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The world has changed. Gone are the old gods. Nature withers and dies beneath the growing bane of machines and industry. Desperate to prevent their world from dying, citizens turn to science and sprawling cities of steam ruled by the Imperium. Kaimo de Morté has never known another life. He is an optometrist by trade but too poor to open an optical emporium. Forced to work in the mines, Kaimo has no idea how his life is about to change. A chance encounter with insurgents thrusts him into a battle for the very future of mankind-one he is ill prepared to fight. Embarking on a perilous voyage filled with clockwork cities, steam-powered airships, alchemy and magic, the optometrist explores a bleak world on the edge of extinction. Kaimo uncovers hidden truths, forms alliances stretching to the highest halls of power, and becomes the catalyst for either saving the world or watching it collapse.
About the author
Paul L. Centeno is an award-winning fantasy and science-fiction author, born and raised in New York City. As a young adult, he studied at Herbert H. Lehman College where he earned a BA in Philosophy and Creative Writing. After graduation, he worked with Gabriel Packard, Associate Director of the Creative Writing MFA Program at Hunter College, to improve his craft. His fantasy novel, The Vagrant Chronicle, was critically acclaimed in Writer's Digest Annual Indie Book Awards. Kirkus Reviews, in their January 15th, 2013 magazine, stated, "Centeno yearns to create something completely new, and if we immerse ourselves in his cosmos, we will be richly rewarded." In 2014 and 2015, he won awards from Writers of the Future for his short stories, Steamwalker and Celestial Heights. As of 2020, he signed a contract with actress Courtney Holly to create the audiobooks of his new fantasy series. Centeno lives in Florida and is currently working on his tenth novel.
