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The Elysium Chronicles #0.5
Ein dunkles Grab
Nach dem Tod seines Vaters zählt in Gavins Leben nur eines: Er muss seine Mutter und seinen kleinen Bruder ernähren. Doch wie soll das in einer Welt gelingen, in der die Natur feindlich und die Ressourcen knapp geworden sind? Gavin beschließt, heimlich auf jene rätselhafte Insel im Meer zu segeln, wo es Wild im Überfluss geben soll - aber auch todbringende Geheimnisse. Als er aufbricht, ahnt er nicht, dass ihn diese Reise in ein dunkles Grab führen wird ...
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2012
5 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Souders
11 books491 followersJ.A. Souders was born in the heartland with an overactive imagination and an over abundance of curiosity that was always getting her into trouble.
Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing. She now lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, SFWA, YARWA and SCBWI.
She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency and her debut novel, RENEGADE, will be released Fall 2012.
**For REVELATIONS ARC requests please contact my publicist at aisha.cloud (at) Tor (dot) com. Thanks!
Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing. She now lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, SFWA, YARWA and SCBWI.
She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency and her debut novel, RENEGADE, will be released Fall 2012.
**For REVELATIONS ARC requests please contact my publicist at aisha.cloud (at) Tor (dot) com. Thanks!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 11, 2019
A 2.5 star read.
A disappointing introduction to the author, this was a tease read that ended in a cliffhanger and up in the air with an aside to purchase the first book in the series. This was meant to be a short story but came across as little more than a marketing ploy.
A disappointing introduction to the author, this was a tease read that ended in a cliffhanger and up in the air with an aside to purchase the first book in the series. This was meant to be a short story but came across as little more than a marketing ploy.
Want to read
March 8, 2013UPDATE: So I sent the author a message asking about other platforms and she said it will be available for other platforms soon! EEEEEEHHHHHH!! I could not be more pleased. But I don't dare fangirl scream out loud, my fiance might run in here thinking I saw a scorpion.
Don't even tell me this is ONLY going to be Kindle! *searches B&N* No no no no no! I refuse to be a customer of Amazon, they hate, I despise them. I want to read this story so badly I can taste it, but not from Amazon. FUUUCCKKK!! I might cry if this doesn't come to other ebook outlets soon.
Don't even tell me this is ONLY going to be Kindle! *searches B&N* No no no no no! I refuse to be a customer of Amazon, they hate, I despise them. I want to read this story so badly I can taste it, but not from Amazon. FUUUCCKKK!! I might cry if this doesn't come to other ebook outlets soon.
January 8, 2013
Having read Renegade (The Elysium Chronicles) and loved every second of it - it should hardly come as a surprise that this was a really great albeit short read. I wish Gavin's prequel was longer but this short novel A Dark Grave goes on to tell about the events leading right to Gavin ending up in Elysium and his meeting Evelyn Winters; Daughter of the People. From his perspective you get to see a little of his home life and learn about some of his background which was interesting and fills in a couple of holes missing in Renegade. A Dark Grave is a nice little read if you love his character and want to glimpse more of him through his own point of view. I would definitely recommend this for fans of Renegade and those not familiar with this new series will most definitely enjoy this quick introduction to this character regardless and its entrance into the world that's created.
March 10, 2021
I barely remember the first book. I thought this would refresh my memory, not so much.
January 24, 2013
In the few minutes it took to read this very short prequel, I'm intrigued enough to want to go on to read more about Gavin and The Elysium Chronicles.
Told from Gavin's perspective, he tells about his home life, going to a cursed island, and the mysteries he finds there.
Very short, less than 25 pages! Great cover!
Told from Gavin's perspective, he tells about his home life, going to a cursed island, and the mysteries he finds there.
Very short, less than 25 pages! Great cover!
May 20, 2019
This is the type of prequel that will motivate you to continue the series so you can find out how the events will play out in Renegade. I'm looking forward to this series even more now.
April 20, 2018
It was alright. I wish this was longer and we could see what he thought when he first enters the place and when he meets her but it was good we got to see this much and it helps dispel the feelings of distrust I had towards him. :)
October 8, 2012
Inhalt
Nach dem Tod seines Vaters zählt in Gavins Leben nur eines: Er muss seine Mutter und seinen kleinen Bruder ernähren. Doch wie soll das in einer Welt gelingen, in der die Natur feindlich und die Ressourcen knapp geworden sind? Gavin beschließt, heimlich auf jene rätselhafte Insel im Meer zu segeln, wo es Wild im Überfluss geben soll - aber auch todbringende Geheimnisse. Als er aufbricht, ahnt er nicht, dass ihn diese Reise in ein dunkles Grab führen wird ...
Cover
Das Cover zu „Renegade Tiefenrausch Ein dunkles Grad“ passt zu dem Buch. Es ist ja eine kurze Erzählung vor dem eigentlichen Band also „Renegade Tiefenrausch“. Die Farben und die Person, die abgebildet ist, passt perfekt zum Inhalt.
Erster Satz
Im Haus herrschte Totenstille.
Meinung
Das Buch „Renegade Tiefenrausch Ein dunkles Grab“ spielt in der Gegenwart. Die Hauptperson ist Gaven. Die kurze Geschichte wird von Gaven erzählt und spielt in der Zeit als Gaven noch nicht gefangener von Elysium wurde. In der Geschichte gibt es viele Dialoge.
Die Sätze sind einfach und kurz und so leicht verständlich. Ich konnte alles gut lesen und gleich verstehen. Ich empfehle das Buch genau wie „Renegade Tiefenrausch“ erst ab 15 Jahren.
Genau wie „Renegade Tiefenrausch“ hab ich mir das Buch vorgestellt. Es ist sehr interessanter, weil es die Vorgeschichte ist, von der Hauptperson Gavin. Das Cover passt perfekt zum beschriebenen Inhalt. Was der Autorin wieder super gelungen ist, sind die Charakter, die Lebensweise und natürlich die Beschreibung der Umgebung. Durch die Beschreibung der Umgebung bekommt man erst recht ein spannendes Leserlebnis. Ich kann nichts Negatives zu dem Buch sagen.
Fazit
Ein richtig gut gelungene kurze Geschichte über Gavin was das Buch „Renegade Tiefenrausch“ nur noch interessanter macht. Und man weiß auch endlich wie Gaven in die Unterwasserwelt kam.
Nach dem Tod seines Vaters zählt in Gavins Leben nur eines: Er muss seine Mutter und seinen kleinen Bruder ernähren. Doch wie soll das in einer Welt gelingen, in der die Natur feindlich und die Ressourcen knapp geworden sind? Gavin beschließt, heimlich auf jene rätselhafte Insel im Meer zu segeln, wo es Wild im Überfluss geben soll - aber auch todbringende Geheimnisse. Als er aufbricht, ahnt er nicht, dass ihn diese Reise in ein dunkles Grab führen wird ...
Cover
Das Cover zu „Renegade Tiefenrausch Ein dunkles Grad“ passt zu dem Buch. Es ist ja eine kurze Erzählung vor dem eigentlichen Band also „Renegade Tiefenrausch“. Die Farben und die Person, die abgebildet ist, passt perfekt zum Inhalt.
Erster Satz
Im Haus herrschte Totenstille.
Meinung
Das Buch „Renegade Tiefenrausch Ein dunkles Grab“ spielt in der Gegenwart. Die Hauptperson ist Gaven. Die kurze Geschichte wird von Gaven erzählt und spielt in der Zeit als Gaven noch nicht gefangener von Elysium wurde. In der Geschichte gibt es viele Dialoge.
Die Sätze sind einfach und kurz und so leicht verständlich. Ich konnte alles gut lesen und gleich verstehen. Ich empfehle das Buch genau wie „Renegade Tiefenrausch“ erst ab 15 Jahren.
Genau wie „Renegade Tiefenrausch“ hab ich mir das Buch vorgestellt. Es ist sehr interessanter, weil es die Vorgeschichte ist, von der Hauptperson Gavin. Das Cover passt perfekt zum beschriebenen Inhalt. Was der Autorin wieder super gelungen ist, sind die Charakter, die Lebensweise und natürlich die Beschreibung der Umgebung. Durch die Beschreibung der Umgebung bekommt man erst recht ein spannendes Leserlebnis. Ich kann nichts Negatives zu dem Buch sagen.
Fazit
Ein richtig gut gelungene kurze Geschichte über Gavin was das Buch „Renegade Tiefenrausch“ nur noch interessanter macht. Und man weiß auch endlich wie Gaven in die Unterwasserwelt kam.
March 19, 2013
Like Radiant, A Dark Grave was a novella that I should have skipped. Disappointingly short, it added very little, if anything, to my understanding of Gavin and the world Souders has created with The Elysium Chronicles.
I did enjoy learning a little bit more about Gavin and his life prior to entering Elysium. After his father’s death, which is mostly unexplained, he has been the main provider for his family. His younger brother, having been just a baby when his father was killed, has looked up to Gavin for his whole life, and Gavin sees himself as a bit of a father figure because of it. Knowing his mother and brother would starve without him, he feels the weight of that responsibility each time he heads out to hunt.
That doesn’t stop him from planning a dangerous trip to a supposedly haunted island though, where people have been known to disappear; the prospect of a bountiful hunt outweighs any downside that he can think of. So A Dark Grave informed me of Gavin’s village’s struggle with providing its residents with enough food. What it didn’t tell me, which was something I also couldn’t gather from Renegade, was why – what happens in the future that Gavin is responsible for feeding his family at such a young age? While I don’t expect all of the answers in a novella, something – anything – would have been appreciated.
I did find it interesting that Gavin wasn’t really friends with Connor – he just happened to be the next best hunter, and someone he could trust with his secret; it kind of makes Connor’s fate in Renegade that much more tragic. But, as with Radiant, as soon as I began to enjoy A Dark Grave for what it was offering me, it ended.
I did enjoy learning a little bit more about Gavin and his life prior to entering Elysium. After his father’s death, which is mostly unexplained, he has been the main provider for his family. His younger brother, having been just a baby when his father was killed, has looked up to Gavin for his whole life, and Gavin sees himself as a bit of a father figure because of it. Knowing his mother and brother would starve without him, he feels the weight of that responsibility each time he heads out to hunt.
That doesn’t stop him from planning a dangerous trip to a supposedly haunted island though, where people have been known to disappear; the prospect of a bountiful hunt outweighs any downside that he can think of. So A Dark Grave informed me of Gavin’s village’s struggle with providing its residents with enough food. What it didn’t tell me, which was something I also couldn’t gather from Renegade, was why – what happens in the future that Gavin is responsible for feeding his family at such a young age? While I don’t expect all of the answers in a novella, something – anything – would have been appreciated.
I did find it interesting that Gavin wasn’t really friends with Connor – he just happened to be the next best hunter, and someone he could trust with his secret; it kind of makes Connor’s fate in Renegade that much more tragic. But, as with Radiant, as soon as I began to enjoy A Dark Grave for what it was offering me, it ended.
May 13, 2013
His dad having tragically disappeared on a hunting trip years ago, Gavin has taken on the responsibility of providing for his brother and mother by following in his father’s footsteps — becoming one of the village hunters. Because the game in the forests surrounding their village is getting scarcer, Gavin and his hunting partner Conn, are determined to hunt on a “haunted island” just offshore where Gavin’s certain the forests are teeming with wildlife. However, upon landing on the island’s silent, foggy shores, both boys quickly discover that perhaps the rumors weren’t entirely unfounded, and that there’s something definitely “off” about this island.
This short story is a prequel story to Souders’ full-length novel, Renegade, which I have not read yet, and I must say A Dark Grave definitely piqued my already-high level of interest. Gavin is an empathetic figure and I definitely want to find out what happens to him. He’s interesting, because while committed to protecting his family, but he’s a bit of a risk-taker and he desperately misses his father. I’m also very eager to find out more about this world, as Souders creates a very eery, unsettling atmosphere in this short story. And if she can do that in several pages, I definitely want to see what she does with this world on a larger scale.
Overall, I must know what happens next.
This short story is a prequel story to Souders’ full-length novel, Renegade, which I have not read yet, and I must say A Dark Grave definitely piqued my already-high level of interest. Gavin is an empathetic figure and I definitely want to find out what happens to him. He’s interesting, because while committed to protecting his family, but he’s a bit of a risk-taker and he desperately misses his father. I’m also very eager to find out more about this world, as Souders creates a very eery, unsettling atmosphere in this short story. And if she can do that in several pages, I definitely want to see what she does with this world on a larger scale.
Overall, I must know what happens next.
January 25, 2014
A Dark Grave, J.A. Sounders, Smashwords edition
Kind of stopped me for a minute with the name of one of the characters, simply because the name of the character is the protagonist of another book I'm reading. Not good, not bad... I just noticed.
Well I knew from my daughter's review that this one might come up short... and if it is “short story”, it flops there. It is a prequel. It might also have been a good part of a first chapter.
The writing is solid. You don't stop to wonder or wander too much.
You're introduced to a couple interestingly written characters and they are shoved into a dilemma which offers the chance to care about these fellows. Like I said... Good solid writing.
If this were a short story, it wouldn't rate one star. Fortunately it is a prequel and it does precisely what a prequel should do. 4 Stars on that account.
Good promotional stuff, a good introduction to J.A.'s writing. If I didn't already have an over-extended 'to-read' list I could imagine finding this Elysium series in my future.
A big 'thank you' to J.A. Sounders for the sample, and for Smashwords for making it available. This might be the start of something fun for reader and author alike.
Kind of stopped me for a minute with the name of one of the characters, simply because the name of the character is the protagonist of another book I'm reading. Not good, not bad... I just noticed.
Well I knew from my daughter's review that this one might come up short... and if it is “short story”, it flops there. It is a prequel. It might also have been a good part of a first chapter.
The writing is solid. You don't stop to wonder or wander too much.
You're introduced to a couple interestingly written characters and they are shoved into a dilemma which offers the chance to care about these fellows. Like I said... Good solid writing.
If this were a short story, it wouldn't rate one star. Fortunately it is a prequel and it does precisely what a prequel should do. 4 Stars on that account.
Good promotional stuff, a good introduction to J.A.'s writing. If I didn't already have an over-extended 'to-read' list I could imagine finding this Elysium series in my future.
A big 'thank you' to J.A. Sounders for the sample, and for Smashwords for making it available. This might be the start of something fun for reader and author alike.
December 6, 2012
Bei Ein dunkles Grab handelt es sich um die Vorgeschichte zum Roman Renegade – Tiefenrausch. Der Leser erhält hier einen kurzen Einblick in die Lebensverhältnisse der Charaktere, welche doch recht veraltet wirken, denn Gavin ist nach dem Tod seines Vaters dafür verantwortlich die Familie zu ernähren. Er geht auf die Jagt nach Wild, doch die Ressourcen sind knapp. Die Familie braucht Nahrung. Also begibt er sich mit einem langjährigen Freund auf eine Insel, auf der besagtes Wild zahlreich sein soll. Doch immer wieder verschwanden dort Menschen …
Ein dunkles Grab verrät eigentlich schon das, was die beiden dort vorfinden, nur gibt die Geschichte eben dies gar nicht her. Dass sie ein „dunkles Grab“ finden wird nie gesagt. In den verschlungenen Wegen einer Höhle verlaufen sich die beiden und die Geschichte endet. Ohne wahrhaftig etwas erzählt zu haben, ohne Spannung aufgebaut zu haben.
Alles in allem hat mich die Geschichte nicht gerade umgehauen und auch nicht dazu bewegt sofort den Roman zu lesen, aber dennoch ist es ein nettes Beiwerk für Leser von Tiefenrausch.
Ein dunkles Grab verrät eigentlich schon das, was die beiden dort vorfinden, nur gibt die Geschichte eben dies gar nicht her. Dass sie ein „dunkles Grab“ finden wird nie gesagt. In den verschlungenen Wegen einer Höhle verlaufen sich die beiden und die Geschichte endet. Ohne wahrhaftig etwas erzählt zu haben, ohne Spannung aufgebaut zu haben.
Alles in allem hat mich die Geschichte nicht gerade umgehauen und auch nicht dazu bewegt sofort den Roman zu lesen, aber dennoch ist es ein nettes Beiwerk für Leser von Tiefenrausch.
Want to read
November 23, 2013Really. This says zero-point-five. But I can guarantee that it would make little to no sense to read it before the first book. I'm not bitter about it. It just makes no sense to me. Why wouldn't you call it one-point-five? Or if you already have a one-point-five, like a lot of stories, why not one-point-seven or something? To newbie novella readers or new goodreaders, they would think it's perfectly fine to read it before the first book. But it's not. It would just be confusing and probably put readers off, because they might think 'if the novella is this confusing, why in the world would I read the books?' Just because it takes place before the main story, doesn't mean it should be labelled like it is. Hmm. Think about it.
Anyway. I've gotten carried away by my dislike of mislabeled novellas. What I really mean to say, is I hope this comes out in formats other than kindle. Kindle to me is confusing, and I have the rest of my novellas on iBooks. So, please, please, let it come out on other formats! :)
Anyway. I've gotten carried away by my dislike of mislabeled novellas. What I really mean to say, is I hope this comes out in formats other than kindle. Kindle to me is confusing, and I have the rest of my novellas on iBooks. So, please, please, let it come out on other formats! :)
December 28, 2015
Nach dem Tod seines Vaters zählt in Gavins Leben nur eines: Er muss seine Mutter und seinen kleinen Bruder ernähren. Doch wie soll das in einer Welt gelingen, in der die Natur feindlich und die Ressourcen knapp geworden sind? Gavin beschließt, heimlich auf jene rätselhafte Insel im Meer zu segeln, wo es Wild im Überfluss geben soll - aber auch todbringende Geheimnisse. Als er aufbricht, ahnt er nicht, dass ihn diese Reise in ein dunkles Grab führen wird ...
Ich bin über dieses E-Book gestolpert und schnell gelesen. Eine Kurzgeschichte die einen so spannend erzählt wird das man einfach weiterlesen muss und dann ENDE. Jetzt musst du dir das richtige Buch kaufen um weiterlesen zu können und zu erfahren was mit den beiden den passiert. Was habe sie entdeckt. Die Geschichte ist wirklich spannend, unterhaltsam und richtig gut geschrieben, aber man sollte sich darauf einstellen. Das nächste Band gleich zu kaufen, denn viele Fragen bleiben offen.
Ich bin über dieses E-Book gestolpert und schnell gelesen. Eine Kurzgeschichte die einen so spannend erzählt wird das man einfach weiterlesen muss und dann ENDE. Jetzt musst du dir das richtige Buch kaufen um weiterlesen zu können und zu erfahren was mit den beiden den passiert. Was habe sie entdeckt. Die Geschichte ist wirklich spannend, unterhaltsam und richtig gut geschrieben, aber man sollte sich darauf einstellen. Das nächste Band gleich zu kaufen, denn viele Fragen bleiben offen.
July 11, 2016
Two boys hunting for food for their families go across to the island where people often vanish. The animals remain elusive, the weather turns bad and the boys become trapped.
There was nothing wrong with this short story. It was well enough written and explained the weird island and a bit about the missing people. The only thing wrong with it is that it didn't appeal to me personally as it was a slow burner. I know it leads on to a fantasy series which is not really my thing.
I read this book more to see what the author was like for future reading pirposes and I would consider trying other books in the future if the story appealed to me more. I also think that fans of the series already will enjoy this prequel.
There was nothing wrong with this short story. It was well enough written and explained the weird island and a bit about the missing people. The only thing wrong with it is that it didn't appeal to me personally as it was a slow burner. I know it leads on to a fantasy series which is not really my thing.
I read this book more to see what the author was like for future reading pirposes and I would consider trying other books in the future if the story appealed to me more. I also think that fans of the series already will enjoy this prequel.
January 9, 2013
Intriguing glimpse into a world that seems a wee bit on the dangerous side. I'm not quite sure, after reading just this, the specifics of Gavin's world or what brought his people to the point they're at, but I found it interesting.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
This book was a free Kindle download I picked up on 01/01/13 for the Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
This book was a free Kindle download I picked up on 01/01/13 for the Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge.
January 25, 2016
2.5 stars. This is a very short prequel to Renegade. I read it in about 5 minutes. It tells how Gavin found the entrance to Elysium and why he was there in the first place. There is very little info in this. If you have Amazon Prime then just borrow it. You're not missing much if you don't read this, but it does let you into Gavin's head for a few minutes. I did very much enjoy Renegade and I'm looking forward to the sequel when it comes out.
April 7, 2013
I liked this little prequel in talking about how Gavin wound up in Elysium. It also made you wonder what else they aren't telling you about Elysium. I read this after I had finished Renegade and there were some things that occurred that made the mystery of Elysium even more intriguing. Again, looking forward to book 2 in the series coming out in November 2013.
December 27, 2012
A great little prequel that will give you a bit more in depth knowledge about Gavin's motivations and how he ended up where he did in Renegade.
A super quick read, and that will keep the fans of Renegade a little bit happy till book 2 comes out!
Is it out yet? ;-)
A super quick read, and that will keep the fans of Renegade a little bit happy till book 2 comes out!
Is it out yet? ;-)
March 15, 2014
Note: I read this after finishing the first book.
This was a nice little aside into the world of Gavin. I liked getting a glimpse at his perspective of the world and how he came to be trapped underneath it. It was a pleasant short read, I hope we get to hear more from him.
This was a nice little aside into the world of Gavin. I liked getting a glimpse at his perspective of the world and how he came to be trapped underneath it. It was a pleasant short read, I hope we get to hear more from him.
February 14, 2013
Definitely a good Teaser for the actual story.
It answers the wish to hear from Gavin's point of view what happened on his side right before he came to Elysium?
It just begs you to directly continue with Renegade afterward - Well done Ms. Souders!
It answers the wish to hear from Gavin's point of view what happened on his side right before he came to Elysium?
It just begs you to directly continue with Renegade afterward - Well done Ms. Souders!
June 1, 2013
There are plenty of novellas better than this but it isn't exactly bad. There just wasn't much new insight given to complement Renegade (which I loved). It seemed a little unnecessary but I didn't mind finding out exactly how Gavin ended up in Elysium.
October 10, 2013
This was a interesting prequel from Gavin's point of view. It makes me even more excited to read the first 2 books in this series. This ebook was a little short but it was nice that it seemed to lead right into Renegade.
December 12, 2014
There was very, very little to this story. It was literally Gavin going over to an island to hunt, and then getting stuck there when it started raining. He and his friend then discover the tunnel that leads to Elysium, and that is the end.
April 30, 2013
It was interesting to see how Gavin ended up in Elysium~ c:
January 29, 2013
Glad to get to know Gavin from his own point of view. Kind of makes me feel bad knowing Connor had such an ill fate with Renegade. Review to follow.
January 1, 2013
Surprisingly, I'm quite intrigued by this short little story. It was a bit too short for my liking, hence the three star rating. I'll be checking out the first book in this series in 2013.
January 5, 2013
This was a little shorter than I'd hoped for but that ending has me wanting to read Renegade as soon as possible.
February 10, 2013
Not a lot of story here...although it dispelled some of my conspiracy theories about Gavin. It's short and gives some insight to Gavin.
January 25, 2014
I am definitely intrigued...
I have to say it felt more like a prologue than a short story though. Even still, it felt like a prologue of a book that I would want to keep reading.
I have to say it felt more like a prologue than a short story though. Even still, it felt like a prologue of a book that I would want to keep reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews