Arcanum - by Simon Morden (Paperback)

About the Book

"A single spark can ignite the entire world"--Cover.

Book Synopsis

Rome was the center of the most powerful empire the world had ever seen, but that didn't stop it falling to Alaric the Goth, his horde of barbarian tribesmen and their wild spell-casting shamans. Having split the walls with their sorcery and slaughtered the inhabitants with their axes, the victors carved up the empire into a series of bickering states which were never more than an insult away from war.

A thousand years later, and Europe has become an almost civilized place. The rulers of the old Roman palatinates confine their warfare to the short summer months, trade flourishes along the rivers and roads, and farming has become less back-breaking, all due to the magic, bestowed by gods, that infuses daily life. Even the barbarians' gods have been tamed: where once human sacrifices poured their blood onto the ground, there are parties and picnics, drinking and singing, fit for decent people and their children. But it looks like the gods are going to have the last laugh before they slip quietly into ill-remembered obscurity. . .

Review Quotes

"A masterful foray...An engrossing rollercoaster of a plot winds up with a solidly satisfying climax that leaves the reader craving more."--Publishers Weekly on Arcanum

"Morden builds a world of unexpected twists... a fresh, creative storyline."--RT Book Reviews on Arcanum

"Morden, against a gritty, utterly convincing backdrop, anticipates every consequence and wrings out surprise after surprise. An enthralling read for aficionados of intelligent, impeccably rendered fantasy."--Kirkus on Arcanum

"Small, immoral, likeably unlikeable, Petrovitch steps fully formed onto the neon slick streets of London as if on the run from a classic anime..."--Jon Courtenay Grimwood, award-winning author of the Arabesk Trilogy on Equations of Life

"Vividly drawn characters, a compassionate understanding of medieval daily life, and the ability to combine action scenes with domestic and philosophic interludes make Morden's latest novel both an entertaining journey and a learning experience."--Library Journal on Arcanum

"With Equations of Life, Morden has got hold of the comfortable old beta-tested cyberpunk genre by the scruff of its digital neck and released it in a smooth alpha version ready to take on all comers in the new age. I never thought I'd want to know what happens next to a smart-mouth anti-hero heart-attack victim in a ruined Metrozone city - but I do."--Peter F. Hamilton on Equations of Life

About the Author

Dr. Simon Morden holds degrees in geology and planetary geophysics. He was born in Gateshead, England and now resides in Worthing, England. Find out more about Simon Morden at www.simonmorden.com.