The Guardian of Hell (Terramagica Book I)

The meek shall inherit the earth... for everyone else will be dead.

The Guardian of Hell is a story set in a world where humanity exists as the dominant race over several other intelligent peoples, and two forms of magic, mutually antagonistic towards each other, have been integrated into the fabric of modern 19th century life, often replacing more mundane technology.

However, this was not always the case. Before the dawn of human civilization, the Eldarions, sole practitioners of ethereal Aethyr magic, ruled the world with the other races their servants and slaves. But the Humans became too numerous and overthrew their masters, the world sinking for a time into barbarism before civilization rose up once more.

Now, in the modern age of Queen Victoria, the practical magic of Terramagica, wielded both by the sturdy race of the Koncava and a few humans, is being accepted as part of the natural order of things by all the races. Except for one.

The Eldarion race is dying. In ages past when the nations of the Eldarion were falling, their sorcerers gave to their loyal human servants certain abilities that would be passed on, in secret, from generation to generation.

To the clan that became the Goldspears, once kings of the Nubian empire but now upper class industrialists of the British, was given the birthmark of a blue, seven pointed star, and a prophecy. If a son were to be born with a black star instead of blue, he would become the Destroyer King, destined to summon the old gods to Earth and restore the Eldarions to their ancient thrones.

Superstitious nonsense to most everyone, of course, including young Jonathan Goldspear, whose birthmark is black as obsidian. Yet everything is about to change. For when the ancient Eldarions set in motion the spell giving Jonathan his seven pointed star, they unknowingly opened a gate to a place with a pitiless creature even the old gods fear.

And Jonathan is the key...