What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

This topic is about:
Fantasy / Science Fantasy

Hi! I'm trying to identify a fantasy series I read years ago (probably sometime around early 2000s, but the books may be older). Here’s what I recall:

Zones of different time flow: On Earth (or a similar planet), mysterious zones appeared where time runs faster or slower than normal. People couldn’t cross them – trying to enter or leave meant death.

Water trick: At some point, the protagonist discovered that if you enter the zone together with a large amount of flowing water, you can survive and cross safely.

Another book in the same series: A world where you don’t need to eat or drink, because the air itself is nourishing. Later that world is attacked and the air stops feeding people.

Possible third book: Two factions land on a magical island full of resources. Both want to exploit it. The island’s leader, who appears as a being made of leaves, refuses to share. Conflict escalates, and there is a theme of magic vs. technology (devices rather than traditional spells, maybe a bit of steampunk vibe).

Does anyone recognize this series?

Thanks a lot for any hints!

found a book
closing topic
Urza cycle from the Magic: The Gathering series