Eidolon: The Thousand Years Ghost

by Jenessa Grimm Gayheart

Hickory knows there are secrets below his feet, hidden in the layers of dirt that cover the ancient world of Before, but while it is forbidden to dig and find out what his people’s past is hiding, Hickory Stevens innocently stumbles into the cave of the Eidolon who lived one thousand years earlier in the very world that he is forbidden to know about. One thousand years ago, the world’s ancestors were demolished by unknown forces, and the one source of information of that event is the journal of Captain Baltimore who saved a small colony of people, then tried to burn his own written words before his death. Living by half-guessed truths of the scorched journal, Portla officials forbid anyone to seek information about the time of Before lest it invite the same demise upon them. When disaster strikes in the town, Hickory's father then becomes a complicated hero by using a forbidden apparatus from the time of Before to save the life of the Council Elder’s granddaughter. The town is suddenly in the midst of controversial change. Hickory’s anxious desire to be trusted with his father’s secrets grows stronger each day, and he hopes to be able to prove to him that he shares passion for knowledge of Before. Standing up to the taunts of the bully Tread Martin and his cronies, Hickory gets a taste of what it will be like to be a rebel against the mainstream of belief. In the midst of this change, Hickory stumbles into the cave of the Eidolon. She is an apparition from one thousand years before, still cleaning the restrooms in a hill that used to be a building. As she casually mentions tantalizing clues to the time of Before, Hickory holds on to the experiences like precious stones that he can hand to his knowledge-seeking father as proof that he is worthy. Telling no one but his best friends Abacus and Quantum, and seeking advice from Pestle, the old Lamia of the woods, Hickory feels that his world is twisting in ways he had never imagined.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

200 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2011

Reviews

[Doreen Dalesandro]

Kindle freebie, 10/3/12

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grimm shares with us her take on the idea of people rebuilding civilization, centuries or millenia following some cataclysmic event not far from our own present day.
The story focuses on a boy and his small community, and their divided opinion on the value or danger of history. The catastrophe that devastated the world is attributed to mankind's own misdeeds, so many are concerned that reclaiming knowledge of the past may doom them to repeat it. The protagonist and his father act in their belief that the benefits likely outweigh the dangers, though they seem hesitant to upset the status quo.

Along the way are some ambiguously supernatural elements that add to the mystery all that came before.

This story is clearly an introductory tale, the author hinting at a larger world and many secrets awaiting discovery. Already, Grimm's sequel, Eidolon: Trees of Change, is available for Kindle, print soon to follow. A book geared toward teens, most of the tale is from a young person's perspective, the downside of that being that some of the more interesting events enacted by adult characters are presented second-hand or from a distance. Hopefully, the young people will take a more prominent role in the central action of the subsequent story line.

[Jake Jarvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great YA novel that has good-hearted characters at it's center who not only keep us involved in their adventure, but serve as great examples of fully engaging with your community and those around you.

I had a hard time at first because so many people are introduced at that first meeting and I couldn't keep everyone straight.

Once it started following Hickory and getting into his and his dad's relationship with Before, it was really great. I couldn't wait to find out more about the Eidolon and what influence she would have on the unfolding of events. I loved Hickory and Abacus and Quantum. I thought the building excitement about the Before was really great. Really fantastic relationships and personal moments.

All of the relationships between the characters and the way they interacted was really great.

The only thing is that if someone didn't know this was the first book of a trilogy, they'd think the ending came out of nowhere. It felt very abrupt and didn't resolve any of the story lines. It feels like the end of a chapter instead of the end of the book. Since I already have books two and three, it's like--No worries, crack open the next one. But if I thought it was a stand alone book, I'd be like--What?

Good stuff! On to book two!

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world. It left more questions than answers, however I thoroughly enjoyed the character development and personalities of the main characters, Hickory and Abacus. Using modem-day object names as people names, by the way, was very creative! It gave the sense that this community was indeed 1000 years away from our current age.

I had two issues with this book that kept it from being a 5-star story. First, I wished the overall plot had advanced at a faster pace and ended with a stronger cliffhanger. Secondly, I wish this book had a better exterior cover that hinted at the plot. The current cover appears to be the wrong size and only indirectly represents the story line.

I will be looking for the next book in the series. This book piqued my curiosity!

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the whole, I enjoyed this book, but all the council meetings got rather tedious. I realize they were employed to show the egalitarian nature of the society, but they just began to get on my nerves. This novel showed that religious extremism will exist, no matter what book is followed, the Bible or an historical journal.

[Keith Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for rooting-around-lost-civilizations stories, which is what enticed me to try it out. I liked the characters and the unique world-building. I look forward to reading more in this series.