Academy, esteemed school and centre for innovation in the world, is home to people from all walks of life. National tensions are put aside, the topic of faith is not up for debate, and peace has reigned there for as long as the school has been in operation. That calm is shattered when the misguided Avery Adder flies his aero into the volatile auroran lights during a trek to the north.
The incident, seeming at first to be nothing more than showboating gone awry, soon unfolds into something far more sinister as the repercussions of Avery's actions incite discord amongst the students, with the potential for it to echo into the world beyond Academy. Enemies stalk the shadows, blood is shed under the flickering lights in the sky, and the students of Academy become pawns in a game played by mortals, immortals, and the beings that straddle the line between the two.
Synthetic Magic is Ian Barr's debut novel and the first volume of The Bloodless Affairs series, featuring a diverse cast of characters in a world that blends old magic and new technology seamlessly.
