So, what exactly does this represent?

Well, this is my attempt to explain the entire concept of all three series in a single image. Not an easy prospect!

The central column represents a cenotaph. That is, a monument on which the names of those fallen in war are recorded.

This is because War is the central theme of the History series.

The icons on the central column represent the chief weapon of the war of that era. The timeline starts at the bottom with primitive weapons, and works upwards.




Click the icon to continue.

So, what exactly does this represent?

Well, this is my attempt to explain the entire concept of all three series in a single image. Not an easy prospect!

The central column represents a cenotaph. That is, a monument on which the names of those fallen in war are recorded.

This is because War is the central theme of the History series.

The icons on the central column represent the chief weapon of the war of that era. The timeline starts at the bottom with primitive weapons, and works upwards.

Likewise, the Expansion series timeline starts at the bottom, and works upwards.

As does the Zeal series.

Finally, the spiral thing...

The History series forms the centre of the whole Aeithar series...

Each book in the Expansion series follows on where the previous History book left off...

And each book in the Zeal series leads into the next History book...

Thus if you were to arrange all the books in chronological order, the Expansion and Zeal series spiral around the central core of the History series.

The image as a whole represents the fact that The History of the Aeithar is cyclic.

They regularly have wholescale wars.
Each war is followed by expansion.
Then the zeal builds back up.
This leads to another war.

And so The Aeithar Series forms a spiral through time.

Hope that
clears it up! 8-)

Sequel to The Internal Wars
The Aeithar have defeated their first constraint, and crossed the mountains, but found that they are not alone. Exposure to disease is but the first hurdle they must overcome.

Sequel to The International Wars
Crossing the seas has released the Aeithar. Now they have a whole planet to colonise. But with new lands comes new realisation: it's not just people that can be hostile.

Sequel to The Intercontinental Wars
The planets and moons of the solar system are as diverse as they are plentiful, and the Aeithar race to colonise them all. But some planets are better than others.

Sequel to The Interplanetary Wars
A whole galaxy to explore, and the possibilities seem endless, but once again the Aeithar find out that someone, or something, else has been there before them.

Sequel to The Interspecies Wars
When the universe itself has become too small to contain the Aeithar, there's only one place left to go, but across the dimensional divide nothing is as it seems.

Prequel to The International Wars
Rebuilding an army, especially one so decimated, takes time. Time that needs to be bought, by confronting your enemy with diplomacy instead of swords. But who will rebuild first.

Prequel to The Intercontinental Wars
Industry requires resources. Resources on a grand scale. But while heads of state wade through trade negotiations, others have more direct means of ensuring their supplies.

Prequel to The Interplanetary Wars
First came the idea. Then the whispering, the meetings, the book. Planet by planet, Erudition is spreading. And the less the people have, the stronger it takes hold.

Prequel to The Interspecies Wars
That aliens are different is not the issue. The real problem is that they aren't different enough. They want what we want, and many are married to Aeithar. Is it love, or heresy?

Prequel to The Interdimensional Wars
Can Purity be measured by degrees, or is it an absolute? Can higher understanding succeed where base language has failed? Will taking Erudition into the Divide bridge the gap?

The introduction and conclusion to each chapter are taken from the point of view of the final survivor of the Aeithar race, in the far future. This theme will continue through the rest of the History series, and his story will be told in full in the final book.

This final survivor, known only as The Watcher, was a Priest of Erudition, the religion based around the science of Magic, and part of the team responsible for the design and construction of the ultimate weapon, which was meant to win the final Great Holy War against their enemies across the dimensional divide, but instead destroyed the Aeithar.

As a result of the accident, he is trapped in the dimensional flux, able to see all of history, but not to affect it. As he says in his opening monologue, all he can do is watch. It is from this unique vantage point that he is able to compare what he was taught all of his life to reality, and to unravel the lies that Erudition has come to embrace.

In his introductions, The Watcher generally sets the scene for the coming chapter, often quoting from the Book of Erudition or citing what had been accepted historical fact by his time, then for the conclusion he will usually consider the differences, or the significance of the events, and sometimes comment on them directly. In both cases, he alone knows what is to happen next, and will often mourn for events yet to come.

As well as helping to set the scene, and form a link through all the books of the History of the Aeithar series, The Watcher's introductions, and in particular his conclusions, are often used to make the reader re-consider what they've just read. He often has a spin on the events that might not be initially apparent at first glance, but become obvious in hindsight.

At the beginning of the book, the people of Maendar have just reached the first stages of a truly organised society. They have begun to function as a town, rather than as a collection of family units, and the benefits have rapidly becoming apparent. The town is clean, people know and care for each other, and tasks are being divided according to skill, rather than people having to tend to all of their own needs.

They are still relatively primitive though, both in their abilities and their outlook, and most still look at the world around them with a child-like wonder, and follow the leadership of Baeinar with a child-like naivete. It is appropriate, then, that most of their new discoveries come from childhood games, and it is Baeinar's particularly adult application of them that forces the Aeithar to begin to grow up.

As mentioned on the previous page, The Internal Wars is the only book of the History series that combines both the lead up to the war and the war itself. This is so as to provide a proper introduction to the series in a single book, and also to allow me to provide the amount of content that I desire (I like long books!) while maintaining the simplistic setting and plotlines that I require. I also wanted the Aeithar Series as a whole to both start and end with a History books, as it is the central spine of the three series.

Doing it this way also gave me one other advantage: as the book was naturally split into two halves, I could release it that way, as well as in one complete volume. This allowed me to release the first half of the book as The Internal Wars - Part One, to give people the chance to try out the series cheaply. Part Two and the complete book will then be released simultaneously down the line, so those that bought Part One can complete their set, and those new to the series can buy a single large book.

The main driving reason for me writing The History of the Aeithar is the fact that most Fantasy books have a very similar setting: Middle Ages, organised Warfare, and Magic already well established. This always left me pondering two important questions:-

  How did they get to this point? How was Magic discovered, and when did all the wars start?

  What happens as their race advances? Eventually someone is bound to put two cogs together and the society will become industrial, how will Magic fit into a modern society?

The Internal Wars is the first book of the History of the Aeithar series, and deals with the first question. It is set much earlier than the traditional Fantasy book, while the people are still an Iron Age civilisation, and covers the original discovery of Magic, and the beginnings of organised Warfare.

As the first book of the History series, this marks the very beginning of the storyline. It combines both the lead up to the war and the war itself, whereas for the rest of the series the History books concentrate just on the war, and leave the lead up to be covered in the Zeal series.

This book is also deliberately simple in scope. The people are relatively few, and at a very early stage in their development. This book therefore concentrates on only a few major characters, explores only a few relationships, and deals with fairly simplistic battles. As the series progresses, and the Aeithar become more numerous and more advanced, the books will also become more advanced, dealing with many more characters and plotlines.

Thinking that Baeineth is now secure behind its walls, Baeinar turns all of his attention outwards, to conquest, and to the prize he holds most dear: Power!
  Power comes at a price, however, and while Baeinar is more than willing to pay it, others need persuading.

Cailin holds the key to victory, but it is Baeinar's hand upon the door. Unlocking it will reveal the secrets of life, but also the power of death. His own internal battle is every bit as fierce as the fighting all around him, and defeat would be far more costly.

Leen too has his battles to fight, and while the lives of his men mean nothing to Baeinar, they are everything to him. Every attempt to reduce the losses of the enemy threatens to increase his own, and the line he walks grows finer with every step.

Every victory serves to make Baeinar yet more hungry for the next, and every setback to make him more determined, and more wasteful of his people. Victory, or death!

Only by continuing their unspoken alliance can Cailin and Leen hope to retain any control over their own lives and the lives of those they hold dear, and beat Baeinar at his own game.

Baeinar is far from easy to play, though, using guile and cunning as well as threats to get his own way, and despite disastrous early setbacks, soon all of Aeithan is poised to fall before him.

But it turns out that Aeithan holds a surprise of its own...

Life in Aeithan had been good. The Aeithar had been few, and the resources plentiful. Now, however, the ratio is starting to swing in the other direction.
  As their numbers grew, so to did the size of their settlements. Now they are split into four large towns, each nestled in its own corner of their mountain-locked land.
  At first, one location had seemed much like any other, and life had carried on as usual. But soon enough the people of Maendar realised that they had chosen poorly. Their soil was weak, and grew sparse crops. What cattle they had grew thinner, not fatter, and little game now passed their way.
  This situation suits Baeinar, leader of the Maendaren. He is not content simply to rule one town, he wants to rule all of Aeithan, and the other towns having what his town does not is the perfect excuse for war. For conquest.
  But just as his plans start to bear fruit, Baeinar finds out that his rule is not the only power in Maendar. Cailin, the amiable Keeper of the town's oral history, has discovered that a childhood game holds the key to a much greater power: Magic.
  When Cailin's secret is exposed in a very public manner, both men are forced to deal with the consequences. For the good of the town, they must appear to work together, but each has a very different view of how magic should be used.
  The odds are stacked in Baeinar's favour, however, and as the small defensive force is grown and moulded into a standing army, the shadow of war looms ever darker.
  When that war breaks out, Baeinar cares only for winning. Any losses he incurs will be recouped when he rules the other towns. Others, though, seek to limit the bloodshed. But in war there is a fine line between saving lives and risking them.

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. Some wars, however, and some advances, were more important than others.

Life in Aeithan had been good. The Aeithar had been few, and the resources plentiful. Now, however, the ratio has swung the other way.
  What began as minor skirmishes over food or wood soon escalates into battles, and before long the spectre of full-blown warfare looms.
  And when a childhood game turns out to hold the key to untold power, the battle for minds becomes as important as that for land.

The Internal Wars is the first book of the epic History of the Aeithar series, which charts the rise and fall of the Aeithar race, from their beginnings as an Iron Age civilisation to their end in the far future.
  This book covers the earliest period, the beginnings of warfare, and the discovery of Magic.

Whereas The Internal Wars is set earlier than the traditional Fantasy book, to explore my question of ‘How did they get to this point?', and The Intercontinental Wars is set later, to explore ‘What happens as their race advances?', this book, The International Wars, is set smack bang in the middle of the traditional Fantasy genre.

The people live in a Middle Ages setting, and both Magic and Warfare are well established. The action takes place on a single continent, where the various factions are at war.

In fact, they are currently trapped on that single continent, as that is one of the central themes of the History of the Aeithar series. Each book takes place during the war where they finally overcome the constraint stopping them expanding.

This book is set a considerable time after the first book, The Internal Wars, and so none of the characters from that book appear directly in this one, however many of them are referenced. Their names and deeds have become legendary, and some are even revered as Heroes. However, as History is written by the winners, what they believe is not always what happened, and much of their past has been twisted and re-written. Some of it is still being re-written now.

Likewise, events from this book form part of the legend in the later books, and again not necessarily how they happened.

As with all the History series, each chapter has an introduction and conclusion from The Watcher, the last surviving member of the Aeithar race, trapped in the Interdimensional flux in the far future.

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. Some wars, however, and some advances, were more important than others.

Hemmed in by the sea, the once-vast continent of Aeithan is now beginning to seem very small, for the land has been good to the Aeithar, and their numbers have grown, faster and faster each year.
  The borders of the three countries, once arbitrary, now mean everything, as the people struggle for room. Room to farm. Room to mine. Room to live.
  With the methods of warfare and the art of magic now well established, and well known, it is in the minds of a few special men that the deadlock will be broken.

The International Wars is the second book of the epic History of the Aeithar series, which charts the rise and fall of the Aeithar race, from their beginnings as an Iron Age civilisation to their end in the far future.
  This book covers the traditional Fantasy period, with a Medieval setting, and well established rules of warfare and Magic.

The Intercontinental Wars is the third and final book of the Fantasy section of the History of the Aeithar series, and is designed to explore the question of ‘What happens as their race advances?' It is set in a contemporary setting, with an industrialised civilisation, and modern warfare.
  And, most importantly, Magic has now been rationalised into Science.

All the familiar aspects of the History series are still here, including the chapter introductions and conclusions from The Watcher, but the story has moved on considerably.

The war covered in this book is very much a war of attrition. The planet has been exhausted, there are virtually no resources left, and the various nations are using up what little they have stockpiled at a reckless pace in the hopes of conquering the others, and capturing theirs.

And it's not only materials that are being spent heedlessly, the lives of the people are just as much a currency in the price of victory.

As the resources dwindle further and further, and the prospect of defeat seems ever more likely, the pressure to develop and use more and more terrible weapons increases, until even the use of the ultimate deterrent, the weapon deemed too terrible to ever unleash, seems reasonable.

One Leader, however, is looking beyond mere victory, and finds the prospect of being sole ruler of a decimated world only semi appealing. Working in secret, with an elite cadre of his best men, he is developing an alternative plan, one that will guarantee not only his survival, and his wealth, but that which he holds most important: Power!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. Some wars, however, and some advances, were more important than others.

The planet Aeithan is exhausted. It has nothing left to give. And yet, its inhabitants still want more.
  There is only one way to get more. To take it from others.
  The weapons of war, backed by the science of magic, were thought too terrible to use, but now there is no choice. The ultimate deterrent will become the final solution. They will have the world, or destroy it.

The Intercontinental Wars is the third book of the epic History of the Aeithar series, which charts the rise and fall of the Aeithar race, from their beginnings as an Iron Age civilisation to their end in the far future.
  This book covers the end of the Fantasy section of the series, and is set in a contemporary period, with a fully industrialised civilisation, modern warfare, and Magic rationalised into Science.

The Interplanetary Wars is the fourth book of the History of the Aeithar series, and the first one to move from the Fantasy genre into Science Fiction. It is set in the near-future, at a point where the Aeithar have now colonised their solar system.

As with the three Fantasy books of the series, the three Science Fiction books consider the two questions ‘How did they get to this point?', and ‘What happens as their race advances?'. This book deals with the first question, and so is set earlier than most Science Fiction.

The traditional Science Fiction book has a lot of accepted technology, and things like Space Battle Cruisers with shields and beam weapons are taken for granted, but there is rarely any explanation or thought given to how they got to that point, how they developed them, and what else was tried and rejected. These concepts are fully explored in The Interplanetary Wars.

Much of the basis for this war harks back to the original causes in the first book, The Internal Wars. The Aeithar spread out into their solar system quickly, eagerly grabbing planets and moons as their own, and some have found that they chose poorly. Now they want the better worlds of their neighbours.

Also, this book explores the beginnings of that part of the History that has so far been known only to The Watcher: Erudition. It forms an important and integral part of the Science Fiction books.

Having begun with the underclasses, the word of Erudition has now spread far enough to reach the ears of some of the more privileged. Some take it to heart, while others see it as the surest route to control, and Power.

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. Some wars, however, and some advances, were more important than others.

They had thought separate worlds would be enough. A planet of their own, away from all the others.
  But even the vastness of space isn't enough to keep the Aeithar from each other's throats.
  And from down in the deepest, darkest parts of society, a whisper is growing in volume. Erudition is spreading.

The Interplanetary Wars is the fourth book of the epic History of the Aeithar series, which charts the rise and fall of the Aeithar race, from their beginnings as an Iron Age civilisation to their end in the far future.
  This book covers the start of the Science Fiction section of the series, with the beginnings of space combat and the founding of Erudition.

The Interspecies Wars is the fifth book of the History of the Aeithar series, and the middle book of the Science Fiction section of the series. As with the Fantasy section, the middle book is the one set in the ‘traditional' area of the genre. In this case, the Aeithar have now colonised their galaxy, and have well-established levels of space-faring, and space-warfare, technology. They have also by this point encountered other races.

Being the Aeithar, they are of course at war with many of these alien races, but also at war with themselves, for in many parts of the galaxy the other races they encountered were similar enough that interbreeding was possible, and now the Aeithar are no longer a single race, but many races.

Some of the Aeithar are allied with their co-species race, others are at war with them, but in all cases, and no matter how peaceful their intent, they are at war with the rest of the Aeithar, through choice or by force.

By this time Erudition has also gained a strong foothold, particularly in the Galactic Core, the central area free of alien influences, where the Aeithar are still ‘pure.' The Prelates, the High Priests of Erudition, see the mixing of the Aeithar bloodline, the thinning, as a mortal sin, and so for them it is not only a matter of territory, or resources, but also a Holy War.

Many of the Core Worlds are directly under control of the Prelates, and their influence is so great that even the rulers of Sovereign Worlds have a Prelate Advisor, to whisper in their ear. Thus their influence continues to grow, and the agenda of Erudition more and more often takes precedence over local concerns.

And the agenda of Erudition is simple: total control of a pure Aeithar race.

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. Some wars, however, and some advances, were more important than others.

'They are not us, they are not like us, and so we cannot trust them. They mean us only harm, and so we have the right to harm them first.'
  Words that have echoed down the ages, the eternal justification, but now spoken with a new vehemence, louder than ever before.
  For not only have the Aeithar met new species, they have become new species.

The Interspecies Wars is the fifth book of the epic History of the Aeithar series, which charts the rise and fall of the Aeithar race, from their beginnings as an Iron Age civilisation to their end in the far future.
  This book covers the traditional Science Fiction period, with a far future setting, well established space combat, and Erudition firmly taking hold.

The Interdimensional Wars is the sixth and final book of the History of the Aeithar series, and is the book that sees their final destruction in the Great Holy War against their enemies across the dimensional divide.

It is also the book that tells the story of The Watcher, the character telling the story of the Aeithar through the introductions and conclusions of each chapter. These are continued in this book, as his view point is still from after these events, and so he is telling his own story, analysing his mistakes, and mourning for what could have been.

By this point Erudition holds full sway over the galaxy, and all of the Aeithar are under the thumbs of the Prelates, the High Priests of Erudition. Every aspect of their lives are planned out and controlled for them, and when they are told something is for their own good, they are happy to believe it.

But still the Prelates weren't satisfied. Knowing that there was a whole other reality out there, across the dimensional divide, a reality untouched by Erudition, was too big a lure for them, and despite the dangers that had caused the rift to be closed centuries before, they have re-opened it. Much progress has been made since those dark days, after all, and Erudition is by definition proof against any threat.

But progress isn't just a local phenomenon, and across the divide the mysterious and unknowable inhabitants have not squandered their time. This time they were ready, and now the Aeithar find themselves locked into a war they cannot win.

For the final time in their History, the Aeithar unleash the ultimate weapon!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. Some wars, however, and some advances, were more important than others.

Long closed due to the threat it represented, the dimensional divide has once again been opened. Erudition requires it, requires more converts.
  Old enmities are forgotten as the true danger is realised, and former adversaries now stand shoulder to shoulder, comrades clinging on for bare survival.
  For the Prelates, however, there is only one acceptable outcome. Victory, at any price!

The Interdimensional Wars is the sixth book of the epic History of the Aeithar series, which charts the rise and fall of the Aeithar race, from their beginnings as an Iron Age civilisation to their end in the far future.
  This book covers the final period, set at the end of time, and sees the final destruction of the Aeithar race in the Great Holy War.

Across the Mountains is the first book of the Expansion of the Aeithar series, and follows on from the events in The History of the Aeithar - The Internal Wars.

At the end of each History book, the Aeithar overcome their current boundary, and gain access to a new, wider world. At the end of The Internal Wars they finally managed to overcome the mountains that had hemmed them in for generations, and now they have access to the lands beyond.

Across the Mountains details how the Aeithar adapt to and over come the challenges of these new lands.

The first thing the Aeithar discover is that they are not alone. Other peoples inhabit these lands, and claim them.

The second thing they discover is an enemy they never even considered could exist: disease.

As more and more of their people fall prey to illness, the Aeithar's headlong rush for conquest falters, and an area of Magic barely touched on so far becomes the key to their immediate survival. It is only a stop-gap measure, however, and it is not until a whole new skill comes to the fore that the Aeithar are once again able to advance.

This time, they do so much more cautiously.

The Aeithar have always found themselves constrained. Limited, trapped, by external circumstance. They fight in an arena imposed upon them. But, occasionally, the technology of war will throw up something new, something powerful, that will enable the Aeithar to break those constraints, and to expand their arena.
    Now is just such a time.
  They flood eagerly outwards, determined to make the most of their new-found freedom, but their new arena has boundaries of its own, and comes with new challenges and dangers.

The Aeithar have defeated their first constraint, and crossed the mountains, but found that they are not alone.
  For the first time in their recorded history, the Aeithar are facing the unknown, and finding that it comes in all shapes and sizes, some too small to see, some too vast to comprehend.
   Exposure to disease is but the first hurdle they must overcome.

Across The Mountains is the first book of the epic Expansion of the Aeithar series, which covers how the Aeithar adapt to and overcome the challenges of the new arena they accessed in the previous History book.
  This book covers their first expansion, when they manage to pass the mountain boundary and gain access to the rest of the continent. It follows on from The Internal Wars.

Across The Sea is the second book of the Expansion of the Aeithar series, and follows on from The History of the Aeithar - The International Wars.

Having built ships capable of surviving the treacherous seas that border their lands, and devised a method of propelling them, the Aeithar are once again spreading outwards, into lands where no person has previously set foot.

Lands as diverse as the Aeithar themselves.

Cold, frozen lands, where secrets lie in icy graves.

Hot, baked lands, where respite is scarce, and ancient giants roam.

Dense, overgrown lands, where danger stalks danger.

And verdant, inviting lands, where beauty is a prelude to death.

Each land holds its own challenges, its own dangers, and each comes with great advantage, if only they can master it.

The Aeithar have always found themselves constrained. Limited, trapped, by external circumstance. They fight in an arena imposed upon them. But, occasionally, the technology of war will throw up something new, something powerful, that will enable the Aeithar to break those constraints, and to expand their arena.
    Now is just such a time.
  They flood eagerly outwards, determined to make the most of their new-found freedom, but their new arena has boundaries of its own, and comes with new challenges and dangers.

Crossing the seas has released the Aeithar. Now they have a whole planet to colonise.
  Eagerly they flood outwards, not knowing what awaits them, or if they'll ever be able to return to the lands they know.
  But with new lands comes new realisation: it's not just people that can be hostile.

Across The Sea is the second book of the epic Expansion of the Aeithar series, which covers how the Aeithar adapt to and overcome the challenges of the new arena they accessed in the previous History book.
  This book covers their second expansion, when they manage to cross the sea and gain access to the rest of their world. It follows on from The International Wars.

Across The Horizon is the third book of the Expansion of the Aeithar series, and follows on from The History of the Aeithar - The Intercontinental Wars.

Outwards they flood, leaving behind the ruined cinder of their old planet, in craft barely sufficient for the journey. Wasted, diseased, their bodies ravaged by radiation, most won't survive the journey, but for those that do, a whole new world awaits.

But what future does that world hold?

With no way of knowing the conditions in advance, beyond the most basic details, each craft has been assigned a destination more or less at random. A planet, or a moon, that looks to have an atmosphere, that might contain water. A world that might, just might, be capable of supporting life.

For the lucky ones, years of hardship and toil lie before them, for the unlucky, an end to their cares.

But for the truly blessed, it seems, the future holds only perfection.

Can one small group of ships truly have been assigned to paradise?

The Aeithar have always found themselves constrained. Limited, trapped, by external circumstance. They fight in an arena imposed upon them. But, occasionally, the technology of war will throw up something new, something powerful, that will enable the Aeithar to break those constraints, and to expand their arena.
    Now is just such a time.
  They flood eagerly outwards, determined to make the most of their new-found freedom, but their new arena has boundaries of its own, and comes with new challenges and dangers.

The planets and moons of the solar system are as diverse as they are plentiful, and the Aeithar race to colonise them all.
  The draw of a new life, and new resources, leads to an exodus the like of which they have never before experienced.
   But some worlds are better than others.

Across The Horizon is the third book of the epic Expansion of the Aeithar series, which covers how the Aeithar adapt to and overcome the challenges of the new arena they accessed in the previous History book.
  This book covers their third expansion, when they manage to escape from their world and into the rest of their solar system. It follows on from The Intercontinental Wars.

With the discovery of extra-solar travel, the Aeithar are once again unleashed, and spreading out through the galaxy. Some seek relief, some seek independence, some seek wealth, and some seek the unknown. All are to be found, across the myriad new worlds they now have access to, along with something else. A mystery.

The Aeithar discover first dozens, then hundreds of habitable planets, all devoid of intelligent life, but was it always so?

At first they are mere curiosities, a pile of stones that seems out of place, a water channel unnaturally long and straight, but with each step outwards the evidence mounts. Artefacts that were clearly created, metal that seems to have been worked, and eventually the remnants of technology.
  Someone, or something, had been here first, but where were they now?

As they progress beyond the galactic core and into the spiral arms, the Aeithar receive their answer, but it's not the one they expected. And there are plenty of people to ask.

For beyond the core, the worlds are no longer empty. The Aeithar have finally met their neighbours, and now have the chance to expand their knowledge as well as their territory.. Cultural and scientific teams are exchanged, and begin to learn about each other.

Friendships form, then something more, until one Aeithar scientist finds herself crossing a boundary that no-one had ever expected.

Across The Genus is unique in the series, in that its title references events at the end of the book, rather than at the beginning.

The Aeithar have always found themselves constrained. Limited, trapped, by external circumstance. They fight in an arena imposed upon them. But, occasionally, the technology of war will throw up something new, something powerful, that will enable the Aeithar to break those constraints, and to expand their arena.
    Now is just such a time.
  They flood eagerly outwards, determined to make the most of their new-found freedom, but their new arena has boundaries of its own, and comes with new challenges and dangers.

A whole galaxy to explore, and the possibilities seem endless.
  Some journey near, eager to start their new life quickly, while others journey far, seeking separation, and others still roam from place to place, seeking perfection.
  But once again the Aeithar find out that someone, or something, else has been there before them.

Across The Genus is the fourth book of the epic Expansion of the Aeithar series, which covers how the Aeithar adapt to and overcome the challenges of the new arena they accessed in the previous History book.
  This book covers their fourth expansion, when they cross the boundary of their solar system and out into the galaxy. It follows on from The Interplanetary Wars.

Across The Divide is the fifth book of the Expansion of the Aeithar series, and follows on from The History of the Aeithar - The Interspecies Wars.

What do you do when reality is no longer what it was?

How do you cope when the rules no longer apply?

How do you settle amidst the inherently unsettling?

The Aeithar have breached the dimensional divide, and entered a universe unlike anything they could have imagined.

Throughout their history, the Aeithar have expanded. Discovered new territory, and claimed it. Overcome its challenges, and tamed it. Benefited from its potential.

But none of those lands, or their challenges, prepared them for what lies before them this time.

Worlds where time and space have different meanings.

Worlds that change around them.

Worlds that change them around itself.

And, behind it all, a presence...

The Aeithar have always found themselves constrained. Limited, trapped, by external circumstance. They fight in an arena imposed upon them. But, occasionally, the technology of war will throw up something new, something powerful, that will enable the Aeithar to break those constraints, and to expand their arena.
    Now is just such a time.
  They flood eagerly outwards, determined to make the most of their new-found freedom, but their new arena has boundaries of its own, and comes with new challenges and dangers.

When the universe itself has become too small to contain the Aeithar, there's only one place left to go.
  A new reality beckons, and the Aeithar see endless possibility.
  But across the dimensional divide nothing is as it seems.

Across The Divide is the fifth book of the epic Expansion of the Aeithar series, which covers how the Aeithar adapt to and overcome the challenges of the new arena they accessed in the previous History book.
  This book covers their fifth expansion, when they breach the Dimensional Divide and gain access to a whole new reality. It follows on from The Interspecies Wars.

Detailed description coming soon!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. What progress they have undergone, what advances they have made, have all come at the height of conflict.
   But no-one, not even the Aeithar, can fight continuously.
  There are, by necessity, moments if not of peace then at least of wary truce. Times when the Aeithar must work together with their enemies, for whatever reason. But this pseudo-peace is fragile, and these truces easily broken. Plot and double-cross are commonplace, when an ally is nothing more than a future enemy.

Rebuilding an army, especially one so decimated, takes time. Time that needs to be bought, by confronting your enemy with diplomacy instead of swords. But who will rebuild first?
  With no urgent needs to drive them, warfare must be its own reward. Enticements must be devised, to tempt the farmers from their fields, the merchants from their shops, to swell the greatly depleted ranks. For it is only through war that the powerful maintain their power.

For The Glory is the first book of the epic Zeal of the Aeithar series, which details the events leading up to the war covered in the following History book.
  This book leads into The International Wars.

Detailed description coming soon!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. What progress they have undergone, what advances they have made, have all come at the height of conflict.
   But no-one, not even the Aeithar, can fight continuously.
  There are, by necessity, moments if not of peace then at least of wary truce. Times when the Aeithar must work together with their enemies, for whatever reason. But this pseudo-peace is fragile, and these truces easily broken. Plot and double-cross are commonplace, when an ally is nothing more than a future enemy.

Industry requires resources. Resources on a grand scale. But while heads of state wade through trade negotiations, others have more direct means of ensuring their supplies.
  The planet is almost exhausted. What little it has left to give is being greedily reaped, and stockpiled. But it is not being rationed. The people demand their luxuries, with no thought for tomorrow. If there can be no more resources, then there must be less people.

For The World is the second book of the epic Zeal of the Aeithar series, which details the events leading up to the war covered in the following History book.
  This book leads into The Intercontinental Wars.

Detailed description coming soon!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. What progress they have undergone, what advances they have made, have all come at the height of conflict.
   But no-one, not even the Aeithar, can fight continuously.
  There are, by necessity, moments if not of peace then at least of wary truce. Times when the Aeithar must work together with their enemies, for whatever reason. But this pseudo-peace is fragile, and these truces easily broken. Plot and double-cross are commonplace, when an ally is nothing more than a future enemy.

First came the idea. Then the whispering, the meetings, the book. Planet by planet, Erudition is spreading. And the less the people have, the stronger it takes hold.
  The divide between those that have everything and those that have nothing has never been greater, but that alone is too small a spark to light the fires of change. The rich are too complacent, and the poor too scared. Only an ideal can hope to blaze.

For The Cause is the third book of the epic Zeal of the Aeithar series, which details the events leading up to the war covered in the following History book.
  This book leads into The Interplanetary Wars.

Detailed description coming soon!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. What progress they have undergone, what advances they have made, have all come at the height of conflict.
   But no-one, not even the Aeithar, can fight continuously.
  There are, by necessity, moments if not of peace then at least of wary truce. Times when the Aeithar must work together with their enemies, for whatever reason. But this pseudo-peace is fragile, and these truces easily broken. Plot and double-cross are commonplace, when an ally is nothing more than a future enemy.

That aliens are different is not the issue. The real problem is that they aren't different enough. They want what we want, and many are married to Aeithar. Is it love, or heresy?
  The very definition of who is Aeithar is becoming blurred. The divisions between them grow ever more pronounced. And what was originally conceived as an ideal for all might be the greatest division.

For The Answers is the fourth book of the epic Zeal of the Aeithar series, which details the events leading up to the war covered in the following History book.
  This book leads into The Interspecies Wars.

Detailed description coming soon!

The Aeithar are at war. Always at war. From the very beginnings of their race to the very end, they have fought, amongst themselves and against others. Their wars have shaped the race, moulded it, and driven their development. What progress they have undergone, what advances they have made, have all come at the height of conflict.
   But no-one, not even the Aeithar, can fight continuously.
  There are, by necessity, moments if not of peace then at least of wary truce. Times when the Aeithar must work together with their enemies, for whatever reason. But this pseudo-peace is fragile, and these truces easily broken. Plot and double-cross are commonplace, when an ally is nothing more than a future enemy.

Can Purity be measured by degrees, or is it an absolute? Can higher understanding succeed where base language has failed? Will taking Erudition into the Divide bridge the gap?
  All earlier attempts failed, and the Divide has long been sealed. But now Erudition holds full sway, and it is by definition proof against any challenge.

For The Gods is the fifth book of the epic Zeal of the Aeithar series, which details the events leading up to the war covered in the following History book.
  This book leads into The Interdimensional Wars.