What do you think?
Rate this book
Thaumatology #8
Ancient
Ceridwyn Brent has invented a way of creating an artificial ley line and is planning to use it to generate free, clean electricity. To do that, however, she needs to start the line in an area of high magical energy and in Europe that means the German Rift. At the end of World War II, a series of huge explosions in German cities cracked open the world, letting demons and fae run rampant, and that rift line is still a huge area of high magic. So, Ceri and her friend, Lily Carpenter, must walk into what is left of Hamburg to initiate the ley line.Something is wrong in the ruins of Hamburg, however. Sensitives are having strange dreams of some old evil rising from underground and the shadows seem to move on their own. Something bad has woken up and it seems to be fascinated by Ceri. It also has far more extreme motives and, when it follows Ceri and Lily back to London, blood and chaos are not far behind.
199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2012
43 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Niall Teasdale
73 books292 followersI was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 26, 2023
As with every one of these books from this series. Right from the opening chapter the story rapidly sets the pace and swiftly takes you on a whirlwind adventure❗. My advice is start with book one. Even though it is a separate challenge that Ceridwyn aka Ceri and Lily and other main characters that will appear throughout the series. It provides a enlightening glimpse into Ceri's life altering circumstances❗. And will definitely prepare you for the roller coaster experience of the rest of the series❗
Five 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟❗
Five 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟❗
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2021
A look at europa.
America had it's time in the limelight in the previous novel now its time to do the same for Europe. Ceri and Lily finally get green light to expand their 'electricity from magic experiment', by building an artificial leyline directly from the source in Germany to a collector in the Netherlands. Everything goes excellent, until the London vampires start acting strange. For it seems that something has snurk out of Germany and followed them home.
Solid 8th novel in the series.
Ps. And its always fun to see your own country depicted in an alternative history setting. Especially when it doesn't happen often.
America had it's time in the limelight in the previous novel now its time to do the same for Europe. Ceri and Lily finally get green light to expand their 'electricity from magic experiment', by building an artificial leyline directly from the source in Germany to a collector in the Netherlands. Everything goes excellent, until the London vampires start acting strange. For it seems that something has snurk out of Germany and followed them home.
Solid 8th novel in the series.
Ps. And its always fun to see your own country depicted in an alternative history setting. Especially when it doesn't happen often.
October 26, 2014
This was much better than the previous book in the series as the flow of the story was better. Ceri needs to stop getting captured, or needs to make some sort of magical preparations for when it happens.
The villains of the series learn and become more difficult, not just the heroes becoming more powerful. Although at this point, I hope Ceri's exponential power growth finally started leveling off.
The villains of the series learn and become more difficult, not just the heroes becoming more powerful. Although at this point, I hope Ceri's exponential power growth finally started leveling off.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews