The Well of Echoes is a quartet of novels written by Ian Irvine and is the second arc of The Three Worlds Cycle series. Ian Irvine (born 1950 is an Australian Fantasy /eco- thriller author and marine scientist. The Three Worlds Cycle is a series of novels written by author Ian Irvine.
Contents |
Titles
The Well of Echoes consists of four books:
Main Characters
The Well of Echoes quartet centres on new characters, set in the same world as The View from the Mirror. Geomancer is the first book of the The Well of Echoes quartet written by Ian Irvine. Tetrarch is the second novel in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet Scrutator is the third book in Ian Irvine's The Well of Echoes quartet Chimaera is the fourth and final book in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet. The View from the Mirror is the first quartet in Ian Irvine 's The Three Worlds Cycle series
Tiaan Liise-Mar is a highly skilled artisan. Tiaan Liise-Mar is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well Of Echoes quartet She works hard to maintain her position as she knows the alternative is the breeding factory. Her mother has worked in the breeding factory in Tiksi most of her life. She also doesn't know who her father is and has no history of her family from his side which is a disadvantage on Santhenar. Santhenar is one of three fictional planets in Ian Irvine 's The Three Worlds Cycle. However, she does have some extraordinary talents. She has a photographic memory and even more rare, if she can remember the mechanical workings of a machine, she can make them move in her mind and tell whether the machine will work and what flaws it has.
Irisis Stirm is another artisan and Tiaan's rival for promotion in the manufactory. Irisis Stirm is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet She also comes from a well respected family and uses this against Tiaan. The overseer of the manufactory is her second cousin although he does not favour her as much as she would like. She feels pressure from her family to become crafter, the chief artisan, as so many people in her family have held the position.
Cryl-Nish Hlar is an artificer of average skill and an inexperienced prober (spy) for his father, Jal-Nish Hlar. Cryl-Nish Hlar is a main character in Ian Irvine 's fictional series of books The Three Worlds Cycle, appearing in both The Well of Echoes The Council of Scrutators is a fictional Council who have control of the world of Santhenar, in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet He is usually known as Nish though he doesn't like the nickname much. He comes from a well respected family and was a scribe to a merchant but his father had him moved to the manufactory. He hates the work but works hard, despite his lack of any real ability.
Scrutator for the region of Einunar. Xervish Flydd is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet One of few uncorrupt Scrutators. A member of the Council of Scrutators. The Council of Scrutators is a fictional Council who have control of the world of Santhenar, in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet When he is cast out he vows to bring down the corrupt Council and give Santhenar a chance of winning the war against the lyrinx. Lyrinx are fictional humanoids in Ian Irvine 's quartet The Well of Echoes.
The leader of Clan Inthis and of all the Aachim of Aachan. Vithis is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet The Aachim are a fictional human species from Ian Irvine 's arc of novels The Three Worlds Cycle. Aachan is one of three fictional planets in Ian Irvines The Three Worlds Cycle. He is the foster-father of Minis and is constantly forcing his will on his foster-son. He is arrogant in his superiority.
Foster-son of Vithis. Minis is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet He is timid and weak-willed and completely in Vithis's thrall. He contacts Tiaan from Aachan and pleads with her to save the Aachim.
A brilliant, yet eccentric, geomancer who has a need to control everything and everyone in his life. Gilhaelith is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet When he loses control he has panic attacks. He has out lived his the normal life expectancy of a normal human, possibly by using his skills as a geomancer to prelong his life. He resides in Nyriandiol and takes Tiaan as his apprentice, shortly before being captured by the lyrinx. Nyriandiol is the geomantic fortress of the Geomancer Gilhaelith in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet Once captured Gilhaelith is almost willing in his aid of them, Gilhaelith soon regrets this as it becomes clear that Matriarch Gyrull has no intention of letting him go. Though "almost willing" he stills keeps in mind his goal in life, to fully understand and control the forces of the world, by using his geomancers globe ( a very detailed scaled model of Santhenar) to accomplish his lifes aim.
A hypersensitive young woman. Ullii is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet She has a strange talent that allows her to see the Secret Art in all its froms. The Secret Art is effectively "magic" in Ian Irvine 's fictional cycle of series of books The Three Worlds Cycle. This talent identifies her as a Seeker. In The Well of Echoes cycle of novels a Seeker is a person with the fictional ability to see the Secret Art in all its forms within a mental lattice She develops feelings for Nish and becomes pregnant with his child, after they make love in the air-floater, while stranded near Tirthrax. During the Well of Echoes series by Ian Irvine, many different weapons are used by the different species of Santhenar and Aachan. Santhenar is one of three fictional planets in Ian Irvine 's The Three Worlds Cycle. Nish has feelings for Ullii, but not to the extent she does for him.
A deformed lyrinx, lacking armour or chameleon skin. Liett is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet The daughter of Matriarch Gyrull, she is a brilliant flesh-former and one of the greatest fliers among the lyrinx. Flesh-forming is a form of the Secret Art, or magic used by the Lyrinx in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet She is passionate and opinionated, which sometimes gets in the way of her blossoming relationship with Ryll. Liett is strong in the Secret Art and her and Ryll often work together on such matters.
Ryll is a deformed Lyrinx male who has only stubby useless wings and is a very talented flesh former. Ryll is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet During the course of the series, he creates many of the Lyrinx's most dangerous flesh formed creations. By the end of Chimaera, he is appointed as the first Patriarch of the Lyrinx for three thousand years. Tiaan and Ryll have saved each others lives several times and despite the war between their species, they come to regard each other as friends. He has romantic feelings towards Liett though he is often confused about her feelings towards him.
Perquisitor for the region of Einunar. Jal-Nish Hlar is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet and the Song of the Tears trilogy
Returning Characters
Although The Well of Echoes does occur 207 years after the events of The View from the Mirror, two longer lived characters from that time do re-appear and have major roles in The Well of Echoes. These characters are:
A great and powerful mancer and Matah of all the Aachim of Santhenar. Malien is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine 's series of books The Three Worlds Cycle. Mancer is a term that describes a practitioner of the Secret Art in Ian Irvine 's Three Worlds Cycle. Matah is a fictional Aachim title in Ian Irvine 's series of books The Three Worlds Cycle. She befriends Tiaan in Tirthrax and helps her discover how to make constructs fly. She later helps Tiaan escape Vithis and his Clan Vengeance and decides to accompany her on her journeys. Malien becomes an important ally of Flydd's cause to bring down the Council of Scrutators.
A great and powerful mancer who is over 1200 years old. Yggur is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine 's series of book The Three Worlds Cycle. He joins Flydd's cause but he and the Scrutator will forever be rivals. He helps coordinate the attack on Nennifer and it is he and Malien who cause the ampliment to wreak havoc on the fortress. He petitions against the annihilation of the lyrinx.
Secondary Characters
Characters of great prominence but not to the extent of the above include:
- Fyn-Mah
- Haani
- Chief Scrutator Ghorr
- Scrutator Fusshte
- Matriarch Gyrull
- Scrutator Klarm
- Flangers
- Eiryn Muss
The Setting
The Well of Echoes is set 207 years after The View from the Mirror and the events to happen at the end of that time are directly affecting the Three Worlds now. Fyn-Mah is a main character in Geomancer and an important secondary character in the rest of The Well of Echoes quartet Haani is a secondary character who appears in Ian Irvine 's novel Geomancer, the first book in The Well of Echoes quartet Chief Scrutator Ghorr is a secondary character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet Scrutator Fusshte is a fictional character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet Matriarch Gyrull is a secondary character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet Scrutator Klarm is a secondary character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet Flangers is a secondary character in Ian Irvine 's Well of Echoes quartet Eiryn Muss is a secondary character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet It is set on Santhenar, which is ravaged by war between the old humans and the lyrinx. The old humans are a fictional human species from Ian Irvine 's arc of novels The Three Worlds Cycle. Lyrinx are fictional humanoids in Ian Irvine 's quartet The Well of Echoes.
The lyrinx escaped from the void when the Forbidding was broken, the war began 50 years after their arrival on Santhenar.
The terrible Council of Scrutators has control of the world and hides the fact that it is the war itself that gives them power and so refuses to allow it to end. Though the people believe the Council (mancers all) to be the ones to control the world it is in fact the Numinator who pulls their strings, though he or she takes no active part in day to day life. The Numinator is an as yet unseen character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet
Tiaan, an artisan from Tiksi, has a strange crystal dream and soon discovers that it is no dream at all. It is the Aachim of Aachan crying out for aid, their world is being destroyed by world-wide volcanic activity. The Aachim are a fictional human species from Ian Irvine 's arc of novels The Three Worlds Cycle. Aachan is one of three fictional planets in Ian Irvines The Three Worlds Cycle. Tiaan sets off to Tirthrax too ask for the Aachim of Santhenar's aid, but is captured by Ryll the lyrinx and is forced to help in the lyrinx's frightful flesh-forming. Flesh-forming is a form of the Secret Art, or magic used by the Lyrinx in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet
The Well of Echoes
The Well of Echoes itself is a portal of pure energy, sacred to the Aachim, which they send their dead to and sometimes use as a means of execution. An Aachim who believes their life has extended beyond its natural course will also give themselves to the Well. One Well of Echoes resides at Tirthrax, held in place by powerful magic. Whe Tiaan arrives at Tirthrax, The Amplimet begins to communicate with the extremely powerful node there, and draws power from it. The Amplimet is a crystal featured in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet It then uses this power to begin to thaw the Well and it takes all the effort of Malien to hold the Well in place. When Tiaan leaves Malien has a bitter struggle with the Well, but ultimately is able to renew the Great Spell that holds it in place, with her great Arts.
Only the Aachim of Clan Inthis can summon a Well of Echoes as they are the clan which discovered it and some claim, originated from it. While kept asleep, a Well is controllable by all the clans. It is possible that it acts as a node]in this form. However, once awakened, it can only be controlled by Clan Inthis. An awakened Well appears as a vast circular hole in the ground with golden points of light streaming downwards in the walls. It does not exist in the normal three dimensions. When an awakened Well is summoned in Chimaera, it is seen to move underneath buildings, taking the dead from inside but leaving the buildings intact. Chimaera is the fourth and final book in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet.
Tears of the Node
Tears of the Node are extremely powerful sorcerous artefacts. The Tears are made of the purest substance on Santhenar, Nihilium. Santhenar is one of three fictional planets in Ian Irvine 's The Three Worlds Cycle.
Even a tiny piece of Nihilium is craved by mancers beyond all things, as it can turn a minor-mancer, into a mancer who's power surpasses all others. Mancer is a term that describes a practitioner of the Secret Art in Ian Irvine 's Three Worlds Cycle. The Tears are exceptionally dangerous as they are each the size of a grape-fruit and give the user the power of an entire node.
The Tears were formed when the node at Snizort exploded, because power was fed back into it, via the node-drainer. During the Well of Echoes series by Ian Irvine, many different weapons are used by the different species of Santhenar and Aachan. Jal-Nish Hlar secretly obtained the two tears and eventually used them to take control of the entirety of Santhenar. Jal-Nish Hlar is a main character in Ian Irvine 's The Well of Echoes quartet and the Song of the Tears trilogy Santhenar is one of three fictional planets in Ian Irvine 's The Three Worlds Cycle. Jal-Nish refers to the two tears as; Gatherer and Reaper.
| The Well of Echoes | |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Ian Irvine |
| Main Characters: | Cryl-Nish Hlar | Tiaan Liise-Mar | Gilhaelith | Irisis Stirm | Jal-Nish Hlar | Liett | Malien | Minis | Ryll | Ullii | Vithis | Xervish Flydd | Yggur |
| Secondary Characters: | Eiryn Muss | Flangers | Fusshte | Fyn-Mah | Ghorr | Gyrull | Klarm | Merryl | Troist |
| Species: | Aachim | Charon | Faellem | Lyrinx | Old Humans |
| Books: | Geomancer | Tetrarch | Scrutator | Chimaera |
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