Quintessence
Quintessence is an alt-history with a strong hook. A ship of explorers led by Lord Chelsey has returned to London, and the few survivors babble about a cargo of diamonds and gold while they die. Stephen Parris is a doctor who is so dedicated to his work that he risks execution for the crime of dissecting a human cadaver, and one of his suppliers provides a body from Chelsey’s ship. Imagine his surprise when the body is laced with dust and salt, as though the man had been eating dirt and drinking sea water. Enter Christopher Sinclair, an alchemist of dubious moral stability but possessed of a very good mind. He coerces Parris to join him on an expedition to the West, where he expects to discover the secret of immortality. They’re also hoping to leave behind England’s politics, as the Catholic Mary is in line to inherit the throne after the king dies. The characters are a little too single-minded and stilted on occasion, but the chance to explore a new world where immortality is possible pulls the story along at a fair clip regardless. --Regina Schroeder