Looking for industrial age fiction

[MouseKime]

Novel's are set in industrial age -England?- It is about a minister's son who experiments with death magic and ends up having to tether his soul to his body in a desperate attempt to stay alive, he then ends up in many political struggles investigating ways to more permanently affix his soul back to his body. The only major event I remember clearly is his performing a one time permanent fix for himself only to have it destroyed by transporting an object of immense power - some kind of golden idol - to safety.

 

[Meadow337]

Sounds interesting but it doesn't ring any bells for me, sorry.