also have a mysterious influence on human minds, causing nightmares and mental illness.
The Trellis and other magical wonders keep the flares, weather, and bestias at bay, but their functioning depends on a critical mass of magical promenia particles and a small army of trained promenia-wielding Lightbearers. But the number of Lightbearers is dwindling as birthrates decline and fewer and fewer Promethidae children successfully kindle as sorcerers. Meanwhile, promenia grows ever more scarce, and rogue promenia continually contaminates the few remaining supplies of this arcane natural resource. Without promenia and the Lightbearers to wield it, the magic keeping Aquarius habitable will eventually fail.
In this book, you will follow the adventures of a group of reluctant heroes. You will meet:
* Domi, a young Pyrrhaei peasant who hatches a daring scheme to steal from Lightbearers;
* Valens, a rebellious Lightbearer who shirks his duties to his Praetor and curia to instead fight rogue promenia in the wilds; and
* Daedalus, the young Princeps Worldholder who possesses a dangerous secret even he does not know.
I invite you to immerse yourself in this intricate world and join its characters in discovering its secrets. Thank you for choosing Aquarius as your next reading adventure!
Enjoy!
YOU ARE READING
Garden of Light: Beneath Devouring Eyes #1
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