Bright Centuries

The first book in the "Universe of Ether" cycle. A vivid mixture of fantasy, alternative history, and Victorian novel. For fans of the books "The Station of Lost Dreams", "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" and "Great Expectations". Translated by Natalia Osoyanu. In 1678, Joshua Wagstaff discovered the ether, and the Industrial Revolution began, fueled by magic. The ether, whose secrets are jealously guarded by the Guilds, becomes the foundation on which a new world is built. Many years have passed since then. On the streets, it is said that the time has come to overthrow the power of the Guilds, and soon the existing order may come to an end. Robert Burrows grew up in the small Yorkshire town of Bracebridge and, like his father, was supposed to work at an ether factory, but he witnesses the dark side of magical technologies when his mother transforms into something monstrous and pitiful. Escaping to London, Robert begins a journey through the vast city, fate colliding him with criminals and revolutionaries, throwing him into fashionable salons and aristocratic houses. Thus, he uncovers secrets that threaten the very fabric of this society, secrets related to the essence of the ether, capable of destroying everything or creating something completely new that will change the world forever.