What do you think?
Rate this book
Gaea
The second installment in
The Mother Trilogy
thrusts Lyn of Nytaea into a world beyond her wildest imagining.
Gone is her silver world. Gone are her dear friends. The half-breed Lyn finds herself on an alien world, yet the truest home she ever had: Planet Gaea. A torn and battered world of advanced cities ruled by shadowy figures of mythic reputation, Gaea still mourns the loss of the key that once made it function: Lyn's own mother, a marvel of genetic engineering. Imprisoned immediately by the global government, Lyn must ally with rebel forces to free herself and the world. All the while, she fights for the vital information all factions want to hide from her . . . but can she stomach the truth of her own origins? And what will she become when her dark heritage catches up to her?
Highly recommended to read after Mani.
Expect:
Darker, more intense storyline — more mystery, suspense and political intrigue than Mani
Extremely high action and fast pacing
Expansive scope spanning multiple worlds, factions and magic systems
A distinctive blend of high fantasy, apocalyptic sci-fi, and space opera
First-person and third-person viewpoints split neatly by part, separated by worlds
Gone is her silver world. Gone are her dear friends. The half-breed Lyn finds herself on an alien world, yet the truest home she ever had: Planet Gaea. A torn and battered world of advanced cities ruled by shadowy figures of mythic reputation, Gaea still mourns the loss of the key that once made it function: Lyn's own mother, a marvel of genetic engineering. Imprisoned immediately by the global government, Lyn must ally with rebel forces to free herself and the world. All the while, she fights for the vital information all factions want to hide from her . . . but can she stomach the truth of her own origins? And what will she become when her dark heritage catches up to her?
Highly recommended to read after Mani.
Expect:
Darker, more intense storyline — more mystery, suspense and political intrigue than Mani
Extremely high action and fast pacing
Expansive scope spanning multiple worlds, factions and magic systems
A distinctive blend of high fantasy, apocalyptic sci-fi, and space opera
First-person and third-person viewpoints split neatly by part, separated by worlds
765 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 15, 2025
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Jacob Gamber
4 books16 followersJacob Gamber grew up in Araluen, Alagaësia and Fablehaven, and spent the remainder of his childhood in rural Pennsylvania, telling stories to sheep. When the time came to embark on his own journey to a fantasy world, he botched it thoroughly several times and eventually got a full-time factory job. Presently, he lives in eastern Ohio with his wife and children. He enjoys music, role-playing games and puzzles, and is reportedly allergic to bad love triangles.
Jacob Gamber enjoys writing Fantasy and Science Fiction—usually erring on the side of Fantasy. As a Christian writer, he likes to uphold traditional values and biblical morality on the broad scale, but his stories are not allegorical and are mostly mainstream. He aims to challenge teen and adult readers with thought-provoking concepts and situations that could only arise in Fantasy, but without all the graphic content and tenuous morality commonplace in today's literature.
Early inspirations include C.S. Lewis, Brandon Mull, John Flanagan, Rick Riordan, Brian Jacque, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, to name a few. For more things writing-related, you can check out his personal blog, The Idea Engine, or subscribe to his monthly newsletter. His fantasy web novel, Tales from the Earthen Sky, can be found there or on Royal Road.
His YA sci-fantasy debut, Mani, was released Sept. 23, 2024, followed by Book Two, Gaea, on March 18, 2025. Book Three, Luna, releases in early 2026.
Jacob Gamber enjoys writing Fantasy and Science Fiction—usually erring on the side of Fantasy. As a Christian writer, he likes to uphold traditional values and biblical morality on the broad scale, but his stories are not allegorical and are mostly mainstream. He aims to challenge teen and adult readers with thought-provoking concepts and situations that could only arise in Fantasy, but without all the graphic content and tenuous morality commonplace in today's literature.
Early inspirations include C.S. Lewis, Brandon Mull, John Flanagan, Rick Riordan, Brian Jacque, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, to name a few. For more things writing-related, you can check out his personal blog, The Idea Engine, or subscribe to his monthly newsletter. His fantasy web novel, Tales from the Earthen Sky, can be found there or on Royal Road.
His YA sci-fantasy debut, Mani, was released Sept. 23, 2024, followed by Book Two, Gaea, on March 18, 2025. Book Three, Luna, releases in early 2026.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Read
May 20, 2025Hey, Jacob here. Be sure to check out Mani, Book One, on Royal Road if you're curious about the series. The first ten chapters of Gaea are available to read on there as well.
Excerpt:
The distractions began with a large plume of smoke coming from the eastern side of the city, where Sol’s morning light tickled the skyline. Two explosions rocked the earth, and Bddo grinned from beside me. “Sounds like they’re getting up to some trouble.”
“Hopefully enough to buy us some time,” Zent said from the front. He reached over and disabled the vehicle’s built-in radio features. “That’s not going to do us any more good.”
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the sirens caught up to us, and we saw vehicles approaching from behind with guns mounted on top. Ccal pulled a mid-length energy rifle from his shoulder and cracked the back window open far enough to point the muzzle behind us. Then he opened fire on the vehicles, which were already blasting our truck with fully automatic fire. As I watched, the vehicle on the right jolted, spinning out on a blown tire and slamming into the other.
“Whoa,” I breathed, watching as the two assault vehicles rolled. “Did you do that, Ccal?”
He pulled back from his aiming position. “You kidding? From here? That was Seidrake.” He pointed out one of the tall buildings we were passing, but I couldn’t make out the sniper’s location.
“More in front,” called Janus from the front passenger seat.
“Great.” Ccal tapped his earpiece. “Seidrake? Got a visual?”
The sniper responded by loosing two shots into the half-dozen assault vehicles coming our way, strategically placed to cause the front ones to skid into the others. I couldn’t even see the arrows, just the magnificent impact of each one on the multi-ton vehicles. The gunfire ceased as their vehicles spun into disarray, and Zent steered us straight through a break in the trucks. Looking behind me, I witnessed two more arrows streak down from the sky to pierce the windshields of the remaining vehicles that were in working order. To my amazement, I realized that some of the shafts had pierced all the way through and were jutting out of the pavement a full meter.
“Great Auroras,” I muttered.
“We’re getting close to the complex,” Zent said.
“Here come the Stormhawks,” Bddo said, pointing out the left window with his blaster. “Hope Musha’s got a backup plan.”
We rode in tense silence until another armored truck roared out of a side street and merged with us. “That’s them,” Ccal said, and I caught a thumbs-up through one of the heavy glass windows of the approaching vehicle. The two Stormhawk ships flew our way, tracking us ominously before opening fire. I was thankful for the heatsink armor and energy-repellant plating, which caused the first beams to glance off or be absorbed. Haccolces had good tech, including these transport vehicles. With another backwards glance, I saw one of the gunships pinwheel and explode just before we crossed out of the line of sight.
“Yes!” I said, making a fist.
“He got one?” Zent asked. “We’re not in the clear yet. We’re entering the old sector now.”
“The high security sector . . .” Bddo mumbled.
Indeed, the cityscape changed drastically, and we entered a decline. The buildings looked older, darker, wider and shorter. Up ahead was a scan station at the entrance to the main lab complex, where dozens of guards were gathering, taking aim at our trucks. As I watched, an arrow slammed into the right side of the gate and detonated, throwing multiple men to the side. Seidrake once again. And then . . .
Zent hit the brakes while the other truck accelerated. Suddenly all four Hellebes soldiers jumped out of the other truck, rolling as they hit the pavement. Musha must have jammed the accelerator somehow, seeing as the truck kept moving. Team B rolled to either side of the truck, and another explosive arrow struck underneath of it, lifting the giant vehicle to soar through the air, spinning end over end, straight at the gate.
Zent stopped our truck near the members of Team B who had bailed from the moving truck, just as their former ride struck the shielded door . . . and exploded in a burst of fire. I felt our own truck shake as the entire front wall of the building was devasted, the Geoelectric shield tearing away and all personnel guarding it devastated by the blast.
Musha and the three others approached at a run as Ccal waved them in, hopping into the bed of our truck. Zent peeled away, and we drove straight through what was once a heavily-shielded security gate.
“Wow,” I said, trying to make sense of the scene. “Did they plan that?”
Bddo opened the back window of the cab. “Yo. You fellas plan that stunt or what?”
Musha snorted. “’Course we did. You think we got lucky?”
“Just glad it worked,” mumbled one of the crew members beside him.
In a moment, we were inside the building, leaving behind the smoking scene of carnage and scrap metal. It was dark inside the complex, with long rows of dim lights running across the ceiling. We wasted no time in ripping through the building, making our way toward the nearest entrance to the subterranean levels. Alarms rang out everywhere as we careened past storage bays, complex machinery and wall after wall of quantum computers. The team in the back kept their guns out, seemingly unheeding of the jolty trip as they scanned for pursuers and reinforcements. They used their crouched legs as shock absorbers. I really wasn’t sure how many armed personnel were stationed in this laboratory complex, or rather I couldn’t recall from the briefing. There were signs of hasty evacuation in some offices along the way.
The first wave of interceptors came from our right, and Team B traded gunfire with them from the truck bed. Three, six . . . maybe almost a dozen men dressed in strange white uniforms with sharply-pointed helmets. The enemy had the advantage of not being in a moving vehicle, of course. I heard a curse from behind me and looked back to see one of our men clutching his shoulder where a beam had grazed it. Amidst all the shouting, blaster fire and crazy truck driving, it was hard for me to focus on anything.
“Here we go!” Zent shouted, swinging us into another sharp turn. Suddenly, we were going downhill at a low grade, headed for the lower floors.
“’Bout time,” Bddo muttered from my left. “You ready for your big moment, sunshine?”
I started as I realized he meant me. “Um, I hope so?” I said honestly. “Are the labs really down here?”
“Sure as the sun is yellow,” he replied.
Suddenly, I had an instant of clarity as I recalled images of a laboratory scene from the early briefing, or . . . no, not that. Not from any briefing. I glimpsed a dark room lit by an eerie glow, with many cables running outward from a green-tinted tank, an unearthly jade light emanating from it and pulsing through the cables.
Then the image was gone, and I was left holding my head. What was . . . that? I had never experienced anything like it. In that instant, I felt a pulse, a heartbeat, a . . . signal? Coming from below us. It was regular, as though coming from a living creature.
I gulped, my throat feeling dry, and glanced around to see both Bddo and Ccal looking at me with concern.
“Don’t scare us like that, Heiress,” Ccal said. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I just had a . . .” I cut off. “I’m fine.”
Excerpt:
The distractions began with a large plume of smoke coming from the eastern side of the city, where Sol’s morning light tickled the skyline. Two explosions rocked the earth, and Bddo grinned from beside me. “Sounds like they’re getting up to some trouble.”
“Hopefully enough to buy us some time,” Zent said from the front. He reached over and disabled the vehicle’s built-in radio features. “That’s not going to do us any more good.”
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the sirens caught up to us, and we saw vehicles approaching from behind with guns mounted on top. Ccal pulled a mid-length energy rifle from his shoulder and cracked the back window open far enough to point the muzzle behind us. Then he opened fire on the vehicles, which were already blasting our truck with fully automatic fire. As I watched, the vehicle on the right jolted, spinning out on a blown tire and slamming into the other.
“Whoa,” I breathed, watching as the two assault vehicles rolled. “Did you do that, Ccal?”
He pulled back from his aiming position. “You kidding? From here? That was Seidrake.” He pointed out one of the tall buildings we were passing, but I couldn’t make out the sniper’s location.
“More in front,” called Janus from the front passenger seat.
“Great.” Ccal tapped his earpiece. “Seidrake? Got a visual?”
The sniper responded by loosing two shots into the half-dozen assault vehicles coming our way, strategically placed to cause the front ones to skid into the others. I couldn’t even see the arrows, just the magnificent impact of each one on the multi-ton vehicles. The gunfire ceased as their vehicles spun into disarray, and Zent steered us straight through a break in the trucks. Looking behind me, I witnessed two more arrows streak down from the sky to pierce the windshields of the remaining vehicles that were in working order. To my amazement, I realized that some of the shafts had pierced all the way through and were jutting out of the pavement a full meter.
“Great Auroras,” I muttered.
“We’re getting close to the complex,” Zent said.
“Here come the Stormhawks,” Bddo said, pointing out the left window with his blaster. “Hope Musha’s got a backup plan.”
We rode in tense silence until another armored truck roared out of a side street and merged with us. “That’s them,” Ccal said, and I caught a thumbs-up through one of the heavy glass windows of the approaching vehicle. The two Stormhawk ships flew our way, tracking us ominously before opening fire. I was thankful for the heatsink armor and energy-repellant plating, which caused the first beams to glance off or be absorbed. Haccolces had good tech, including these transport vehicles. With another backwards glance, I saw one of the gunships pinwheel and explode just before we crossed out of the line of sight.
“Yes!” I said, making a fist.
“He got one?” Zent asked. “We’re not in the clear yet. We’re entering the old sector now.”
“The high security sector . . .” Bddo mumbled.
Indeed, the cityscape changed drastically, and we entered a decline. The buildings looked older, darker, wider and shorter. Up ahead was a scan station at the entrance to the main lab complex, where dozens of guards were gathering, taking aim at our trucks. As I watched, an arrow slammed into the right side of the gate and detonated, throwing multiple men to the side. Seidrake once again. And then . . .
Zent hit the brakes while the other truck accelerated. Suddenly all four Hellebes soldiers jumped out of the other truck, rolling as they hit the pavement. Musha must have jammed the accelerator somehow, seeing as the truck kept moving. Team B rolled to either side of the truck, and another explosive arrow struck underneath of it, lifting the giant vehicle to soar through the air, spinning end over end, straight at the gate.
Zent stopped our truck near the members of Team B who had bailed from the moving truck, just as their former ride struck the shielded door . . . and exploded in a burst of fire. I felt our own truck shake as the entire front wall of the building was devasted, the Geoelectric shield tearing away and all personnel guarding it devastated by the blast.
Musha and the three others approached at a run as Ccal waved them in, hopping into the bed of our truck. Zent peeled away, and we drove straight through what was once a heavily-shielded security gate.
“Wow,” I said, trying to make sense of the scene. “Did they plan that?”
Bddo opened the back window of the cab. “Yo. You fellas plan that stunt or what?”
Musha snorted. “’Course we did. You think we got lucky?”
“Just glad it worked,” mumbled one of the crew members beside him.
In a moment, we were inside the building, leaving behind the smoking scene of carnage and scrap metal. It was dark inside the complex, with long rows of dim lights running across the ceiling. We wasted no time in ripping through the building, making our way toward the nearest entrance to the subterranean levels. Alarms rang out everywhere as we careened past storage bays, complex machinery and wall after wall of quantum computers. The team in the back kept their guns out, seemingly unheeding of the jolty trip as they scanned for pursuers and reinforcements. They used their crouched legs as shock absorbers. I really wasn’t sure how many armed personnel were stationed in this laboratory complex, or rather I couldn’t recall from the briefing. There were signs of hasty evacuation in some offices along the way.
The first wave of interceptors came from our right, and Team B traded gunfire with them from the truck bed. Three, six . . . maybe almost a dozen men dressed in strange white uniforms with sharply-pointed helmets. The enemy had the advantage of not being in a moving vehicle, of course. I heard a curse from behind me and looked back to see one of our men clutching his shoulder where a beam had grazed it. Amidst all the shouting, blaster fire and crazy truck driving, it was hard for me to focus on anything.
“Here we go!” Zent shouted, swinging us into another sharp turn. Suddenly, we were going downhill at a low grade, headed for the lower floors.
“’Bout time,” Bddo muttered from my left. “You ready for your big moment, sunshine?”
I started as I realized he meant me. “Um, I hope so?” I said honestly. “Are the labs really down here?”
“Sure as the sun is yellow,” he replied.
Suddenly, I had an instant of clarity as I recalled images of a laboratory scene from the early briefing, or . . . no, not that. Not from any briefing. I glimpsed a dark room lit by an eerie glow, with many cables running outward from a green-tinted tank, an unearthly jade light emanating from it and pulsing through the cables.
Then the image was gone, and I was left holding my head. What was . . . that? I had never experienced anything like it. In that instant, I felt a pulse, a heartbeat, a . . . signal? Coming from below us. It was regular, as though coming from a living creature.
I gulped, my throat feeling dry, and glanced around to see both Bddo and Ccal looking at me with concern.
“Don’t scare us like that, Heiress,” Ccal said. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I just had a . . .” I cut off. “I’m fine.”
October 4, 2025
This is a wonderful second book to the trilogy where you get pulled even further into the story than you were in the first book as you get answers to questions you had at the end of Mani but more questions about the world of Gaea and the adventures of Lyn and her friends. I cannot wait to read the next book!
May 11, 2025
Phenomenal story arc and so many plot twists. I find the characters super relatable, absolutely captivating from the start! Can't wait to read the third!!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews