Quintessence: new fantasy from Tor

[David]

My novel Quintessence was just released by Tor Books this week. It's a bit like Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind, in that it has a very scientific-based magic system that enables the characters to figure out new and clever ways to use it. It's also a bit like Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, in that it's an alternate history where the magic can be studied, but also has a deep, darker side that is far beyond human understanding. That and it has a very cool sea monster on the front cover. How could you go wrong? :)

Here's the publisher's blurb:
Quintessence is an alternate history/fantasy set in the Age of Exploration, full of arcane science, alchemy, human dissection, sea monsters, betrayal, torture, religious controversy, and magic. Scientists and explorers gamble with their lives to turn lead into gold and bring the dead back to life. In Europe, the magic is thin, but at the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest among them to the alluring Western Ocean, where they just might find the secret to life and immortality.