The Esoteric Design

The Esoteric Design #1

by A.R. Crebs

During the time of Mille 19 S.F., humanity's war-torn population is scarce, and underprivileged children are given to the military to be raised as soldiers. Bio-Tech Military Corporation elite fighters, Aria and Troy, are sent to investigate a base devastated by alien attack. Growing up in constant battle, they quickly discover fighting against humans is one thing; fighting against monsters is a whole different challenge. Are these creatures actually what they appear to be? Where did they come from, and what do they want? While searching for answers, Aria and Troy's home base is destroyed by a mysterious man named Euclid. Their pursuit for answers leads to the foreign land of Ives, home of an extinct, angelic race. In the ruins, Aria and Troy meet Dovian-a slightly mad and self-proclaimed Sorcearian-and Ivory-a young, beautiful amnesiac who has no understanding of her world, where she came from, or who she is. Immediately, there is an unexplainable connection between Ivory and Dovian, and as the attacks increase, Aria and Troy, for the first time in their lives, fear evil and the death that surrounds it. Together they must travel to the city-states around the world to solve the mysteries of the monsters and Euclid. Is he the one pulling all the strings, or is there another force at play in this intricate, esoteric design? The Esoteric Design is a novel that crosses over multiple genres: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Horror, and Romance. Coupled with illustrations in every chapter and an additional section with character biographies, bestiary, weapons, and more, The Esoteric Design is bound to have something for everyone.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

458 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2014

About the author

This author now goes by the name A. R. Redington. New author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

A. R. Redington is a number one Audible and Amazon best-selling author. Born and raised in Kansas, she thrived creatively at an early age, focusing on art and storytelling. Her passion for gaming and character design led her to pursue an artistic career. She attended the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, receiving a BFA in illustration/children’s book specialization. With experience in graphic design, formatting, illustration, editing, publishing, and writing, Redington creates and designs everything for her novels while working freelance on the side.
She is the author and illustrator of the sci-fi/fantasy series, The Esoteric Design, Masters of the Ellem (fantasy), Trouble with Mystery (romantic thriller), Whispers from Beyond: 30 Miniature Tales (horror), and “The Trophy” from Predator: Eyes of the Demon. You can find out more about A. R. Redington at her website: www.ARRedington.com.
(Formerly A. R. Crebs)

Reviews

[Krystal Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of A.R. Crebs trilogy. It’s a wonderfully told sci-fi/ fantasy book. It follows Troy and Aria on a battle of good vs evil and on the way meet some peculiar friends as well as enemies. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the ending leaves in a cliff hanger, where you are wanting to know what happens next! The editing needs a tad bit of work, but this being her first book, which she has written AND illustrated herself it’s marvelous. I spoke to the author personally, and she has said the editing and books get better. I cannot wait until I get my hands on her second novel.

[Drew Woodworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great and entertaining book by up and coming author AR Crebs. The story seems inspired by too many hours playing video games since the story follows our characters from epic battle to epic battle. However, unlike most video games, the characterization is spot on and well developed. Our main heroes, Troy, Aria, Dovian, and Ivory all have their own motivations and complicated back story which unfolds seamlessly over the course of the novel. Also, their stories interweave with each other in ways that are hinted at, but not completely revealed until the last few pages. In terms of characterization, I guess my only complaint would be that the villains are slightly underdeveloped for my taste, Of course, that could be by design since Sapphire's motivations and origins are only hinted at towards the very end of the book. It is possible that this is further developed in the sequel that just came out.
The religious overtones in the book were also very interesting and well integrated in the story. There was a lot of philosophizing and discussion about faith and the nature of belief between the characters that seemed very natural and believable. Most popular fiction tends to stray away from any mention of religion even though belief and religion defines a large portion of people. It was nice to see a novel that confronted the reality of these issues head on without becoming preachy or one sided in its presentation.
In summary, I highly recommend this book to people who like strong characters and lots of action mixed in with their post apocalyptic science fiction.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Met AR at a comic con and was interested in her series. It was an interesting sci-fi tale populated with some of AR own drawing of the characters which was cool. I do have one gripe which doesn’t affect my 3.5 score. And that is the font choice was way smaller than I cared for. I may have to get new glasses before I pick up book two.

[Ron Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story and the beginning of a fascinating saga. Our world in a very distant future or is it the past? Monsters running havoc two remnants of an angelic race are split among the sides of this battle.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was what I was hoping for from the description, it was a great start to the Esoteric Design series. It was a great scifi concept with angels and demons and had great characters. I was invested in the story and getting ready for the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book three and a half stars if I could. I really liked the story, and will most likely read the next book, but the writing was a little clunky. It could have used a bit more (or better) editing. Regardless of that quibble, the story, and the world that A.R. Crebs creates is really interesting. It takes place thousands of years in the future, and humanity has not really learned any lessons from history. The gadgets are cool, the technology is awe inspiring, the Earth is still around, though changed, but humans are still as flawed as they are now. The story boils down to a few relationships, with a few characters that I came to care for, and their struggle to make it against long odds. It is not just human wars that put their lives at risk, but an ancient evil that surfaces as well. Worth reading for the story, if not the prose.

[Illusode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Great combination of military action, art, mythological fantasy, and science fiction. Loving the characters, personalities, storyline, and art. Felt like one of my RPG video games or movies. Really impressed!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christy Skidmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a refreshing twist on sci-fi. I love the way the author tied religion into the story, a story I wouldn't have ever expected religion to play a part in when the book started. Dovian was my favorite; his character is absolutely heartbreaking. Redington is a fantastic writer, and clearly so intelligent to be able to write such a technical, engaging story. The ending definitely left me wanting more, and I can't wait to see where the story goes!

[David DeWitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book. It hooked me from beginning to end. The characters are believable, and the banter between them is enjoyable. There is plenty of action and quite a few surprises. This was obviously well thought out. The ending left me feeling satisfied and eager to read the rest of the series.

[Eddy Celin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a ride, I had a lot of fun reading this and im excited to read the 2nd book. im a big fan of the characters and the lore. I could have gotten some more horror elements but other than that. Fantastic read.

[Kati Boettcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this story. thank you for giving me a chance to arc. i cant wait to try more. you will love this story.