Blood of the Goddess Series by Kara Dalkey

In India in the 1597, Thomas, a young English apothecary's apprentice, has been sent to collect rare herbs in Africa and India. During his travels, he encounters an alchemist who has possession of a mysterious powder that can restore life to the dead. But the captain of the ship on which Chinnery sails has piracy on his mind, rather than trade... moreIn India in the 1597, Thomas, a young English apothecary's apprentice, has been sent to collect rare herbs in Africa and India. During his travels, he encounters an alchemist who has possession of a mysterious powder that can restore life to the dead. But the captain of the ship on which Chinnery sails has piracy on his mind, rather than trade. And when they attack a small, rich ship fleeing the city of Goa, Thomas Chinnery is set on the path that will lead him through his darkest nightmares into the dungeons of the Inquisition and thence to the heart of ancient India. less

The second volume in a rich fantasy trilogy set in India in the 1500s, Bijapur follows Thomas, a young English apothecary's apprentice, as he is led by the lovely woman Aditi and his own dark dreams.

Thomas, a young English apothecary's apprentice, was sent to collect rare herbs in Africa and India, but was shipwrecked on the coast of India. Captured by the Inquisition in the Portuguese colony city of Goa, he has reclaimed his life by pretending to know the source of a mysterious powder, the Rasa Mahadevi, which can restore the dead to life... moreThomas, a young English apothecary's apprentice, was sent to collect rare herbs in Africa and India, but was shipwrecked on the coast of India. Captured by the Inquisition in the Portuguese colony city of Goa, he has reclaimed his life by pretending to know the source of a mysterious powder, the Rasa Mahadevi, which can restore the dead to life."This colorful novel brings a lost world convincingly to life, exotic and dangerous, worth exploring for itself even though the final conflict still remains". -- Locus on Bijapur"Dalkey persuasively captures the feel of another place and time, peopled by individuals who operate by different premises than most of us today". -- Minneapolis Star Tribune on GOA less