Verelion

by Matthew P. Rosenberg

In the aftermath of tragedy, eighteen-year-old Liam Blake finds himself thrust into a world beyond imagination, where the secrets of his estranged uncle's mansion hold the key to unraveling mysteries that transcend time and space.

Two worlds. One destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Liam Blake doesn’t want to move in with his estranged Uncle Dom, but he also doesn’t want to defy his parents’ final wishes. Three months have passed since a car accident killed his parents and now, to finish his senior year of high school, Liam is moving in with a man he hardly knows.

Dom spent a period of fifteen years where he didn’t speak to anyone in their family, and Liam can’t help but wonder what secrets are being held in his East Tennessee mansion. That is… until he discovers a cavern beneath Dom’s house with a doorway to another world.

Verelion – an ancient alien world with civilizations so old that none of its inhabitants know the origins of them. A world with technology that borders on magic, where swords and energy weapons rest at the hips of soldiers, and a world that grants Liam superhuman strength and speed.

A world at war. A war that Liam just might hold the key to stopping

282 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2023

About the author

Matthew P. Rosenberg was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, but considers Knoxville, Tennessee his home. Growing up, he was enthralled by science fiction and fantasy literature, dreaming of writing a novel that would allow readers to escape into another world, and hopefully, learn a bit about themselves. He currently works as an I.T. Technician. When he's not writing (or turning computers off, and then on again), you may find him reading, motorcycling, or enjoying the outdoors.

Reviews

[BlurbGoesHere · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Blurb goes here]

Liam lost both his parents to an accident. Respecting his father's last wishes, he goes to live with his estranged uncle, Dom. Dom works hard to help Liam get over his parent's deaths.

It soon becomes apparent that Dom has a secret; he asks Liam not to wander about the fifth floor of his house. What's an 18-year-old to do when confronted with such a request? Well, he obviously goes to the fifth floor to investigate (no surprise there).

Purely by chance, Liam opens a secret wall. Behind it, adventure awaits on the planet Verelion.

This is where all goes sideways: Liam gets superpowers, fights an evil empire, falls in love, and so on. I think we all read similar stories before. John Carter immediately comes to mind.

The story drags its proverbial feet often. This was reason enough for me to stop reading it. Then there's the science fiction issue: this is a fantasy novel, and science is explained as nothing short of magic. So...no science.

The characters hardly evolve. Liam suffers his parent's deaths too often, every chapter or so. Does this make him more genuine? Not in my opinion. If anything, it got old very quickly. Dom is also suffering a loss, which is thus repeated ad infinitum.

Both protagonists and antagonists are mere sketches of what a character should be. All there to perform a simple function: bad guy, love interest, faithful friend...

Sadly, this is one book I cannot recommend.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

[Viking Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: Conflicted, you are. Hmmmm? Well, I really liked the world building for this alien landscape although the story line was borrowed from John Carter. Like Carter, douche noz......er Liam, arrives on an alien planet with superman like powers and helps the sundered and war torn masses, blah, blah. Despite the obvious rip-off, I thought the author did a good job building unique characters.

Overall an average work that trended towards duplicative emotional inner-dialogue. I think every chapter had the brat crying over his lost parents, either in real-time or in nightmares. Wah. "Crash this, crash that". Fug. Repetitive instances does not a character build. Dom was also built with the tradgedies of his past. Again wah. Overuse of phrasing was in evidence with the "Rolling his/her eyes".

This author is on the cusp. Let us see if there is a rise to greatness.

Rating: 3.3/5

[Sanne Hazeveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het boek begint op een emotioneel moment voor de hoofdpersoon, waardoor ik meteen gegrepen werd. De emotionele kwestie brengt niet alleen pijn met zich mee, maar ook een grote vraag die van mij net iets beter beantwoord had mogen worden aan het einde van het boek. Omdat het een belangrijke vraag in het boek is had de conclusie voor mij iets sterker gemogen. Het zorgt er wel voor dat het verhaal direct interessant is en mij verder liet lezen.
De wereld is goed opgebouwd, maar was voor mij op sommige punten te langdradig en haalde daardoor het tempo uit wat anders een spannende of leuke scene had kunnen zijn. Het verhaal voelt erg stereotype aan. Jongen krijgt magische krachten, bevecht het kwaad, heeft een trouwe vriend en wordt verliefd.
Voor mij had de karakterontwikkeling iets sterker gemogen. Op het einde blijf ik nog steeds het gevoel hebben dat hij een rouwende tiener is en niet zo zeer iemand die zich ontwikkeld heeft door het avontuur dat hij mee heeft gemaakt.
Het verhaal is qua emoties naar mijn idee sterk opgebouwd, waardoor het mij van het begin tot aan het einde mee bleef slepen. De keuzes die Liam maakt zijn door de gedachten en emoties die erbij komen kijken goed onderbouwd en het boek was daardoor voor mij als lezer van het begin tot aan het einde goed te volgen.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verelion is a fresh take on a familiar story. Although there are many funny moments (love Raz with my whole heart), I really appreciate the pain and that anger that was woven into Liam’s story. I am excited to hopefully eventually see more of these complicated emotions play out after the events of this book.

[Michael T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Familiar and Fresh

Its a fun read of a story you've heard before with a fresh adventure. Easy to get pulled in just to know which path the story will take.

The flow moves quickly and leaves me wanting more of the world of Verelion!

[Joy Wingfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story with a few twists and turns. Hope to see a sequel sometime and find out about Verelion's future!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold onto your hats, folks, because Verelion is about to take you on the wildest ride of your life! Picture this: a grieving teenager, a mysterious uncle, and a hidden world beneath a Tennessee mansion. Sound like the start of an epic adventure? You bet your sweet boots it does! From the moment Liam stumbles upon the doorway to Verelion, I was hooked like a fish on a line. This ain't your grandma's fantasy tale; it's a high-octane thrill ride through a world where swords and energy weapons collide, and Liam discovers he's got superhuman powers to boot! So, if you're craving a story that'll leave you breathless and begging for more, grab yourself a copy of Verelion and prepare to be whisked away to a world beyond your wildest dreams! 🚀

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verelion swept me away on a thrilling adventure from the very first page. Liam Blake's journey from grief-stricken teenager to unexpected hero drew me in, and the discovery of the mysterious world of Verelion added an exhilarating twist to the story. What I enjoyed most about this book was its seamless blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements, transporting me to a realm where technology and magic intertwine. As Liam navigates through this alien world, facing challenges and uncovering secrets, I found myself rooting for him every step of the way. Verelion kept me hooked until the very end and left me eagerly waiting for the next installment.

[Hulls LIla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story pulled me in right away with its mix of grief, mystery, and adventure. Liam Blake is a relatable character still reeling from the tragic loss of his parents, he suddenly finds himself uncovering secrets in his uncle’s mansion that lead to an entirely new world. The discovery of Verelion is nothing short of breathtaking: an alien realm filled with ancient civilizations, advanced technology that feels like magic, and the kind of danger that keeps you turning pages late into the night.

[Lauri Demetres]

If you like sci-fi, this book has some great twists and turns. The characters are likeable and draw you in.