science

Heirs of Alexandria series

Heirs of Alexandria series is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Heirs of Alexandria series rather than just read about it. In short: Heirs of Alexandria is an alternate history/historical fantasy series introduced in 2002 and set primarily in the Republic of Venice in the 1530s. The books are written by three authors, Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer.

Key takeaways

Heirs of Alexandria series belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Heirs of Alexandria series to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Heirs of Alexandria series from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Heirs of Alexandria is an alternate history/historical fantasy series introduced in 2002 and set primarily in the Republic of Venice in the 1530s. The books are written by three authors, Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer. The books combine elements from the styles of all three authors, such as Lackey's approach to tolerance and magic and Flint's sense of history alteration.

Plot summary In our own universe, Hypatia of Alexandria was killed for her non-Christian views, shortly before the destruction of the Library of Alexandria by an angry mob. In the universe of the novels, Hypatia was converted to Christianity by John Chrysostom, and stopped the mob from destroying the Library. She continued her correspondence with John and Augustine of Hippo, which eventually led to the modern (1530s) divisions of the Church. The Shadow of the Lion (2002) deals with Chernobog's attempt to destroy Venice and the awakening of the city's ancient powers. Marco is the main protagonist, while Chernobog acts through several intermediaries. This Rough Magic (2003) is set in Corfu and features several new antagonists. It is largely centered on Maria and Benito's awakening, Marco having fit comfortably in his new role in Venice. Elizabeth Bartholdy has replaced Chernobog as the major behind-the-scenes villain in the book. A Mankind Witch (2005) is a solo effort by Freer, and takes place between Shadow of the Lion and This Rough Magic. While Manfred and Eric are major characters, the focus is shifted to a thrall, Cair Aidin, and the Princess of Telemark, Signy. Trolls are the major antagonists of the story. Much Fall of Blood (2010) follows Manfred and Erik after their journey to Jerusalem. They are attempting to broker an agreement between the Ilkhan and their nomadic cousins, the Golden Horde, which is complicated by disguised agents of Chernobog who wish to ensure no agreement occurs. In parallel, and eventually intersecting, Elizabeth Bartholdy's latest plot seeks to exploit and destroy an ancient supernatural pact between the family line of Prince Vlad of Wallachia and the supernatural powers that live in his domain, and both her nephew Prince Emeric of Hungary and the dark magician Count Mindaug work their own plots subverting hers. Burdens of the Dead (2013) centers on Benito Valdosta's attempt to stop Chernobog's plots once and for all thanks after the revelations of Much Fall of Blood, through a naval war with Byzantium in an attempt to block a Black Sea fleet under construction for Chernobog from penetrating into the Mediterranean. The crossroads city of Constantinople is the focal point of their war, and the spirit of Hekate, goddess of crossroads and long worshipped in the Bosporus, quickly becomes involved in the war, and kidnapping and sorcery puts Benito's family at risk in an attempt to distract him and weaken the naval offensive. The original working title was Great Doom's Shadow. All the Plagues of Hell (2018), by Eric Flint & Dave Freer, focuses on the city of Milan. The condottiere Carlo Sforza foils its Duke's attempt to assassinate him, lethally, and takes control of the city. The illegitimate daughter of the dead duke awakens a spirit of plague in an attempt to take control for herself, and magicians across Europe seek the source of their premonitions that a plague is awakening. This is complicated by the arrival in Milan of a notorious black magician, Count Mindaug, who most of the Christian magicians believe is the architect of the plague, by the involvement of Sforza's illegitimate son, Benito Valdosta of Venice, and the antagonism Venice has had for Sforza, and by Sforza's belief that magic is faked and lacks any spiritual or supernatural power.

Characters The following characters appear in two or more novels in the series:

Aidoneus: God of the dead. Aldanto, Ceasare: Milanese sell-sword and spy. Bartholdy, Elizabeth: Hungarian countess and "aunt" to King Emeric, she is hundreds of years old but appears to be in her early twenties. She engages in gruesome blood rituals to keep her youth. Bespi, Fortunato: Former Milanese spy, he is reprogrammed by the Strega to act as Marco's bodyguard. De Chevreuse, Francesca: Most powerful Courtesan in Venice, formerly of Orleans. Dell'Este, Enrico: The Duke of Ferrara and an excellent swordsmith, he is known as the Old Fox, perhaps the craftiest military mind Italy has seen in decades. Dorma, Petro: Head of the influential House Dorma, leader of the Lords of the Nightwatch, and a frontrunner for the position of Doge. Garavalli, Maria: A sharp-tongued canaler, one of the most feared women in the canals. Hakkonsen, Eric: An Icelander, bodyguard and mentor to Manfred. Hohenstauffen, Charles Fredrik: Holy Roman Emperor Evangelina: A member of the Hypatian order in Venice's St. Hypatia di Hagia Sophia. Jagiellon: Grand Duke of Lithuania, possessed by the demon Chernobog. Lopez, Eneko: A Basque cleric and ecclesiastical magician, he is perhaps the greatest sacred magician since Hypatia herself. Manfred, Prince of Brittany, Earl of Carnac, Marquis of Rennes, Baron of Ravensburg: Nephew of the Holy Roman Emperor, second in line to the throne, and Knight of the Cross. Mindaug, Kazimierz: Lithuanian count, advisor to various powers including Jagiellon, Countess Bartholdy, King Emeric, and Carlo Sforza. Montescue, Katerina (Kat): Heiress to the bankrupt House Montescue, she worked as a smuggler. Montescue, Ludovico: Current leader of House Montescue, having wasted most of his money in a pathetic effort to destroy the Valdostas. Sforza, Carlo: A notorious and skilled condottiere known as The Wolf of the North, he is a father of Benito Valdosta, with a long-standing grudge with Duke Enrico Dell'Este over the fate of Benito's mother. Carlo Sforza is substantially based on Francesco Sforza, a historical condottiere who became Duke of Milan in 1450. Valdosta, Benito: Grandson of the Duke of Ferrara, a pickpocket while in hiding. Valdosta, Marco: Grandson of the Duke of Ferrara and a skilled doctor (when trained) and powerful mage, he is the heir to House Valdosta and the Lion Crown. Winged Lion of Venice: The city's ancient guardian, which answers only to the wearer of the Winged Mantle.

The Church in Europe

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Heirs of Alexandria series

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Heirs of Alexandria series claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Heirs of Alexandria series before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Heirs of Alexandria series ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Heirs of Alexandria series

In research: Heirs of Alexandria series appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Heirs of Alexandria series in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Heirs of Alexandria series is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Alternate history book series, Book series introduced in 2002, Books by Eric Flint, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Heirs of Alexandria series outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Heirs of Alexandria series in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Heirs of Alexandria series means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Heirs of Alexandria series out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Heirs of Alexandria series in simple terms?

Why does Heirs of Alexandria series matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Heirs of Alexandria series?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Heirs of Alexandria series.