Quintessence by David Walton Imagine an Age of Exploration full of alchemy, human dissection, sea monsters, betrayal, torture, religious controversy, and magic. In Europe, the magic is thin, but at the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest explorers to the alluring Western Ocean. Christopher Sinclair is an alchemist who cares only about one thing: quintessence, a substance he believes will grant magical powers and immortality. And he has a ship. Quintessence is David Walton latest book. David Walton has won the Philip K. Dick award for his debut novel Terminal Mind in 2008. Quintessence is a quite different setting, taking place in the past rather than the future. All the way back to the Age of Exploration. These kinds of blurbs like on Quintessence always draw me in, with the mentioning of sea ship exploration, sea monsters, alchemy and magic this could only turn to be a great st...