Spirit Well

R Lawhead Stephen

Description

'Lawheads intricately plotted, compelling tale continues to demonstrate his mastery of world building.' Library JournalThe Search for the Map-and the secret behind its cryptic code-intensifies in a quest across time, space, and multiple realities.But what if the true treasure isnt the map at all . . . what if the map marks something far greater? Something one world cannot contain? Those who desire to unlock that mystery are in a race to possess the secret-for good or evil.Kit Livingstone is mastering the ability to travel across realities using ley lines and has forged a link from the Bone House, a sacred lodge made of animal bones, to the fabled Spirit Well, a place of profound power.His friend Mina is undercover in a Spanish monastery high in the Pyrenees, learning all she can from a monk named Brother Lazarus. Still determined to find Kit, she is beginning to experience a greater destiny than she can fathom.Cassandra Clarke is overseeing an archaeological dig in Arizona when a chance encounter transports her to 1950s Damascus. There, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to the Seekers-the last living remnants of the Zetetic Society who need her help to track down the missing Cosimo Livingstone and his grandson Kit.But there are darker forces at work in the universe whose agents always seem to be one step ahead of the rest-and theyre all desperate to gain the ultimate prize in this treasure hunt where the stakes increase at every turn. At the heart of the mystery lies the Spirit Well.

Sujets

• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 21 juin 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781782640462
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE SPIRIT WELL
What Readers Are Saying about the Bright Empires Series
His mastery of the art of description is beyond belief (I had to stop several times to jump up and down because I loved his style so much, seriously). His level of attention to details like period mindset and speech is a delight to behold (especially for die-hard background-first novelists like me).
Sir Emeth M.
This is a story that has it all : mystery, history, damsels in distress, and a mind-bending meditation on the nature of reality. It is equal parts Raiders of the Lost Ark , National Treasure , and Jumper . Highly recommended!
Chad J.
Filled with descriptions that beguile all five senses and all the beauty and charm of the language I have come to expect from Lawhead, this book is a fascinating blend of fantasy and sci-fi .
Jenelle S.
a hold-your-breath beginning to a new series . This novel mixes ancient history, time travel, alternate realities, mystery, physics, and fantasy, to create a story so compelling that I find myself recommending it to any who will listen .
Sheila P.
[A] sure winner for eager sci-fi readers The vivid imagery and witty lines help keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
Jerry P.
Time travel and high adventure abound in this brand new title from veteran author Stephen R. Lawhead.
Ben H.
Imagine Narnia merged with Hitchhiker s Guide , and you have a starting point for the adventures of Kit Livingstone.
Rick M.
Lawhead vividly describes the sights, sounds and smells of the markets in Prague, the streets of Restoration England, and even the dry heat of Ancient Egypt The premise of ley line travel is fascinating yet mysterious , with scientific definitions that are detailed without becoming too technical. The characters are personable and complex, and it s easy to get caught up in their search for that elusive map .
Malinda D.
an excellent, mysterious storyline that draws the reader in.
Kieran
Other Books by Stephen R. Lawhead
King Raven Trilogy:
Hood
Scarlet
Tuck
Patrick, Son of Ireland
Celtic Crusades:
The Iron Lance
The Black Rood
The Mystic Rose
Byzantium
Song of Albion Trilogy:
The Paradise War
The Silver Hand
The Endless Knot
The Pendragon Cycle:
Taliesin
Merlin
Arthur
Pendragon
Grail
Avalon
Empyrion I: The Search for Fierra
Empyrion II: The Siege of Dome
Dream Thief
The Dragon King Trilogy:
In the Hall of the Dragon King
The Warlords of Nin
The Sword and the Flame
The Bright Empires Series:
The Skin Map
The Bone House
The Spirit Well
The Shadow Lamp (2013)
The Fatal Tree (2014)
BRIGHT EMPIRES QUEST THE THIRD:
THE SPIRIT WELL
STEPHEN R. LAWHEAD
To find out more about Stephen R. Lawhead
visit: www.stephenlawhead.com
or: www.facebook.com/StephenRLawhead


Text copyright Stephen Lawhead 2012 This edition Lion Hudson 2013
The right of Stephen Lawhead to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Lion Fiction an imprint of Lion Hudson plc Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England www.lionhudson.com/fiction
ISBN 978 1 78264 027 1 e-ISBN 978 1 78264 046 2
First edition 2012
Acknowledgements Cover design 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
In memory of Tiffany
The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end.
BLAISE PASCAL
Contents

Important People in the Bright Empires series

Previously in the Bright Empires series

The Spirit Well

Part I: The Ghost Road

CHAPTER 1: In Which Friday Takes a Holiday

CHAPTER 2: In Which the Secret Canyon Gives Up Its Secret

CHAPTER 3: In Which Kit Contemplates a Miracle

CHAPTER 4: In Which Confession Is Good for the Soul

CHAPTER 5: In Which Lord Burleigh Takes a Stroll

CHAPTER 6: In Which a New Thing Comes to Pass

CHAPTER 7: In Which Subversion is Plotted

Part 2: The Jagged Mountain

CHAPTER 8: In Which a New God Is Extolled

CHAPTER 9: In Which Wilhelmina Pursues a Mountaintop Experience

CHAPTER 10: In Which False Identities Are Exposed

CHAPTER 11: In Which Tracks Are Made and Covered

CHAPTER 12: In Which Kit Learns the Uses of a Marmot Skull

CHAPTER 13: In Which an Assault Is Launched

Part 3: The Street Called Straight

CHAPTER 14: In Which Some Things Are Not to Be

CHAPTER 15: In Which Old Haunts Are Revisited

CHAPTER 16: In Which a Long-Promised Tea Is Taken

CHAPTER 17: In Which an Unwanted Partnership Is Forged

CHAPTER 18: In Which Kit Takes a Detour

CHAPTER 19: In Which a Sisterhood Is Joined

CHAPTER 20: In Which a Good Doctor Is Hard to Find

Part 4: The Omega Point

CHAPTER 21: In Which Time Is Measured in Empires Crumbled to Dust

CHAPTER 22: In Which Despair Gives Birth to Audacity

CHAPTER 23: In Which Kit Plays the Waiting Game

CHAPTER 24: In Which Communication Breaks Down

CHAPTER 25: In Which the Best Theory Is Expounded

CHAPTER 26: In Which Astral Dislocation Finds Explication

Part 5: Five Smooth Stones

CHAPTER 27: In Which a New Recruit is Canvassed

CHAPTER 28: In Which the Moment of Decision Arrives

CHAPTER 29: In Which a Debt Is Paid in Candles

CHAPTER 30: In Which Priorities Are Realigned

CHAPTER 31: In Which a Familial Connection Is Forged

CHAPTER 32: In Which the Newest Member Is F ted

CHAPTER 33: In Which Haste Makes Hideous Waste

Epilogue

Essay: On the Road Again by Stephen R. Lawhead

Acknowledgements
Important People

Anen - Friend of Arthur Flinders-Petrie , high priest of the temple of Amun in Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty.
Archelaeus Burleigh, Earl of Sutherland - Nemesis of Flinders-Petrie, Cosimo, Kit , and all right-thinking people.
Arthur Flinders-Petrie - Also known as The Man Who Is Map , patriarch of his line. Begat Benedict , who begat Charles , who begat Douglas .
Balthazar Bazalgette - The Lord High Alchemist at the Court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, friend and confidant of Wilhelmina .
Benedict Flinders-Petrie - The son of Arthur and Xian-Li , and father of Charles .
Burley Men - Con, Dex, Mal , and Tav . Lord Burleigh s henchmen. They keep a Stone Age cat called Baby .
Charles Flinders-Petrie - Son of Benedict and father of Douglas , he is grandson of Arthur .
Cosimo Christopher Livingstone, the Elder, aka Cosimo - A Victorian gentleman who seeks to reunite the Skin Map and understand the key to the future.
Cosimo Christopher Livingstone, the Younger, aka Kit - Cosimo s great-grandson.
Dardok - The head of the River City Clan whom Kit first encounters in the Stone Age; also known as Big Hunter .
Douglas Flinders-Petrie - Son of Charles , and great-grandson of Arthur ; he is quietly pursuing his own search for the Skin Map, one piece of which is in his possession.
Dr Thomas Young - Physician, scientist, a certified polymath with a keen interest in the archaeology of ancient Egypt, his astonishing breadth and depth of accomplishment led to his epithet: The Last Man in the World to Know Everything .
Emperor Rudolf II - King of Bohemia and Hungary, Archduke of Austria and King of the Romans, he is also known as the Holy Roman Emperor and is quite mad.
Engelbert Stiffelbeam - A baker from Rosenheim in Germany, affectionately known as Etzel .
En-Ul - The elder statesman of the River City Clan.
Friar Roger Bacon - An early philosopher, scientist, and theologian who worked and taught first at Paris and then Oxford from around 1240 to 1290; he has been called Doctor Mirabilis for his wonderful teaching.
Giles Standfast - Sir Henry Fayth s coachman and Kit s ally.
Gustavus Rosenkreuz - The Chief Assistant to the Lord High Alchemist and Wilhelmina s ally.
Lady Haven Fayth - Sir Henry s headstrong and mercurial niece.
Sir Henry Fayth, Lord Castlemain - Member of the Royal Society, staunch friend and ally of Cosimo . Haven s uncle.
Snipe - Feral child, and malignant aide to Douglas Flinders-Petrie .
Turms - A king of Etruria, one of the Immortals, and a friend of Arthur ; he oversees the birth of Benedict Flinders-Petrie when Xian-Li s pregnancy becomes problematic.
Wilhelmina Klug, aka Mina - In another life, a London baker and Kit s girlfriend. In this life, owns Prague s Grand Imperial Kaffeehaus with Etzel .
Xian-Li - Wife of Arthur Flinders-Petrie and mother of Benedict . Daughter of the tattooist Wu Chen Hu of Macao.
Previously

T he phenomenon known as ley leaping or ley travel is an endeavour fraught with complication and error. Far from being an exact science, using ley lines to travel among, between, and across the various known dimensions of the multidimensional omniverse is at best an art that can only be perfected through long apprenticeship, and even the most expert of explorers is likely to go astray - a fact that Kit Livingstone knows only too well. Using a ley line discovered by Wilhelmina, his former girlfriend, Kit has succeeded in eluding capture by Lord Archelaeus Burleigh, a ruthless and violent man determined to possess the fabled Skin Map at any cost.
In Kit s desperation to escape Burleigh s clutches, however, something has gone amiss; for although he landed in the right place, it seems to be entirely the wrong time. At least, the epoch in which Kit finds himself is definitely not the one Wilhelmina had in mind when she advised him to use that particular ley line for his getaway. Suffice it to say that for the time being, and perhaps the foreseeable future, Kit seems to be stuck in the Stone Age. Making the best of his predicament, Kit has stumbled upon a discovery that could prove