Aquasilva Trilogy
3 primary works Complete
Book 1
All across the waterworld of Aquasilva, change is being fought and ruthlessly suppressed by the Domain and its ferocious holy warriors, the Sacri. If the people of Aquasilva have any hope of survival, the Domain must be stopped. Amid the perpetually raging storms plaguing the mineral-starved world, young Cathan, son of a powerful count, travels to inform his father of a crucial discovery of an iron ore cache in their lands. En route to the clan congress where his father awaits, Cathan unwittingly stumbles upon a Domain-engineered plot to unleash a firestorm of oppression upon the world. Cathan is thrust into events beyond his control, forced to become an unwilling agent of change. A way must be found to break the ruthless grip of the Domain. And Cathan begins to understand the daunting scope of what lies ahead in a long and deadly struggle for liberation. Extraordinary first-time novelist Anselm Audley has crafted a fiercely intelligent, lightning-paced, and ambitious fantasy saga that mines the contrary natures of evil and good, fire and water, stasis and change. A richly dramatic evocation of an epic struggle that often bears pointed comparison to our own real-life culture wars, this astonishing first volume of Audley's "Heresy trilogy introduces one of the most exciting voices of the new millennium.
Book 2
Only the fire-magic can hold back the encroaching darkness, but those who wield it, the fanatical priests of the Domain, would rule the entire world with an iron hand. It seems the peoples of Aquasilva must choose whether to die on their feet or live on their knees...Cathan of Lepidor returns home after the battle that has restored his province to freedom and the rule of its count - Cathan's father. But events soon conspire against him, and Cathan must set out once more, to discover the secret behind the storm-magic he used so successfully to save his clan. Unfortunately for Cathan, forces beyond his control begin to shape his future, threatening to overwhelm him. Unless he can regain control of his destiny, Cathan will find himself in the perilous position of leading the rebellious forces against the Inquisition of the Domain...
Book 3
Cathan has discovered powers within himself since his story - and that of the waterworld, Aquasilva - began in HERESY. He has also found that he is the Emperor Orosius's brother - but Orosius is dead, and Eshar is now set in his place, thanks to the Imperial Navy's king-making. Meanwhile, the religious fanatics of the Domain continue to seek out heresy - and Cathan in particular. Still refusing to attempt to place himself on the Imperial throne, Cathan studies the history of storms and the terrible effects of previous meddling with Aquasilva's weather systems. But the Domain's dogs are everywhere, and capture lays in wait for him...and with it, the discovery of his true identity, and death. CRUSADE completes the AQUASILVA trilogy, which has seen the young Cathan come of age, in more ways than one. In its deep politics, world-building and characterisation, it is a masterpiece of fantasy fiction from a new star.