Part of Series
From the moment 12-year-old Prince Erechtheus docks in Poseidia, capital of the Empire, to be a hostage for 13 years, nothing in his life is easy or safe. An unexpected and foreboding prophecy, uttered by a blind seer, puts the prince immediately in the crosshairs of Al-Jinn, the powerful and paranoid High Priest from the Temple of Bel. In a fit of perverse desperation, Al-Jinn and several other priests ravenously abuse Erech before placing him on an altar for ritual sacrifice to Lord Bel. Only last-minute intervention from Kul-Kan, High Priest of the rival Temple of One, saves the prince from a gruesome fate. At the Temple of One, although he remains a hostage, Erech is befriended by others his age as they are all educated in the Empire's arts and sciences. The Temple offers relative sanctuary, but the prince is repeatedly attacked. He survives with the help of his new-found friends and hand-to-hand combat training from Myriné, heir apparent to the Queen of the Amazons. Erech gains exceptional fighting skills and an understanding of the natural world as he matures, but he suffers a series of crippling, heart-breaking losses most as a result of the many attempts on his life. At the twilight of his captivity as a hostage, the 25-year-old prince encounters one last trial, a trial that could very well lead to war between his native land and the Empire.
Author
Phil Cantrill grew up on a farm near Orange, New South Wales. He has been an avid eclectic reader since he was old enough to hold a picture book. After graduating from High School, Phil worked for the government while studying law at night but says his most interesting and rewarding lessons have been in the university of life. Following admission as a barrister he practiced law in various parts of Australia and in Hong Kong, enjoying the opportunities provided by both legal practice and travel. Most of all he enjoyed meeting and understanding new people, seeing and learning from beliefs and cultures very different from his own. Some of the interesting scenes and characters he encountered provide source material for his stories. His hobbies include being a gliding instructor and a scuba diver. Phil believes that seeing the world from these two very different perspectives has helped him better understand it, while more fully appreciating its beauty and fragility. Later in life, Phil decided to leave his legal practice to satisfy a desire to write fantasy. "Imperial Hostage" is his first published novel, but he hopes there are more where this came from. His family includes five children, all of who are now adults. Phil lives on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland with his wife and poodle while working on his next novel.
