Odyssey of the Ethereal

When Aesca Lampi wakes up in the form of her character from Eldest Fantasy Wars Online, she's annoyed by the historical inaccuracies. (Video-game-style scrolls? Really?) That is, until a building collapses on top of her, revealing she's on a fantastical island centered around the impossibly tall, glowing Tower of Aetherius . . . with an array of dangerous creatures—including jaguar hybrids, velociraptors, and giant, flesh-eating lizards—in the way. (Oh, joy.)

Along with her self-assured dragon-cat Arkaziel and the ghostly elf Werylin, aqua-haired Aetheria has reached the fiftieth floor of the Tower of Aetherius. But she's a little different than when she set out. For one thing, she's a third-tier magic user. For another, her soul has been connected to the Origin, the source of Ethereal power, which is bombarding her with all kinds of emotions. Not to mention she's having a little trouble desiring anyone but her soul-witch lover, Aoibhe.

Now that the Tower of Aetherius has been cleared, Aetheria, daughter of Aetherius and Nyx, has another tower to climb: the Tower of Moros, god of doom. Luckily, the Challenger of Aetherius is more powerful than ever, armed with her Astrum Nexus gloves, forged by Vulcan himself, and all the treasures of the legendary city of Nova Azura, which currently burns inside her...among other things. And, oh yeah, that means some voices in her head. (Don't worry about it).

The Tower of Moros has collapsed to the ground, and the citizens of Inexoria aren't exactly thrilled to meet the four adventurers responsible: two inhumanly powerful women and two seemingly adorable, actually terrifying cats. Anyway, Telos Metanoia, the shapeshifting daughter of Aetherius and Nyx (with a newly ominous third eye in her forehead), and Kallos Metanoia, nephilim daughter of Belial, formerly known as Aoibhe, aren't planning to stick around.