Aligouran's Quest

Lost maps. Hidden coastlines. A secret buried beyond the reach of empires.In the waning years of empire, when trade routes shaped the fate of nations and whispers of ancient orders lingered beneath the surface of history, a quiet discovery sets events in motion that will span continents and test the resolve of those drawn into its orbit.Kurt Schmidt, a cartographer in the coastal town of Parati, is entrusted with a set of mysterious maps—fragments believed to trace their origins to the Knights Templar. What begins as careful study soon becomes something far greater, as the markings point not to South America, as once thought, but to the distant and unforgiving shores of Madagascar.Far from Brazil, Aligouran, a Tuareg scholar and seafarer of uncommon insight, has already begun the search, guided by intuition as much as by ink and parchment. But the land resists him. Alliances shift, labor vanishes, and the terrain guards its secrets with the patience of centuries.As political tensions rise and the reach of European power stretches thin, a small group of unlikely allies, an ambitious heir, a seasoned captain, and a reluctant seeker, must decide whether to risk everything in pursuit of a truth long buried.Watched by unseen eyes and driven by forces both human and unseen, their journey will carry them into the heart of a mystery that has endured for generations.Because some secrets are not meant to be found.And others demand to be uncovered. Read more