Out of the Waters (The Books of the Elements, Vol. 2)

The second novel of The Books of the Elements. The wealthy Governor Saxa, of the great city of Carce, has generously and lavishly subsidized a theatrical/religious event. During this elaborate staging of Hercules founding a city on the shores of Lusitania, strange and dark magic turns the panoply into a chilling event. The sky darkens and the waves crash in the flooded arena. A great creature rises from the a huge, tentacled horror on snake legs. It devastates the city, much to the delight of the crowd. A few in the audience, although not Saxa, understand that this was not mere stagecraft, but something much darker and more dangerous. If all signs are being read right, this illusion could signify a dreadful intrusion of supernatural powers into the real world. Saxas son, Varus, has been the conduit for such an event once before. This new novel in David Drakes chronicles of Carce, The Books of the Elements, is as powerful and elaborate as that fantastic theatrical event, a major fantasy for this year. When a great creature seems to rise from the sea to devastate the city during Senator Gaius Alphenus Saxa's lavish theatrical event, the crowd is delighted. A few in the audience, although not Saxa, understand that this was not mere stagecraft, but something much darker and more dangerous. When an illusory monster crashes a theatrical recreation of Hercules's founding of Lusitania, a handful of people in the audience realize that what they have seen is not part of the play and that supernatural adversaries are crossing over into the real world