Quintessence

Imagine an Age of Exploration full of alchemy, human dissection, sea monsters, betrayal, torture, religious controversy, and magic. In Europe, the magic is thin, but at the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest explorers to the alluring Western Ocean. Christopher Sinclair is an alchemist who cares only about one thing: quintessence, a substance he believes will grant magical powers and immortality. And, he has a ship. Fleeing an inquisition, physician Stephen Parris follows Sinclair to an island that perches upon the farthest horizon, bringing his daughter Catherine with him. The island teems with fantastical animals and alluring mysteries...and may even harbor the most coveted secret of all ... in this novel by David Walton.

"You come here...to my home, threaten everything I hold dear...and you expect me to comply with the rules of your insignificant little government? And now...you plead for the very lives of those who so unquestioningly accompany your blind naivety, ignorant of the stark reality which patiently lay in wait for them within the darkness. No, Admiral Thaurakk Zhaan. I am going to give you exactly what you granted me...nothing more and nothing less." Zelyx-13 Still convalescing from the oppressive 241-year long reign of the long-dead intergalactic despot Ophyddia, the free peoples of Zelyx-13 have ardently endeavored through heinous adversity to rebuild their fractured lives... Only to face an even greater threat. Sephyria Irreparably torn beyond the limits of mortal threshold from unprecedented loss, the prophetic young woman possesses power rivaling gods... Power for which turned inward will unleash wrath the likes Zelyx cannot possibly comprehend.