What do you think?
Rate this book
The Erebus #1
Spear and Scythe
A DARK FANTASY/SCI-FI NOVEL that combines romance, friendship and the desperate fight for survival in a hostile, high-stakes environment. In the Erebus, a hijacked highly-advanced simulated reality, there is no such thing as mercy, and every moment may be your last.
"What begins as a moderately complicated high school drama quickly turns into a global catastrophe. A dangerous piece of technology and a heartbroken young girl find themselves as pawns in the meticulously crafted revenge plot of a merciless psychopath. Our protagonists find themselves in a new kind of hell, one that pushes each one of them to their limits... and well beyond."
--------------------
Book excerpt:
He walked through an iron door behind the throne, leading into a pitch-black room. Once he was in far enough, it shut behind him loudly, seemingly on its own. He walked around the room, and all he could make out was a cage-like structure in the middle.
“Into the cage!” he heard another female voice say, this one notably different from the girl he'd met moments ago.
He cautiously walked in, trying to keep an eye out for anything that might kill him. An adler walked up to the cage and locked him in as a glowing red light ignited beneath his feet. The brightness blinded his eyes, but definitely helped with the lighting of the room. He could make out a female silhouette standing right next to him on the other side of the bars.
“What do you want with me?” he asked in panic. She smiled at his question, even letting out a faint laugh.
“It's only the two of us, Jaden. You can stop now.”
“There has been a misunderstanding. My name is Hans Doras, eldest son of Lord Doras. You've got the wrong man!”
She closed her fist, and fire rose from the circle he was standing on. As it wrapped around his arms, the boy started screaming. Once she reopened her fist, the fire disappeared. The boy looked at his arms in shock. He'd felt as if he was burning alive and yet... there were no burns on him.
“Clever little contraption. It doesn't actually burn you, but you feel as if you are burning alive. The perfect torture chamber.”
“Please, let me go!”
“That won't happen. I told you what I would do to you once I found you, remember?”
--------------------
Journey into the perils of the Erebus with the first instalment in the series, Spear and Scythe.
"What begins as a moderately complicated high school drama quickly turns into a global catastrophe. A dangerous piece of technology and a heartbroken young girl find themselves as pawns in the meticulously crafted revenge plot of a merciless psychopath. Our protagonists find themselves in a new kind of hell, one that pushes each one of them to their limits... and well beyond."
--------------------
Book excerpt:
He walked through an iron door behind the throne, leading into a pitch-black room. Once he was in far enough, it shut behind him loudly, seemingly on its own. He walked around the room, and all he could make out was a cage-like structure in the middle.
“Into the cage!” he heard another female voice say, this one notably different from the girl he'd met moments ago.
He cautiously walked in, trying to keep an eye out for anything that might kill him. An adler walked up to the cage and locked him in as a glowing red light ignited beneath his feet. The brightness blinded his eyes, but definitely helped with the lighting of the room. He could make out a female silhouette standing right next to him on the other side of the bars.
“What do you want with me?” he asked in panic. She smiled at his question, even letting out a faint laugh.
“It's only the two of us, Jaden. You can stop now.”
“There has been a misunderstanding. My name is Hans Doras, eldest son of Lord Doras. You've got the wrong man!”
She closed her fist, and fire rose from the circle he was standing on. As it wrapped around his arms, the boy started screaming. Once she reopened her fist, the fire disappeared. The boy looked at his arms in shock. He'd felt as if he was burning alive and yet... there were no burns on him.
“Clever little contraption. It doesn't actually burn you, but you feel as if you are burning alive. The perfect torture chamber.”
“Please, let me go!”
“That won't happen. I told you what I would do to you once I found you, remember?”
--------------------
Journey into the perils of the Erebus with the first instalment in the series, Spear and Scythe.
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2025
16 people are currently reading
1785 people want to read
About the author
L.B. Jones
3 books14 followersL.B. Jones (pseudonym) is an aspiring fiction/fantasy author, hoping to create worlds and stories others will fall in love with. His inspiration is drawn from a wide range of books, movies and TV series, and moulded through extensive listening to different genres of music.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 24, 2025
While the idea is there, I cannot get behind how this is written. It's super dramatic in some parts (like where both Hanna & Jaden constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, talk about how it's "their fault"), but also very messy.
At one point, Jaden misses Ava, and it's described as him missing "all of their conversations they had, yet... the only ones they actually have are "thanks for saving me", "what are you hiding", "I don't trust you".
There's virtually no depth to any of the relationships in this book & all of them seem to move EXTREMELY fast for no reason. Also no character growth in my opinion.
Let alone how Hannah was just accepted into the family with no issues at all, except for maybe the 3 days Jaden was mad at their dad. Months were skipped in the story that I felt like would have been an interesting part (for example, Jaden's training).
I was very excited to get into another series (fantasy & sci-fi are my favorite genres to read), but it's safe to say I was extremely disappointed and will not continue the series.
At one point, Jaden misses Ava, and it's described as him missing "all of their conversations they had, yet... the only ones they actually have are "thanks for saving me", "what are you hiding", "I don't trust you".
There's virtually no depth to any of the relationships in this book & all of them seem to move EXTREMELY fast for no reason. Also no character growth in my opinion.
Let alone how Hannah was just accepted into the family with no issues at all, except for maybe the 3 days Jaden was mad at their dad. Months were skipped in the story that I felt like would have been an interesting part (for example, Jaden's training).
I was very excited to get into another series (fantasy & sci-fi are my favorite genres to read), but it's safe to say I was extremely disappointed and will not continue the series.
August 8, 2025
Twists, Tension, and High Stakes
Spear and Scythe starts as a high school drama but quickly explodes into a fast-paced, world-shaking disaster. The mix of dangerous technology and personal heartbreak makes the stakes feel real and urgent. The villain’s revenge plot is chilling and keeps you guessing at every turn. Each character is pushed far beyond their limits, and watching them adapt or break, keeps the tension high. While some parts move fast enough to leave you wanting more detail, the overall story is gripping and memorable. A thrilling blend of personal drama and global stakes.
Spear and Scythe starts as a high school drama but quickly explodes into a fast-paced, world-shaking disaster. The mix of dangerous technology and personal heartbreak makes the stakes feel real and urgent. The villain’s revenge plot is chilling and keeps you guessing at every turn. Each character is pushed far beyond their limits, and watching them adapt or break, keeps the tension high. While some parts move fast enough to leave you wanting more detail, the overall story is gripping and memorable. A thrilling blend of personal drama and global stakes.
June 27, 2025
This is a Matrix Story, But This Isn't Neo!
... and there's no Morpheus around to help you out either. This particular artificial environment is more initially subdued than the Matrix, but several times more horrifying. In fact, it's the simplicity in the beginning that allows you to lower your guard a bit more. The overhand hook lands harder on the jaw!
It could use and edit and I'm not too much of a fan of the change in format with regards of the dialog, but none of that got in the way of me enjoying the story.
... and there's no Morpheus around to help you out either. This particular artificial environment is more initially subdued than the Matrix, but several times more horrifying. In fact, it's the simplicity in the beginning that allows you to lower your guard a bit more. The overhand hook lands harder on the jaw!
It could use and edit and I'm not too much of a fan of the change in format with regards of the dialog, but none of that got in the way of me enjoying the story.
July 3, 2025
Loved it!
This was a great read. The world-building felt natural, the characters had real depth, and the pacing kept me hooked. (Plus, I especially love seeing newer or smaller authors prove that what really makes a story work is imagination and strong storytelling, not big budgets or hype.)
I’m really looking forward to where this series goes next.
This was a great read. The world-building felt natural, the characters had real depth, and the pacing kept me hooked. (Plus, I especially love seeing newer or smaller authors prove that what really makes a story work is imagination and strong storytelling, not big budgets or hype.)
I’m really looking forward to where this series goes next.
August 6, 2025
Received a digital copy through GoodReads giveaway. Use of dashes rather than standard quotes made dialogue somewhat difficult to follow.
Multiple times characters opt to trust implicitly the purported good intentions of others leading to ever further despair and ruin, even a mild bit of skepticism would have made them more relatable.
Multiple times characters opt to trust implicitly the purported good intentions of others leading to ever further despair and ruin, even a mild bit of skepticism would have made them more relatable.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews