Lodestone: Book One - The Sea of Storms
Kelanni - a planet tidally locked around a brown dwarf star. Ail-Kar - a white hole, a portal from another universe, rains meteoroids on to the surface of the planet Kelanni. But the so-called "lodestones" behave according to different physical laws, changing Kelanni`s society, its religion and its people. Now the land is ruled over by a mysterious Prophet. With the aid of the fearsome Keltar in their flying cloaks, he is forcing the Kelanni to mine lodestones, in order to build a machine whose terrible power can only be guessed at. Shann, an orphan, witnesses a battle between a Keltar and a stranger bearing a similar flying cloak. She sets out to track down the stranger, and is propelled into an extraordinary land of floating stones, strange communication devices and bizarre creatures.
Shann finds Lyall, a Kelanni driven by a past he will not discuss, to seek freedom for those suffering under the Prophet's heel. She learns of the technology behind the Keltars' power, and joins him on a mission to free the slaves and cut off the Prophet's supply of lodestones.
Meanwhile, Keris, a Keltar with impressive skills, is sent on a mission to track down the rebels. She is attacked by a flying creature and saved by the enigmatic Chandara. At their Great Tree, she receives a message transmitted by a woman from the past, who reveals the terrifying truth that the Prophet is out to destroy the Kelanni. Accompanied by Boxx, a Chandara who seems to speak only in riddles, Keris must travel to the other side of her world in order to retrieve a device that will enable her to disable the Prophets machine. She races to save the rebels from a trap set for them, joining the party
Together, they seek to cross the Great Barrier of Storms to the far side of the planet Kelanni, where none have ventured before. On their journey, they will traverse desert, prairie, high mountains and deep fire pits. They will come upon wondrous and terrifying beasts, meet peculiar characters and encounter advanced technology, left behind by a civilization from long ago. Ultimately they will face the Great Barrier itself and the unknown world that lies beyond, where they will find the answers each of them seeks. The key to both salvation and destruction that lies within the ultimate power of... "Lodestone".
The Story Behind This Book
Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms is the result of an idea that I had had for some time. Einsteins theory of Relativity predicts the existence of "Negative Matter" (NOT Antimatter - that's something else entirely), although no-one has ever found any. However, we know that it would have some pretty strange properties, due to the math involved (like negative inertia, for example). I started to think, "What would happen to a society where negative matter was available?" The Lodestone Series has been the result. The second book in the series, "The World of Ice and Stars" has now been accepted for publication and is due out around September 2010. The third instalment, "The Crucible of Dawn" is currently a work in progress. Here is a teaser from Book Two! (Excerpt) A low snarling sound. A pair of yellow eyes appeared in front of her; then another, and a third. Shapes moved in the darkness, jostling each other impatiently, regarding her with a malevolence colder even than the bitter air. The snarl grew into a chorus of deep throated growls from every side. Saccath's staff was already in her hands, her tendons stretched white against the darkwood. "Boxx, stay close," she commanded. Glancing beside her, she saw that the Chandara had transformed itself into a ball of chitin. You'll have to teach me that trick. Shann whirled around. The creatures were circling her, probing her defences, testing her resolve. She strained her eyes, but their forms were elusive, melting into the anonymity of the starlit night. If she were on her own, she would have flared her cloak and scanned for lodestone, so as to effect her escape, but there was no way she was going to leave Boxx at the mercy of these...things. She keened her Kelanni senses, bracing herself for the attack. It erupted in a flurry of fur and fang-of horn and claw. Shann was slicing, slashing and stabbing at anything that moved; her diamond blade flashing in the starlight as if the heavens were lending her their power. She brought her staff down on the head of one of the beasts and heard the crunch of bone; then pirouetted, cleaving phantoms and sundering shadows. Bass growling was now becoming interspersed with higher pitched yelping. The creatures backed off. Regrouping. Thinking. As she stood, breathing hard, braced for the next onslaught, Shann's mind went back to the battle with the sand scarags of the Great Southern Desert. The sand scarags were like automata. They had one tactic-swarm and overwhelm-which they pursued with a mindless compulsion. These creatures were different. There was a collective intelligence here-the cold unyielding logic of the implacable hunter. Shann felt a sudden sharp pressure in the small of her back. Before she could react, she was propelled forward and sent sprawling, face first onto the ground. She twisted on to her back. The stars were blotted out by a huge shape, looming over her. Xanthic eyes bore into her and hot, fetid breath washed over her face... (To be continued)