When Shadows Grow Tall

"In the Grasp, there exist those who can access the memories of earth, unsullied by the subjectivity of flesh and blood. They are the dactyli, a brotherhood dedicated to the pursuit of absolute truth. Their kind are dying. Lovelace and Gunnar are rangers, two of the last to be inducted into this once-eminent brotherhood where men can summon fire and shape the earth at will. When the order is fatally threatened by one of its own, Lovelace and Gunnar are sent on a ranging where they discover that there is much more than the welfare of the order at stake: a rogue dactyli called Alev is amassing an army of those he calls the Burned Ones, mercenaries who he has taught to wield basic fire magic. To what end, Lovelace and Gunnar are reluctant to contemplate. Magic is chance; a gift that is given, not a skill willfully gained. So it has always been, until Alev. Then, Lovelace and Gunnar discover Cora, a feral young woman with extraordinary powers who uproots the old belief and puts to ground a new truth: magic can be awoken, magic can be taught. Little do they know about Cora's past; who she used to be and the mission she had just begun to undertake before a series of traumatic events turned her into the wild thing they track down in the mountains of Droch Fhortan. Slowly, she remembers and a tenuous bond is struck. The notion that magic is accessible to all is a paradigm shift, one with monumental implications for the Grasp, a land that was on the verge of an era of enlightenment before being hauled backwards into darkness by the ruling despot Osbert, who uses the recent emergence of the printing press to his immense benefit. After a near-fatal encounter with the Burned Ones and Alev himself, a shared purpose begins to emerge: expose Osbert for a tyrant and stop Alev, whatever the cost. Political intrigue, powerful allies, espionage, ingenuity and a great deal of luck will be required. Truth will be questioned and a way of life torn asunder. History will be written for the Grasp and the great question becomes: Who will be its author?"--