Eliksir's Echo: Welcome to Oblivion

by Luke Pearce, Sara Ransley (illustrator)

A lot can happen over a century or two.The remains of a world that was once full of promise has been broken by the unexpected emergence of power in a most unusual form… something as benign and common as an energy drink called Eliksir. The end of the world we know did not happen overnight, it was more like a few months. During that time people around the globe had emerged with abilities, they seemed to be more than human – faster, stronger and many had what seemed like superpowers. This was strange, and certainly scary, but the thing was almost anyone had the potential to be like this if they tried. So many did. The emergence of these powers sparked a new arms race with Eliksir supplies being seized by governments worried their authority would be taken from them, they were right that it would be – it was already too late. For a time, it was utter chaos as those drunk-on power tried to carve out territories of their own while others tried to stand up to them. Billions perished over several decades of conflict and millions more were subjugated by those who emerged triumphant. It was bad to say the least.Almost a century later when a semblance of stability returned with pockets of humanity having rebuilt themselves in what was left, the chimera appeared. No one knew where they came from, or what they were. Terrifying monsters in hundreds of different forms, some with wings, horns, claws, fangs, or armour with any deadly mixture of the unimaginable. The only thing each chimera had in common was the insatiable hunger for any living and breathing flesh, including other chimera if the chance arose. If these creatures managed to work together at scale, then humanity may not survive. With their emergence, it was no longer safe for the average person to travel outside settlements. To help, the new cities put together guilds seeking adventurers and heroes, many Eliksir users would take bounties to find artifacts in the remains, travel between towns trading goods or escorting people, but mostly the gig was to hunt chimera. To be an adventurer in such a time was dangerous, but also exhilarating. This is a tale from those times.

207 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2024

Reviews

[Ronny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersive and captivating,

A sci-fi masterpiece unfolds in a world where an energy drink "elixir" bestows extraordinary powers to some and for others it turns its consumers into lifeless ghouls.

Set in s dystopian arctic tundra, meeting ruined cities, guilds and clans are tasked with battling enemy creatures "chimeras" , creating a riveting narrative.

The characters' evolution and range are nothing short of brilliant, forging a deep connection with the reader. The seamless flow of epic battles and deep lore transforms words into vivid visuals, and for me making it a one sit- read.

I am hoping for another book!!

A solid 8 out of 10 so didn't feel a 4 would suffice , 5 stars!

[Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine entry of science fiction adventure by first time writer Luke Pearce. The world of Elisir is set in a distant future of a familiar Earth populated by powerful adventurers of superhuman abilities and dangerous monsters called Chimeras.

What made Eliksir's Echo standout was the world setting which drew inspiration from the likes of Bioshock and Fallout. There was balanced action and narration to keep the pacing fast, though sometimes there could have been too many descriptions that ruin the imagination of the reader.

While the main characters were quite well balanced, one particular character was an annoying blend of a Mary Sue and a tsundere, not because of the lack of appearance (Poor Gaff and Kade really suffered from not having developed story lines). Kiyoko was an unncessarily prominent character who really felt out of place, from being "special" compared to "her people" (there was a later twist that completely invalidated this point stated early in the book) to being almost perfect in every way inhumanly possible. It was grating every time she spoke, compared to the other female main character Alema, she was very poorly constituted.

The only other problem in the book was the introduction of over 10 characters in the last third of the book, it was too much and the fact only very few were wiped out left too many underdeveloped characters to carry over into the second book. It would have made more sense if there was a rival/frenemy squad to compete against the main party.

I hope we can find out more about the origin of the Eliksir drink the second book, and that there will be more of a heroic struggle for the main characters!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely immersive, well paced read with an awesome mix of drama, humour, and characters who are very quickly likeable and relatable (which can be rare in this genre!). This first foray into the world of Eliksir definitely leaves you wanting more.. now to wait for the sequel, which hopefully won’t be too far away.

[Brady Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping tale from start to finish!

Eliksir was an incredible novel, full twists, turns with wild and wonderful characters. If you are after an action packed book you won’t want to put down look no further!

I will be eagerly awaiting the next edition!

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing, immersive world with well built characters! Can't wait for the next installment!