Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans

by Robert Smith, Geof Isherwood (Illustrator), Michael Carr (Editor)

Overview

Antiquitas Lost tells the story of a boy named Elliott, a lonesome kid with deformities on his hands and feet who is uprooted from his home after his mother falls gravely ill. When they move to New Orleans so his grandfather can help care for her, Elliott learns that the old man's eighteenth century mansion hides an ancient secret. While checking out some eerie paintings and strange relics in the basement, Elliott strays through an ancient passage into a tumultuous parallel world, full of bizarre creatures and warring races. He has stumbled into Pangrelor, the most ancient of all worlds and "mother to all the stars in the sky." As he learns to navigate his new surroundings, he discovers wondrous abilities he never dreamed he possessed, and an abiding connection to the primitive, alien world that will forever change him. But he must proceed carefully. For he soon learns that his actions in the ancient world will impact the upcoming battle for Harwelden, Pangrelor's greatest civilization, and will also resonate all the way back to New Orleans, perhaps deciding whether his own mother lives or dies.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013340046
Publisher:	Medlock Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	09/29/2011
Series:	Antiquitas Lost , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Antiquitas Lost is the creation of cardiologist Robert Louis Smith. Smith began writing the novel in 2003 while studying at Tulane University in New Orleans—the city where the novel's hero, Elliott, comes to discover his magical connection to another world.

Writing at night, after putting his children to bed, Smith worked to create a fantasy novel where the creatures and setting were unprecedented. He imagined a pre-industrial, medieval society with beautiful artistic accomplishments set in a savage and magical natural environment—"the Renaissance meets the Pleistocene, with magical beings and crypto-zoological creatures," he says.

To create something different, he found inspiration in the creatures that intrigued him as a boy—gargoyles, Bigfoot creatures, Neanderthal types, Atlanteans and dinosaurs. Moreover, he developed monsters from his own fantastic imagination, such as the book's terrifying race of Salax—more fitting in Guillermo Del Toro's film Pan's Labyrinth than in any of J.R.R. Tolkien's books.

Smith found his literary inspiration in places ranging from the highly popular Harry Potter books and classics like Tolkien's and C.S. Lewis's to the Star Wars films and thrillers penned by Stephen King—his favorite author. He also gave exceptional attention to every detail. For example, to achieve accurate scenes with horses, he studied Lonesome Dove and the writings of Louis L'Amour.

Smith is also a huge fan of comic books and after years of following Geof Isherwood's work, he was ecstatic when Isherwood came on board to illustrate Antiquitas Lost.

In addition to authoring Antiquitas Lost and helping his wife raise their young son and daughter, Smith has numerous degrees, including psychology (B.A.), applied microbiology (B.S.), anaerobic microbiology (M.Sc.), and a Medical Doctorate (M.D.). He currently serves as an interventional cardiologist at the Oklahoma Heart Institute. And somewhere in the middle of all this, he found time to dream up new worlds.

Editorial Reviews

"...A fresh, easy feel with lots of clear, well versed action. Smith’s greatest asset is his ability to write with great pacing. For a 615 page epic fantasy, this has an enjoyable pace that’s not too fast and not too slow... I sincerely enjoyed it... Smith’s style, combined with Isherwood’s illustrations, brought out the childhood me who enjoyed reading old novels with illustrations such as Treasure Island."

Comic Attack

"...The creatures that Smith created resemble popular creatures from other novels, with the exception of the Salax. The Salax are horrifying and unique, and their existence can now plague my dreams! Accompanying this novel are illustrations by Marvel’s Geof Isherwood, who is known for illustrating Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian and Doctor Strange. The illustrations are not on every page, but they are included with each chapter. They are something to look forward to, as they are quite

Jennifer Naki

This is a bildungsroman and quest tale in the tradition of epic high fantasy, and fans of the genre will enjoy the extensive world building and imaginative magical feats. The characters are well-developed, some with poignant back stories and others whose true intentions aren’t revealed until the very end. Though the novel is lengthy, there is never a dull moment, as the characters’ actions drive the plot at a steady pace all the way to the ultimate battle. More than 70 pen-and-ink

Kirkus Reviews