Monsters of the Earth
Governor Saxa, of the great city of Carce, a fantasy analog of ancient Rome, is
rusticating at his villa. When Saxa’s son Varus accompanies Corylus on a visit to the household of his father, Crispus, a retired military
commander, Saxa graciously joins the party with his young wife Hedia,
daughter Alphena, and a large entourage of his servants, making it a
major social triumph for Crispus. But on the way to the event, something goes amiss. Varus, who has been the conduit for supernatural
visions before, experiences another: giant crystalline worms devouring
the entire world.
Soon the major characters are each involved in
supernatural events caused by a struggle between two powerful magicians, both mentored by the deceased poet and mage Vergil, one of whom wants
to destroy the world and the other who wishes to stop him. But which is
which? There is a complex web of human and supernatural deceit to be
unravelled.
This new novel in David Drake’s ongoing chronicles of Carce, The Books of the Elements, is a gripping and intricate work of
fantasy.
The Books of the Elements
The Books of the Elements are a series of four fantasy novels set in a city and empire named Carce, which is very similar to that of Rome in 30 AD.
The Books of the Elements consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
