Book Review of Equinox
The Second Book of Ascension
Sponsored by Enchanted Book Tours
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Book blurbs and covers
Equinox – The Second Book of Ascension
Can you see the
story breathing?
The Keep
The most beautiful
city on the great Mountain
The pinnacle of
Maelir culture
The home of the
Inner Sanctum
The place where
secrets hide
The fate of the
Mountain hangs in balance at the time of Equinox, and even the Keep can no
longer remain untouched. The Maelir are desperate to defend it, the Faemir to
demolish it, the windriders to claim it. But unknown to them all, a dark force
has already emerged from the chaos to seize power.
As Atreu and Verlinden
strive to decipher the power of the Talisman that has defined Atreu’s Ascent,
Teyth and Valkyra are locked in a desperate battle that neither of them can
win. At a time when darkness and light are in perfect equilibrium, when Maelir
and Faemir must find a way to break the deadlock and avoid annihilation, the
world’s fate lies in the Book of Ascension.
Eclipse – The Lost Book of Ascension
Can you see the
story breathing?
What happens if
after the winter solstice, the days keep getting shorter?
And shorter?
Until there is an
eternal night?
What happens as the
darkness grows?
And the creatures
of dusk take control of the Mountain?
And the quest for
the third Book is the only hope?
The Mountain is in its
death throes as the Nazir send their wraiths to finish what the dusk-rats and
grale had begun. Soon there will be no daylight to protect the Maelir and
Faemir, and with each twilight there are fewer places to hide. Will the Mountain
finally collapse under its own instability or will Atreu and Verlinden’s
descent find the words of salvation in the Lost Book of Ascension?
Zenith – The First Book of Ascension
Can you see the
story breathing?
Imagine
A mountain so great
it takes a year to travel from base to summit
A sun so powerful
it drives you into madness if you look at it
An ascent so vital
it determines the fate of the world
A summit so
precious it holds the key to the divine
The world of the great
Mountain is unstable. Giant pillars erupt from the surface and yawning chasms
form unpredictably underfoot. Since the Maelir first stood on its slopes in the
distant past, they have sought to still its anger and control its power. Each
year, twin brothers are chosen to make a perilous journey to the summit. If
they survive they will be witness to Zenith, and the secrets will be revealed
to them.
When Atreu and Teyth
embark on their Ascent, their Talismans lead them onto conflicting paths that
will ultimately set brother against brother. And this time the Ascent itself is
in peril as unknown forces that have long craved the power of Zenith will stop
at nothing to make it their own even if it means destroying the very thing that
sustains all life the Mountain itself.
Author Bio
Dirk Strasser has written
over 30 books for major publishers in Australia and is an Active Member of the
SFWA. He has won multiple Australian Publisher Association Awards, a Ditmar for
Best Professional Achievement, and has been short-listed for the Aurealis and
Ditmar Awards a number of times. His short story, “The Doppelgänger Effect”,
appeared in the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology, Dreaming Down Under.
His acclaimed fantasy series The Books of Ascension – including Zenith and Equinox – was originally published by Pan Macmillan
in Australia and by Heyne Verlag in Germany and has been re-published by the
Macmillan Momentum imprint, this time including the “lost” third book. His
fiction has been translated into a number of languages. His short stories
include “The Jesus Particle“ in Cosmos magazine, “Stories of the Sand”
in Realms of Fantasy, and “The Vigilant” in Fantasy magazine. His most recent
sale was “The Mandelbrot Bet” to the 2014 Tor anthology Carbide Tipped
Pens, edited by Ben Bova and Eric Choi. He founded the Aurealis Awards and has co-published and co-edited Aurealis magazine for over 20 years.
Links
Twitter:
@DirkStrasser
Buy the books!
Book Excerpts
Equinox excerpt: Chapter Seven
Praether felt a strange tingling down his back as he unlocked the last
chamber of the librum. It was as if he was suddenly given a vague awareness
that something had just changed, or was about to change.
He opened the door and walked in.
‘I thought you would be here,’ he said.
An old man stood ankle-deep in dust by the bookshelf. He looked up from
his reading and half smiled. It appeared as if a grey mist had started to snake
its way up the Reader’s body.
‘Wait,’ cried Praether. ‘Don’t go.’
The mist continued no further.
Praether gasped. ‘Something has changed,’ he said, more to
himself. And then to the Reader: ‘Why have I been able to stop you disappearing
this time?’
The Reader raised his eyebrows as if to say, I think you know.
Praether shivered. ‘No … no I don’t.’
The Reader motioned the arch-librer to come closer.
Praether walked slowly towards him, kicking up small swarms of dust with
each step, until he stood so close he could have reached out and touched him.
The mist started to twist its way up the Reader’s legs as he slowly handed
Praether the Book of Maelur.
‘Tell me – please,’ said Praether. ‘Tell me what has changed.’
The mist continued up his torso, and his body began wavering in front of
Praether’s eyes.
‘Please, wait,’ cried Praether.
The Reader opened his mouth. ‘Read,’ he said, and Praether drew a sharp
breath – it was the first word he had ever heard the old man speak.
The arch-librer watched the mist claim the remainder of the Reader’s
body. As his face faded, Praether could still make out the strange half smile.
For a brief moment it was as if a human-sized cloud floated just above the
floor, and then it dissipated into nothingness.
The tingling sensation Praether had felt on entering the room now shot
through every nerve. As he looked down to read the words on the page, he knew
what had changed.
Somehow, in some strange way, he had become part of the story.
Review:
This
is a very difficult series to read. It
is, at times, difficult to understand and at other times shows great
truths. I read it and find myself
wondering if I like it or not, which is a strange way to read a book...at least
for me. I am finding great truths and
intersting ideas, but also leave the reading very confused. It is one of the few books that I cannot sit
and read for long periods of time.
I
recommend reading these books for yourself.
I give this book 4 out of 5 clouds.
It is well written and really makes you think for yourself.
This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way
affects my opinions or reviews.
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