Secret Books of Venus
4 primary works
Book 1
The Secret Books of Venus series - each book woven around one of the four alchemical elements - begins with FACES UNDER WATER, set in the hedonistic atmosphere of 18th-century Venice, where Furian Furiano happens upon a mask of Apollo floating in the murky waters of the canals. The mask hides a sinister art, and Furian finds himself trapped in a bizarre tangle of love and evil as he stumbles upon a macabre society of murderers. In this brilliantly imagined world of terror, Furian must find a way to stem the obsession driving him toward his hidden destiny.
Book 2
The gripping second volume in acclaimed fantasy writer Tanith Lee's series of novels based on the phases of alchemy and the four elements, Saint Fire tells the story of Volpa, a beautiful servant girl who glows with an inhuman inner fire. When her abusive master is mysteriously incinerated, Volpa begins to discover her power of fire. It is not long before the Church leaders discover her gift, and despite questions as to whether her powers are heavenly or demonic, they are determined to have her fighting on their side. A moving Joan of Arc story' - Millennium SF & F'
Book 3
The third book in Tanith Lee's compelling series based on alchemy and the elements focuses on the element of earth. This is a haunting journey to a parallel version of 16th century Venice, where fierce territorial rivalry between two noble families unearths a supernatural force beneath the placid surface of the canals and rotting understructure of the city. A series of bizarre events throws the city into a panic while a humble gravedigger is left to clear up - an effort that will also enable him to unearth the secrets of his own shadowy past.
Book 4
Tanith Lee concludes her compelling Secret Books of Venus quartet with a haunting and suspenseful tale set in her brilliantly reimagined alternative Venice. Centuries into the future, the sunken city of Venice has been salvaged from beneath the sea and rebuilt there under a dome. It is here that geneticists at the University attempt to resurrect two lost souls: Jula, the beautiful 1st century gladiatrix, and Cloudio Del Nero, the 18th Century composer who met his fate in the first volume. Soon a catastrophe occurs and unavenged spirits start to wreak havoc on the doomed city.