They believe in the Ascendancy; that humans are capable of living closer to the Omniscient than they do now, that there are powers only waiting to be developed which will allow humans to become much more advanced. Among them are the power to communicate with the elements and control them to do one's bidding: the power of magic.
For generations they have nurtured children who have been born with talents in one of the four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Some have had other, more unique abilities, like healing powers and the ability to communicate with animals. But none have been born with the talent for everything, to connect to all of life, not just one strand; none, that is, until now.
Arducius, Gorian, Mirron, and Ossacer are the first four children born into true ascendancy, and represent the culmination of years of carefully selected breeding. By the age of five, they have demonstrated powers far beyond those of any who have preceded them. But their power has come at a cost, the cost that is associated with breeding from too small a gene pool. Ossacer's immune system is so weak that he is blind before he's out of childhood, Arducius' bones are so brittle that can break upon sharp contact, and Gorian carries the seeds of madness and megalomania in his brain.
While the Ascendants are coming into their powers in their little part of the Empire, events in the outside world are taking place that will soon intrude upon their idyllic circumstances. The empire has finally over-extended itself in its quest to control more and more territory, and her latest campaign has not only stalled, but seen the destruction of two of her largest armies, and the decimation of its third from illness.
What had started as an attempt to increase her holdings has turned into a desperate attempt at survival. The very heart of the Conquord, her capital city Estorr, is now exposed as the armies of the Tsardon prepare to sweep away the last of her defences.
Article comments
1 - Ry_Darrick
A Fantastic review which captured the essence of the book, well done.
Fans of the book can visit www.theascendants.co.uk for more information on the series.