The Shadow of What Was Lost Book Concept Art

The Shadow of What Was Lost is the outset book in The Licanius Trilogy. It was first cocky-published on August 4th, 2014 and subsequently released in hardcover by Orbit Books on November 8th, 2016. Information technology is 602 pages long and consists of a prologue, 54 chapters, and an epilogue. The audiobook was published on February 10th, 2015 by Podium Audio.

1 Synopsis
two Plot overview
- 2.1 The Ancient Past
- ii.2 The Recent Past
- two.3 The present
3 Characters
4 Statistical analysis
5 Editions

Synopsis [ ]

It has been twenty years since the end of the state of war. The dictatorial Augurs - one time thought of nearly equally gods - were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled nether them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Souvenir, avoided the Augurs' fate just by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets. A representation of these laws is at present written into the flesh of any who use the Gift, forcing those so marked into absolute obedience.

Equally a student of the Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war fought – and lost – before he was born. Despised by near beyond the school walls, he and those around him are all only prisoners as they try to acquire command of the Souvenir. Worse, equally Davian struggles with his lessons, he knows that there is farther to fall if he cannot pass his final tests.

Simply when Davian discovers he has the ability to wield the forbidden ability of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will modify everything. To the north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir. And to the westward, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian'southward wakes upwards in the woods, covered in blood and with no retentivity of who he is…

Plot overview [ ]

For a chapter past chapter breakup, see the Chapter Summaries

"Only for a dandy love would he accept such a gamble."

The following section(s) may contain spoilers. You have been warned.

The following is a loftier-level overview of The Shadow of What was Lost, taken straight from the first few pages of The Light of All That Falls.

The Ancient Past [ ]

This section has been relocated here, to forestall unnecessary spoilers from the side by side ii books and since it is not technically role of The Shadow of What Was Lost.

The Contempo Past [ ]

A generation ago, the Augurs—men and women with the power to wield kan and see an unchangeable future—ruled Andarra, as they had for nigh 2 thousand years since the cosmos of the Boundary. Assisting them were the Gifted: people able to manipulate a reserve of their own Essence to physically affect the world effectually them.

Although outwardly everything appeared to be well, i of the Augurs—a man named Jakarris—became increasingly concerned most the worsening state of the Boundary, and worried that the traditionally warned-against uses of kan that his peers had recently been experimenting with were responsible for its decay. He spent many years attempting to prove this theory, coming close to finding conclusive answers, only for his research to one day be completely destroyed.

Suspecting his boyfriend Augurs of sabotage merely not having any proof, a disgruntled and disheartened Jakarris was somewhen recruited by Nethgalla, who convinced him that the only way to delay the imminent collapse of the Boundary was to overthrow the current generation of Augurs. Nethgalla also explained that their downfall would enable her to introduce Vessels (Augur-made devices, created to utilize Essence in specific ways) into Andarran society, which, ultimately, could prove decisive in resisting the forces beyond the Boundary.

Jakarris proceeded to assist Nethgalla in undermining the Augurs' rule, using his position to create a series of embarrassing public mistakes that cast serious dubiousness on the Andarran leaders' ability to see the hereafter. Refusing to openly acknowledge that there was a problem, the Augurs withdrew from the public center as they tried to determine what was happening, tasking the Gifted with controlling an increasingly nervous populace. Public unrest soon turned to anger every bit some of the Gifted began overstepping their new mandate, often violently. A schism in Andarran lodge apace formed.

Somewhen things came to a head and a shocking, encarmine rebellion overthrew the Augurs and the Gifted, the uprising instigated past Duke Elocien Andras—a member of the previously token monarchy—and fueled by the proliferation of new weapons provided by Nethgalla that were designed to target those with powers. Jakarris slew the other twelve Augurs, and of the 5 original Gifted strongholds (called Tols), only 2—Tol Athian and Tol Shen—held out against the initial attack.

Afterward spending 5 years trapped behind their Essence-powered defenses, the Gifted finally signed the Treaty with Duke Andras and the monarchy, officially ending hostilities. The toll to the Gifted, however, was high. One of the Vessels Nethgalla had provided was used to create the Tenets: four magically enforced, unbreakable laws that heavily restricted the use of Gifted abilities. Commoners were also allowed to become Administrators of the Treaty, giving them even more legal and practical control over those who could wield Essence.

Furthermore, whatever Gifted who broke whatever terms of the Treaty non covered past the Tenets were forced to become Shadows, permanently stripped of their abilities and horribly disfigured in the procedure. This happened nigh often to the unfortunate Gifted students who lacked the skills to pass their graduation Trials, and who were therefore not vouched for by the Tols as able to adequately control their powers.

This was another of Nethgalla's contributions to the rebellion; unbeknownst to the Andarrans, every Gifted who became a Shadow was in fact existence linked to a Vessel called the Siphon, which allowed Nethgalla to employ that Gifted's Essence equally if it were her own.

Thus the Gifted, while technically free once again, remained heavily policed and despised by virtually. Meanwhile, the powers of the Augurs were condemned under the Treaty. For any who were discovered to accept such capabilities, a capital punishment at the hands of Administration awaited.

The present [ ]

Xvi-year-one-time Davian is an intelligent, hardworking educatee at the Gifted school at Caladel—simply equally his Trials approach, he even so cannot figure out how to wield his powers, despite having the Mark on his forearm that both binds him to the Tenets and indicates that he has previously used Essence. To make matters worse, Davian can unfailingly tell when someone is lying—something that only an Augur should be able to exercise. His closest friends, Wirr and Asha, are the just ones he has told well-nigh this unusual skill.

When Elders from Tol Athian make it early to conduct the Trials, Davian is approached in the dead of night by one of the newcomers, a man called Ilseth Tenvar. Ilseth claims to have been a member of the sig'nari, the grouping of Gifted who served directly under the Augurs earlier the rebellion 20 years agone. He admits to knowing that Davian is an Augur, and urges him to leave before he fails his Trials and is turned into a Shadow. Ilseth also provides Davian with a mysterious bronze box, which he explains will guide Davian to somewhere he can be properly trained.

Confident the Elder is telling him the truth, Davian leaves the school that same dark; Wirr, later discovering at the final second Davian's plan to flee, refuses to allow him get alone and accompanies him.

Unaware of these events, Asha wakes the following morning to discover that everyone in the school has been brutally killed. In shock and non knowing why she is the only one to take escaped the slaughter, she realizes that Davian and Wirr's bodies are not among the dead. However, when Ilseth discovers that Asha has been left untouched, he reveals himself to have been complicit in the attack. Assuming that Asha was deliberately left alive by his superiors (and being unwilling to kill her himself as a result), Ilseth instead turns her into a Shadow, thereby erasing her memory of everything she has seen that morning time—including the noesis that Davian and Wirr may still be alive.

Davian and Wirr head northward, avoiding trouble until they are captured past two Hunters—the Andarran term for those who track down and kill the Gifted for profit. However, they are rescued by another Hunter, Breshada, who despite her profession mysteriously lets them go again, maxim simply that they owe their thanks to someone chosen Tal'kamar.

Standing to follow Ilseth'south instructions, the boys cross the border into Desriel, a country governed by a religious system called the Gil'shar, who believe that all human being manipulation of Essence is an abomination. In Desriel, the penalty for even beingness built-in with such an ability is death.

Navigating several dangers, Wirr and Davian are led past Ilseth's bronze box to a boyfriend named Caeden, a prisoner of the Gil'shar. They fix him free, only to be attacked by a brute known as a sha'teth. Caeden saves them from the sha'teth in a display of astonishing power, despite being physically weakened from his captivity.

Meanwhile, Asha is brought to Andarra's capital letter Ilin Illan by Ilseth, who continues to pretend that he had nothing to practice with the slaughter at Caladel. The Athian Council—the group of Elders who lead Tol Athian—come to believe that Asha may hold the key to finding out more than nigh the attack, but do not wish to share this information with Administration, who are besides looking into the incident. The Athian Quango decides to keep her at the Tol, hiding her true identity from everyone else.

After a traumatic run across with a sha'teth that mysteriously refuses to attack her, Asha meets Scyner, the man in charge of a surreptitious underground refuge for Shadows known as the Sanctuary. Scyner recruits Asha to find out why Duke Elocien Andras—head of Assistants, and enemy to those in the Sanctuary—is showing such corking interest in the attack on her school.

When Elocien hears that Asha is a survivor of the set on, he uses Tol Athian's need of a new political Representative in the ruling trunk of the Assembly to have Asha assigned to the palace. Asha shortly learns that Wirr is Elocien's son; he may not only still be alive, but thanks to his birthright will i day exist able to unmarried-handedly change the Tenets. Despite Elocien'southward reputation every bit the driving force behind the rebellion twenty years ago, Asha as well discovers that he has secretly been working with 3 young Augurs for the past few years—Kol, Fessi, and Erran. Knowing this, she realizes that she cannot betray Elocien's trust to Scyner, despite the deal she had previously agreed to.

In Desriel, Davian, Wirr, and Caeden run into Taeris Sarr, a Gifted in hiding who believes that Caeden is somehow tied to the recent, worrying degradation of the Boundary. Taeris too reveals that Ilseth Tenvar lied to Davian during their encounter at the school, and so exactly why Davian was sent to Caeden remains a mystery. Concerned that Ilseth's motives are untoward and that his bronze box may trigger something undesirable upon contact with Caeden, Taeris recommends that the box be kept away from him until they know more than.

Davian and Wirr soon discover that Caeden has been charged with murder past the Gil'shar—but has no memories of his past, and does not even know himself whether the accusations are truthful. Taeris determines that they need to head back to Andarra, to Ilin Illan, where Tol Athian has a Vessel (an Augur-made device created to utilize Essence in a specific mode) that may be able to restore Caeden's memories. Nevertheless, with the Desrielite borders so carefully guarded, they decide that their best form of activity is to enlist the help of Princess Karaliene Andras—Wirr'south cousin—in order to get habitation.

When they finally run across with Karaliene, she recognizes Caeden as an accused murderer and refuses to risk a major diplomatic incident by smuggling him out of the land, despite Wirr'south interest. Their best hope dashed, Taeris determines that their only other option is to go out Desriel through the ancient, mysteriously abased border city of Deilannis.

In Ilin Illan, Asha forges new friendships with the Augurs, soon discovering that they take had unsettling visions of a devastating attack on the capital. Not long afterward, rumors begin to circulate of an invading force—christened "the Blind" due to their strange eye-covering helmets—approaching from the direction of the Purlieus.

As she and Elocien try to determine how best to defend the city without exposing the Augurs, Asha makes the astonishing discovery that the Shadows are nonetheless able to access Essence, if they practice so past using Vessels. This, she realizes, means that their abilities are only repressed when they are fabricated into a Shadow, and not completely eliminated as was previously causeless.

After an sharp, strange message from a seemingly older Davian, Asha becomes suspicious of Ilseth'south version of events surrounding the attack on the schoolhouse at Caladel, and has one of the Augurs restore her lost memory. When she finds out that Ilseth was complicit in the slaughter, she fools him into revealing his lies to the Athian Council, who later imprison him.

As Davian and Wirr travel through the eerie, mist-covered city of Deilannis, they are attacked and Davian is separated from the rest of the group. He is caught in a strange rift, barely surviving his journeying through the void; when he emerges back into Deilannis he meets Malshash, an Augur who tells him that he has traveled most a century backward in time.

Disbelieving at showtime just somewhen convinced of Malshash's claims, Davian spends time in Deilannis's Great Library, a massive storehouse of ancient knowledge. Under Malshash'south guidance, he rapidly learns to use and control his Augur abilities. Though Malshash's exact motivations for helping him remain unclear, Davian realizes that his instructor has been studying the rift in the hope that he tin modify something that has already happened.

Back in the present a devastated Wirr, believing Davian is dead, continues on to Ilin Illan with Taeris and Caeden. As they travel, they come across horrific prove of the invading force from beyond the Boundary—strengthening their belief that they need to find a way to prevent it from collapsing entirely. Concerned that Caeden's memories may hold the key to exactly how to exercise that, they bustle to Ilin Illan before the Blind tin attain the urban center.

One time in Ilin Illan, Taeris attempts to convince the Athian Council to help them, merely the Council—having heard the accusations of murder leveled against Caeden and likewise influenced past their combative past with Taeris—decline. With nowhere else to turn, Taeris and Caeden accept refuge in the palace, where Wirr is able to convince Karaliene that Caeden is a central effigy in what is happening.

In Deilannis, a training blow results in Davian experiencing Malshash'due south most traumatic retentiveness: the death of his wife Elliavia at their wedding, and Malshash'southward drastic, failed attempt to salve her afterward. Malshash, after conceding that this is one of the main reasons he wants to change the past, sends Davian back to the present.

Davian heads for Ilin Illan but is briefly waylaid by some other Augur, Ishelle, and an Elder from Tol Shen, Driscin Throll. The two try to convince Davian to join Tol Shen, merely Davian has heard about the invasion by the Blind and is intent on reaching the capital in time to help.

Davian arrives in Ilin Illan, enjoying an all-too-cursory reunion with Asha and Wirr before the Bullheaded finally assail. Meanwhile Caeden and Taeris, understanding that the Athian Council is never going to aid them restore Caeden's memory, plan to sneak into Tol Athian and do so without their permission. However, before they can apply the Vessel that will restore Caeden's memories, Caeden instead activates Ilseth'south mysterious bronze box, a flash of recognition leading him to get out through the fiery portal information technology subsequently creates.

As Wirr and Davian help with the city'due south defenses, Asha convinces Elocien to give Vessels from Administration's stockpile to the Shadows, as they are non bound by the Tenets and thus can freely use them against the invaders. After Asha and the Shadows join the fight, the Blind's first set on is successfully thwarted.

Despite this initial victory, Ilin Illan is before long breached and the Blind proceeds the upper hand in the battle. Elocien is killed equally the Andarran forces desperately retreat, and Asha realizes to her horror that he has been under the control of one of the Augurs all along. She decides non tell a grieving Wirr, who, with Davian'southward assist, hurries to Tol Athian and changes the Tenets so that all Gifted can fight. Withal, it appears that this new reward may come too tardily.

Caeden finds himself in Res Kartha, where a man seemingly made of burn down—Garadis ru Dagen, one of the Lyth—reveals that Caeden wiped his own retentiveness, setting this series of events into movement in order to fulfill the terms of a bargain between the Lyth and someone chosen Andrael. This bargain at present allows Caeden to take the sword Licanius, a powerful Vessel—merely information technology besides stipulates that he may keep the sword for only a year and a 24-hour interval, unless he devises a way to free the Lyth from Res Kartha.

Concerned about what he has agreed to but even more than concerned for his friends, Caeden returns to Ilin Illan, utilizing the astonishing power of Licanius to destroy the invading army just as defeat for the Andarran forces seems inevitable.

In the aftermath of the battle—having revealed himself as an Augur during the fighting—Davian decides to take Ishelle up on her offer and caput south to Tol Shen, where he believes he will be able to continue looking for a way to strengthen the Boundary against the dark forces beyond. Asha chooses to remain in Ilin Illan as Representative, while Wirr inherits the role of Northwarden, head of Administration.

Notwithstanding searching for answers well-nigh his past, and determined to help his friends fight whatever is beyond the Boundary, Caeden uses the statuary Portal Box over again. He this fourth dimension finds himself in the Wells of Mor Aruil and meets an Augur named Asar Shenelac, who appears to recognize him.

To Caeden's horror, Asar restores a retention that indicates non only that Caeden was responsible for the murders in Desriel of which he was accused—but that he is in fact Aarkein Devaed.

Characters [ ]

Statistical analysis [ ]

See also the total statistical analysis for this book.

The Shadow of What Was Lost contains 54 capacity, a prologue and an epilogue, of which:

POV	%	Chapters
Davian	47.84%	Chapters 1 through 4, 6 and 7, 10 and eleven, thirteen through 15, 99% of 17, 43% of 18, 91% of 20, 62% of 23, 58% of 24, 25, 28, 32, 35, 38 and 39, 44 and 45, 47, 64% of 49, 47% of 52, and 84% of 54 ¹
Ashalia Chaedris	24.24%	Chapter 5, 8 and ix, 12, 16, 19, 22, 27, 31, 34, 37, 74% of 46, 48, 26% of 50, 51, and 58% of the Epilogue
Caeden	13.97%	Affiliate 29, 33, 65% of 36, 40, 42 and 43, 36% of 49, 53, and 42% of the Epilogue
Torin Wirrander Andras	13.55%	one% of Chapter 17, 58% of 18, ix% of twenty, 21, 38% of 23, 42% of 24, 26, 30, 35% of 36, 41, 26% of 46, 74% of l ² , 53% of 52, and 16% of 54
Tal'kamar Deshrel	0.39%	Prologue
^ane Chapter 54 has three POVs, ii of which are from Davian's POV. His start POV is 53% of the affiliate and his second is 31%.
² Chapter 50 has three POVs, two of which are from Wirr's POV. His first POV is 35% of the affiliate and his second is 39%.