Sean Russell writes for people who prefer books to movies. No snappy dialogue or nonstop action sequences, just a mesmerizing tale, multifaceted characters, and lyrical descriptive prose. Beneath the Vaulted Hills is the first part of Russel's River Into Darkness series, which is itself a two-part prequel to Russell's Moontide and Magic Rise series. Each series stands alone, despite some characters in common.
Both series are set in the first half of an alternative 19th century. In Beneath the Vaulted Hills, Lord Eldrich, the last Mage, seeks to suppress all knowledge of magical powers. Two young men, Hayes and Kehler, and the beautiful Countess of Chilton have discovered clues to a possible trove of magical lore. It's concealed in a labyrinthine cave system behind a mysterious "crypt" linked to Teller, a renegade mage apprentice who founded a society to preserve magic. Erasmus Flattery, once a student in Eldrich's household, knows how dangerous the Mage can be, but finds himself joining the investigation. Both the Tellerites and Lord Eldrich follow, determined to control their discoveries.
Russell has the rare ability to immerse his readers so completely in his tale that reaching the end feels like waking from a particularly vivid dream. Fortunately the second volume of the series, The Compass of the Soul, continues it. --Nona Vero
Book Description
The last of the world's great mages, the enigmatic Lord Eldrich has dedicated his life to eradicating all remaining vestiges of magic in the world. But the fanatical Tellerites--followers of a long-dead mage-apprentice--oppose Eldrich, desiring the hidden knowledge of the magical arts and with it the coveted key to immortality. Drawn into this conflict against his will is Erasmus Flattery, who as a boy dwelt with Eldrich, and is still haunted by the memories of what transpired during his stay with the mage. Now Erasmus must lead as expedition to search for a secret taht has remained hidden since the time of the first Mages!
Beneath the Valuted Hills FROM OUR EDITORS
Russell's first hardcover venture is a return to the world he created in his previous two novels, World Without End and Sea Without A Shore -- but instead of going forward, he goes back in time to the tale of the mysterious Erasmus Flattery and his tangled relationship with Lord Eldritch -- much of which he's not sure he understands himself. Lord Eldritch has made the destruction of magic from the world of man his life's work -- and he is a mage, with all the mystery that implies in Russell's world. There is love here and betrayal, intrigue and the building of friendship and trust, all deftly handled. Characters are Russell's strength, and if you find this book slow to start it's because he's laying the groundwork by creating characters that are sympathetic enough to drag a reader through the book in one sitting. The only flaw -- if it can be counted a flaw -- is that this is the first of two books, and when you reach the end of it, you really want the second one.
—Michelle West
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The last of the world's great mages, the enigmatic Lord Eldrich has dedicated his life to eradicating all remaining vestiges of magic in the world. But the fanatical Tellerites--followers of a long-dead mage-apprentice--oppose Eldrich, desiring the hidden knowledge of the magical arts and with it the coveted key to immortality. Drawn into this conflict against his will is Erasmus Flattery, who as a boy dwelt with Eldrich, and is still haunted by the memories of what transpired during his stay with the mage. Now Erasmus must lead as expedition to search for a secret taht has remained hidden since the time of the first Mages!
FROM THE CRITICS
VOYA - Bonnie Kunzel
Russell presents a multicharacter quest fantasy set at an earlier time but in the same world of the author's highly acclaimed World without End (DAW, 1995) and Sea without a Shore (DAW, 1996), a world without magic until a young scientist rediscovers it. This is a world in which magic has been virtually stamped out by the church, except for the spells of the enigmatic Lord Eldrich, last of the all-powerful mages. The church cannot do anything about the powerful Eldrich, but it can persecute Tellerites, followers of a long-dead apprentice mage, who are trying to restore magic to the world. Erasmus Flattery, the protagonist, was taken as a boy to live with Lord Eldrich for three years, until a tragic accident brought an abrupt end to his stay with the mage. Now, some twenty years later, he is unwittingly involved with Eldrich again, manipulated by both the mage and a group of Tellerites into a life-threatening situation. When a young protﾽgﾽ of his disappears into Mirror Lake Cave, Erasmus leads a party to the rescue, only to be buried beneath the vaulted hills in a cave-in set off by Eldrich. Book One ends with the trapped party finding a way out, but to where? And what other plans does Eldrich have in store for these seekers of forbidden knowledge? Unfortunately, the cast of characters is so large that it is difficult to follow who is doing what to whom. By the time I figured it out, the book was over, and I was wondering when the scene depicted in the cover would appear. It never did. This is for fans of this author's previous works or those who enjoy the challenge of an extremely complex and quite lengthy quest fantasy, one that is slow moving initially but picks up the pace toward the end. The attractive cover art might help to draw some readers in. VOYA Codes: 3Q 2P S (Readable without serious defects, For the YA reader with a special interest in the subject, Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).
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