Korus Kezz'arg, known as the latest incarnation of the revered Ocean Serpent, has finally begun to fulfill the dream of his father, Kalligus. As he struggles to unite the Sendyne continent and build an extended empire, he faces the same threats that his late father and brother faced themselves. There are potential enemies at every turn, from his own court to criminal syndicates, from far flung battlefields to the high seas, from religious zealots to his own blood itself.
Meanwhile, Telldor the Prognosticator plots his own version of the future for Lower Sendya. Invited to discuss peace and possibly a unifying marriage with Kuleetha Kezz'arg, Korus's sister, he finds himself embroiled in an ever-changing web of political intrigue and subterfuge.
Lorreda Kezz'arg, the queen mother, has begun a steamy affair with her son's political advisor, Phobiuss Scantillus. The problem is that Scantillus already has a wife and sons. This scandalous news is already well-known throughout the kingdom. What is not known, however, is the box of secrets that Scantillus keeps carefully hidden in his conflicted mind.
Divackk Mo Divackk, the ill-fated, musical assassin of Kartizar Kezz'arg, suffers the brutal version of hospitality served fresh daily in the prisons of the Sendyne capital in Ecstasy Bay. Yet, surprisingly, Korus Kezz'arg might just find a use for his brother's murderer after all.
High Ecclesiator Humble the First has taken the place of his late predecessor, as the highest priest of Heaven's Ocean, but does he truly serve the Crown and the Ocean Serpent? Or does he merely serve his own lust? Or, just as likely, his own lust for power?
Meanwhile, far away to the east, By-Fizzont faces a reckoning with one of its prodigal sons, Morackk the Constructor, an elder who possesses the sacred knowledge of Vibranos, but chose to divulge it to foreigners for his own ends. His massive, fantastical floating fortress, known as the Silverquake, patrols the oceans like a ravenous beast, bringing about a homecoming that will change everything. Gojj Erzang, a soldier of the prestigious Tryryte Tremors who garrison the floating city, pursues his own path, when he is suddenly promoted to the ranks of the Cryptic Choir, the bizarre esoteric unit that powers the Silverquake itself.
Pheloquot has cut off the lucrative boscallip trade and other services, bringing important commerce to its knees. Far away, the Shayzzars have taken to the mountainous region that will one day bear their family name. King Korus Kezz'arg wants revenge on By-Fizzont and the Plethermanes alike, for their role in his brother's untimely death. Who will prevail? Can his fledgling empire survive? The prequel history to the main trilogy continues, with this brutal, stylish, intriguing epic that delivers enough warfare, politics, and deceit to crush a planet! What will become of...the Children of the Ocean Serpent?
What readers are saying about this series:
"The world building and attention to detail are incredible!"
"World building for the win!"
"A most outrageously interesting cast! The pages are riddled with lies and deceit to gain power."
"Clever lines. The book is a riot!"
"A little bit of LOTR, King Arthur, and Spartacus the TV show! I could see this becoming a TV series too!"
"Action packed! Imaginative!"
