City of the Gods: Forgotten
Encyclopedia
City of the Gods: Forgotten is an illustrated fiction
, epic fantasy novel by M.Scott Verne and Wynn Mercere
. The trade paperback edition has over 80 illustrations, many by notable artists Gustave Doré
, Lord Frederick Leighton, Léon François Commerre, Lawrence Alma-Tadema
, Arthur Hughes
, Jean-Léon Gérôme
, Ingres
, Diego Velázquez
, William Bouguereau, Botticelli, John William Waterhouse
, and others of the 16th-18th centuries. The Kindle
version has 20 full-page illustrations. Published by Raven Press in January 2011, the book is available as a 310 page trade paperback or as an Amazon Kindle book.
, Eros
, Zephyrus, Ares
, Hermes
& Glaucus
. Egyptian gods Set
& Sekhmet
and Babylonian gods include Lamasthu & Namtar
. Also various Chinese, Norse, Indian, Mayan and African gods are featured as the story unfolds. The gods are portrayed very much as they appeared in classical mythology, but each exhibits their own personalities and motivations.
The book deals with issues of trust, faith and the loss of both. There are also strong hints as to why the gods left Earth and the exploration of the different classes of inhabitants in realm of the Gods. (Slaves, merchants, freeman, priests and deities).
for printing excellence. This preview of the novel was released for Amazon Kindle in October 2010.
In July 2011 Flying Buffalo
Inc. released the City of the Gods Map Pack. This product in the Catalyst (role-playing game supplements)
line contains a large full-color map of the City of the Gods, a map of the surrounding lands, a booklet that describes important buildings in the City, and 18 full-color character cards. Most of the characters and places described in the Map Pack are taken directly from the first novel.
A digital comic book
entitled "The Last Goddess #1" was released in October 2011. Also written by Verne and Mercere, it is the first in the City of the Gods Universe comics line. The story is not directly related to events in the novel, but does reference concepts of the fantasy world.
Illustrated fiction
Illustrated fiction is a hybrid narrative medium in which images and text work together to tell a story. It can take various forms, including fiction written for adults or children, magazine fiction, comic strips, and picture books....
, epic fantasy novel by M.Scott Verne and Wynn Mercere
Wynn Mercere
Wynn Mercere is a pen name adopted in 2010 by writer Debora Wykle / Debora Kerr for the City of the Gods: Forgotten fantasy novel published by Raven Press and the City of the Gods Map Pack in the Catalyst line published by Flying Buffalo...
. The trade paperback edition has over 80 illustrations, many by notable artists Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
, Lord Frederick Leighton, Léon François Commerre, Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, OM, RA was a Dutch painter.Born in Dronrijp, the Netherlands, and trained at the Royal Academy of Antwerp, Belgium, he settled in England in 1870 and spent the rest of his life there...
, Arthur Hughes
Arthur Hughes
Arthur Hughes may refer to:*Arthur Hughes *Arthur Hughes , English footballer for Bolton Wanderers, Southampton and Manchester City*Arthur Hughes , Chirk F.C...
, Jean-Léon Gérôme
Jean-Léon Gérôme
Jean-Léon Gérôme was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as Academicism. The range of his oeuvre included historical painting, Greek mythology, Orientalism, portraits and other subjects, bringing the Academic painting tradition to an artistic climax.-Life:Jean-Léon Gérôme was born...
, Ingres
Ingres
Ingres Database is a commercially supported, open-source SQL relational database management system intended to support large commercial and government applications...
, Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
, William Bouguereau, Botticelli, John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working in the Pre-Raphaelite style. He worked several decades after the breakup of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which had seen its heydey in the mid-nineteenth century, leading him to have gained the moniker of "the modern Pre-Raphaelite"...
, and others of the 16th-18th centuries. The Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
version has 20 full-page illustrations. Published by Raven Press in January 2011, the book is available as a 310 page trade paperback or as an Amazon Kindle book.
Plot summary
Trapped in a timeless city governed by all the old gods of Earth, D'Molay is a tracker who works for the Gods. He makes a fateful choice to assist a hapless girl early in the story. He then begins to suspect she has some kind of connection to a huge beast ravaging the Olympian realm. D'Molay is torn between his duty to the eternal world and the leading of his heart. His compulsion to protect her pits the wits of a man against the guile of the gods, rekindling a faith he had long ago forgotten. In theory, any of the gods of old could appear in the City of the Gods. Some of the deities that appear include the Greco/Roman Gods ZeusZeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, Eros
Eros
Eros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
, Zephyrus, Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
& Glaucus
Glaucus
Glaucus is a Greek name. In modern Greek usage, the name is usually transliterated Glafkos. It may refer to:*Glaucus, a sea-god in Greek mythology*Glaucus , a mythical Lycian captain in the Trojan War...
. Egyptian gods Set
Set (mythology)
Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
& Sekhmet
Sekhmet
In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet , was originally the warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing for Upper Egypt. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath created the desert...
and Babylonian gods include Lamasthu & Namtar
Namtar
In Mesopotamian mythology Namtar was a hellish deity, god of death, and the messenger of An, Ereshkigal, and Nergal.Namtar was the son of Enlil and Erishkigal and was considered responsible for diseases and pests...
. Also various Chinese, Norse, Indian, Mayan and African gods are featured as the story unfolds. The gods are portrayed very much as they appeared in classical mythology, but each exhibits their own personalities and motivations.
The book deals with issues of trust, faith and the loss of both. There are also strong hints as to why the gods left Earth and the exploration of the different classes of inhabitants in realm of the Gods. (Slaves, merchants, freeman, priests and deities).
Main characters
- D'Molay the Tracker - The human protagonist. He tries to protect an unusual girl who seems to have no past, while working for the Gods.
- Aavi - She wakes up one morning in the streets of the City of the Gods and tries to recover her missing memories throughout the novel.
- MazuMazuMazu may refer to the following Chinese topics:* Mazu , deity in South China and Taiwan* Mazu Daoyi , Zen teacher in medieval China* Matsu Islands, administrative region of the Republic of China...
the Ferrywoman - She is in fact a Chinese goddess who aids Aavi & D'Molay. - The gods ErosErosEros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
& Zephyrus - They are conscripted by Zeus to aid the gods after witnessing a disaster in the Olympian realm. - The god SetSetA set is a collection of well defined and distinct objects, considered as an object in its own right. Sets are one of the most fundamental concepts in mathematics. Developed at the end of the 19th century, set theory is now a ubiquitous part of mathematics, and can be used as a foundation from...
- His quest for power inadvertently leads him to Aavi. - The god QuetzalcoatlQuetzalcoatlQuetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent". The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE...
- A member of the Council. He works his own agenda throughout the novel. - The goddess Lamasthu - Like Quetzalcoatl she is on her own quest for power, but works closely with Set.
Future books in the series
The official City of the Gods website lists three books planned in the novel series:- City of the Gods: Forgotten (released January 2011)
- City of the Gods: Guardian
- City of the Gods: Ambassador
- Tales of the Gods - A short story collection
Other City of the Gods published works
A promotional City of the Gods chapbook released in 2010 received a Silver award from the Arizona/New Mexico division of the Printing Industries of AmericaPrinting Industries of America
Printing Industries of America is a nonprofit trade association which advocates for the United States printing industry.It is the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, representing more than 10,000 member companies and an industry with more than $174.4 billion in revenue and 1 million...
for printing excellence. This preview of the novel was released for Amazon Kindle in October 2010.
In July 2011 Flying Buffalo
Flying Buffalo
Flying Buffalo Incorporated is a Scottsdale, Arizona game company that publishes role playing games, card games, gaming materials, and runs Play-by-mail games....
Inc. released the City of the Gods Map Pack. This product in the Catalyst (role-playing game supplements)
Catalyst (role-playing game supplements)
Catalyst is a series of fantasy role-playing game supplements created by Flying Buffalo as a series of game aids that could be used with any medieval fantasy-themed role-playing game system. The first one, Grimtooth's Traps, was released in 1981...
line contains a large full-color map of the City of the Gods, a map of the surrounding lands, a booklet that describes important buildings in the City, and 18 full-color character cards. Most of the characters and places described in the Map Pack are taken directly from the first novel.
A digital comic book
Digital comics
Digital comics can refer to either comics created entirely on a computer or comics released digitally ....
entitled "The Last Goddess #1" was released in October 2011. Also written by Verne and Mercere, it is the first in the City of the Gods Universe comics line. The story is not directly related to events in the novel, but does reference concepts of the fantasy world.