Gerrard Cowan Books

For ten millennia, the leaders of the Overland have been Selected by the Machinery, an omnipotent machine gifted to their world in darker days.The city has thrived in arts, science and war, crushing all enemies and expanding to encompass the entire Plateau.But the Overland is not at ease, for the Machinery came with the Prophecy: it will break in the 10,000th year, Selecting just one leader who will bring Ruin to the world. And with the death of Strategist Kane, a Selection is set to occur…For Apprentice Watcher Katrina Paprissi, the date has special significance. Life hasn’t been the same since she witnessed the kidnapping of her brother Alexander, the only person on the Plateau who knew the meaning of the Prophecy.When the opportunity arises to find her brother, Katrina must travel into the depths of the Underland, the home of the Machinery, to confront the Operator himself and discover just what makes the world work…

"Ruin is coming. For ten millennia, the Machinery Selected the greatest leaders of humanity, bringing glory to the Overland. But the Machinery came with a Prophecy: in the ten thousandth year, it will break, and Ruin will come. Now, the Prophecy is being fulfilled. The Machinery has Selected a terrible being to rule the Overland, an immortal who cares little for the humans she governs. Some call her the Strategist, others call her the One, everyone knows her as Mother. Mother will do anything to break the Machinery and finally bring Ruin. She will even make a deal with the oldest creature in creation - her ancient enemy, the Dust Queen. But if Mother wants her help, first she must play a game. One in which humans are nothing more than pawns, and the world itself is at stake."--Publisher's description.

The time of Ruin has come. The meaning of the Prophecy is becoming clear at last: if Ruin cannot be stopped, all of memory will transform into nightmare. In the tunnels of the Underland, a place of phantoms, monsters, and creatures of god-like power, Aranfal and Brandione are drawn into the game to end all games - a desperate search for the very first memory - while Canning and Drayn grapple with both ancient adversaries and their own abilities. Hunting for a way to destroy Ruin, Brightling journeys into the heart of the Machinery. As she descends, though, she discovers that Ruin is already more powerful than anyone could have imagined. The future - and the past - of the Overland will be reshaped as Gerrard Cowan's mesmerizing epic of power, magic, and memory reaches its finale.