Against a sweeping canvas of empires and kingdoms, The Call of Eternity explores themes of agency, sacrifice, immortality, betrayal, love, destiny, and enduring faith in the unknowable.
Set during the opulent height of the Bronze Age, The Call of Eternity continues the story of Istara, and of Sethi, and Urhi-Teshub, the two powerful warriors who love her. One is determined to reinstate her as his queen, the other to love her until his soul is obliterated, neither of them willing to compromise. Both of them enemies.
But when the death of a king sets in motion great change, the ripples travel far - beyond even the empires of men into the realm of the gods. Within its hallowed halls, a vision reveals a dark future destined to unfold - of one, neither god nor man who is prepared to sacrifice every living thing so he might secure his long-denied bid for eternal life.
And in the realm of men, the paths of once-gods and mortals cross, their futures inextricably entwined, destined for a journey across a dying world, to save those they love, and each other.
The Call of Eternity is the second book in the Transcendence series of historical fantasy novels. It continues the story begun in The Lost Valor of Love.
Two major historical facts align with the narrative in The Call of Eternity. First, several years after the Battle of Kadesh, Urhi-Teshub mysteriously disappeared without a trace. There are a series of letters which passed between Hattusilis and Ramesses regarding the missing royal, with veiled accusations made by Hattusilis of foul play by Egypt. These accusations triggered a major diplomatic crisis. Despite both empires using considerable resources to find him, Urhi-Teshub - a royal - was never found again, an unthinkable thing in that era. The last historians know of him was he claimed sanctuary in Egypt where he remained for seven years before he vanished without a trace.
Second, according to ancient historians who documented the life of Alexander the Great (356-326 BCE), Alexander spent a large part of his life trying to prove he was the son of a god. First he went to Egypt and met with the priests of Atum, who told him from their divinations that Alexander was, in fact, the son of Marduk, the god of Babylon, and that Marduk was rumored to still exist, a physical being - unlike the other gods of the ancient world who had long since left the world of men.
Alexander duly pressed on, obsessed with vindicating himself. He arrived in Babylon and managed to convince the priests to allow him to meet the being he considered his father. The priests agreed, although, they informed him, Marduk had been dead for almost two hundred years. Bitterness filled Alexander - to have traveled so far, and to have defeated all the kingdoms between him and his 'father' only to learn at the last hour all his hopes had come to nothing - almost vanquished him. But in a strange twist, the priests took pity on Alexander and confessed they still possessed Marduk's body, kept in a hidden chamber deep beneath the stepped pyramid called the Etemen'anki, preserved in a stone vat according to the god's bizarre instructions.
Alexander insisted on seeing the body, and by all accounts there was a body, well preserved - as though the one within the vat slept - surrounded by flowers and incense. When I came across this tale, I was fascinated by both the arrogance of Alexander and the idea there might have actually have been a being who once lived and ruled as a god in ancient Babylon. A being who was neither man nor god, but something other. A being who slept on, perfectly preserved.
Within this novel are two deep threads: one which explores wormholes and the multiverse theory within the laws of quantum physics, the other explores what might occur should the so-called fine-tuned constants become unstable. I spent some time working with a physicist on the more difficult aspects within the narrative to ensure that should something like what unfolds in this novel ever transpire in our world, it might happen for us just as it is experienced by the characters in The Call of Eternity.
The location of Surru is based on the ancient site of Lonar Lake in Maharashtra, India. Its crater was created over a half-million years ago by either a comet or asteroid impact. It is the only known hyper velocity impact crater in basaltic rock anywhere on Earth.
I would like to thank my readers for their patience while I wrote this book, and had it run through two editorial reviews. I hope you will find it worth the wait.
Acknowledgements
To my editor, champion, and friend Kath Stansfield, who, despite an ever-busier schedule always found time for The Call of Eternity; whose enthusiasm and willingness to painstakingly unravel the complexities of its early drafts, and who endured muddling through overlapping timelines from parallel worlds deserves far more credit than these humble words can express. I have never had the pleasure of working with someone so engaged, so involved, or so passionate about the art of writing--or of crafting a beautiful story. To have been able to have even just a little of Kath's brilliant light shone onto my work is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. Without Kath's gentle touch, The Call of Eternity would be but a dim shadow of itself.
To my husband, Anders, who, like the golden pillar in Tarhuntassa towers over my world: reassuring, steadfast, enduring--a beacon of light whenever The Call of Eternity threatened to overwhelm me. A patient listener, and at times, wine pourer, whose willingness to search for typos cannot be underestimated. I couldn't live without his support, or his perfect cups of tea.
To Michał Karcz, who, after my tentative email became interested in the concept and offered to design the cover art. It is impossible to fully express how much it has meant to me to work with such a talented, visionary artist. To watch him take what I held in my heart and make it real has been a beautiful, breathtaking dream.
To Rainer Salt, who generously gave up his time to examine the science underlying the story, and guide my thoughts so the events as they unfolded remained true to the theories as they are known. His patience, perseverance, depth of knowledge, and fascinating emails were one of the unquestionable highlights of writing this book.
To Debbie O'Byrne, graphic designer, for making yet another gorgeous map from out of the worst possible sketch, and for completing the cover's final layout and bringing the book to life. I am still looking forward to our coffee together. One day.
To Chris O'Byrne, interior print designer, who is an absolute delight to work with, whose patience to get the book exactly right, and whose dedication to produce nothing less than a beautiful book is second to none. How lucky I am to work with you. Thank you.
To Scarlette Drake, for her unending enthusiasm for the series; for her love of the characters; for beta reading a terrible first draft and being kind with her feedback, and for her constant, unwavering support in guiding readers to my book. My heart is filled with gratitude for her, a hidden goddess who walks among us.
And finally, to my readers, thank you for your support, your messages, your Tweets and posts, your reviews and your constant warmth. You make all the hard work worth every moment.
The Call of Eternity was released on Amazon on May 1, 2018.
A glossary can be found at the back of the book.
Copyright © 2018 by E A CARTER
The moral right of the author is hereby asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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