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Beyond the Blight #1
The Children of Aegis
As weather conditions worsen and food supplies dwindle, the inhabitants of Bel’Torra Station—isolated on the remote continent of Fis’Alim—struggle simply to survive. But when an unexpected guest arrives, bringing another mouth to feed, a chain of events begins that will threaten their world and everything in it. This first full-length novel from artist and storyteller Gameyy Builds unveils long-held secrets of the world of Aegis and the mysterious Blight that has plagued its people for decades...
- GenresScience Fiction
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 21, 2026
I love Gameyy Builds’ YouTube and he is obviously extremely creative and talented. I enjoyed the characterization of Len, Kip and the kids—though I do admit I found Gaul especially difficult to believe and fell victim to the “men writing women” trope at times. Personally, since this is an introduction to the Aegis and this Blight-infected world, having a story where the Blight had more presence would have been appreciated. From literally every perspective we see in the story, the Blight is such a non-issue that you sort of wonder why it’s being referenced in the first place besides its usefulness as a bio weapon.
I also take issue with the ending. I am not entirely sure how we went from a small and fragmented family at the end of the world struggling to survive (which I loved) to planet-wide genocide perpetrated by an all-powerful sentient AI (which all the characters seem to have extremely tempered reactions to). It felt like all the very complex political struggles and interesting international issues that the author presented to us were “solved” (if you can call killing potentially millions of people a solution) with the push of a button. All the bad people are dead, two seventeen year olds are in charge of the world now, everything is going swimmingly and none of the characters seem remotely horrified by what just happened. The orphans are fine! Gaul, who I remind you is still a child herself when this purge happens, is the ultimate mother figure because she was nice to one baby, I guess, and she’s a girl. Plus, the kids have AI parents! Don’t worry about whether or not they have the infrastructure to house and feed this literal generation of orphans. Hand waves abound!
On Gaul again, I find it ironic that her treatment of the baby was the all-powerful AI’s reason to make her the Queen of Orphans (or whatever), and the epilogue of the story reveals that Len ends up as the boy’s caretaker. Kip even states that he was comfortable dying because he knew Gaul would be a good parent to the child, but then she just abandons him so she can… what? Take care of thousands of orphaned children? What does that even entail, and how does being “motherly” even factor into a job like that? Wouldn’t it be entirely logistical work? A seventeen year old recluse who’d only ever met two babies in her entire life (if we include Meesha - who I’ll note she shows complete ambivalence toward, so I guess we know how she feels about disabled kids) would not have that kind of skill set.
I am upset and frustrated at how the ending of this novel completely ruined the whole story for me. Sure, the majority of the work isn’t perfect and had some growing pains of a first-time author (the B plot of the kids in the VR tower, for one, felt like it was just thrown in there in an attempt to “justify” the ending). But it felt like a grounded story with realistic and flawed characters that you could really care about. The ending completely threw that out the window.
It is so bonkers to me that you’d introduce your world with a story that ends in a complete hard reset. That tells me, as a reader, that the hours I spent reading your book and engaging in the world was a waste of time. It just doesn’t matter anymore - it’s akin to ending a book with “and it was all a dream”.
This all being said, I still love Gameyy Builds’ world and characters. I love the dioramas he makes on YouTube. I ADORE the short stories that accompany them. I think he has the chops to write an amazing novel. I’m leaving this review to express my disappointment in this novel alone, because I care a lot about the world he’s built.
I also take issue with the ending. I am not entirely sure how we went from a small and fragmented family at the end of the world struggling to survive (which I loved) to planet-wide genocide perpetrated by an all-powerful sentient AI (which all the characters seem to have extremely tempered reactions to). It felt like all the very complex political struggles and interesting international issues that the author presented to us were “solved” (if you can call killing potentially millions of people a solution) with the push of a button. All the bad people are dead, two seventeen year olds are in charge of the world now, everything is going swimmingly and none of the characters seem remotely horrified by what just happened. The orphans are fine! Gaul, who I remind you is still a child herself when this purge happens, is the ultimate mother figure because she was nice to one baby, I guess, and she’s a girl. Plus, the kids have AI parents! Don’t worry about whether or not they have the infrastructure to house and feed this literal generation of orphans. Hand waves abound!
On Gaul again, I find it ironic that her treatment of the baby was the all-powerful AI’s reason to make her the Queen of Orphans (or whatever), and the epilogue of the story reveals that Len ends up as the boy’s caretaker. Kip even states that he was comfortable dying because he knew Gaul would be a good parent to the child, but then she just abandons him so she can… what? Take care of thousands of orphaned children? What does that even entail, and how does being “motherly” even factor into a job like that? Wouldn’t it be entirely logistical work? A seventeen year old recluse who’d only ever met two babies in her entire life (if we include Meesha - who I’ll note she shows complete ambivalence toward, so I guess we know how she feels about disabled kids) would not have that kind of skill set.
I am upset and frustrated at how the ending of this novel completely ruined the whole story for me. Sure, the majority of the work isn’t perfect and had some growing pains of a first-time author (the B plot of the kids in the VR tower, for one, felt like it was just thrown in there in an attempt to “justify” the ending). But it felt like a grounded story with realistic and flawed characters that you could really care about. The ending completely threw that out the window.
It is so bonkers to me that you’d introduce your world with a story that ends in a complete hard reset. That tells me, as a reader, that the hours I spent reading your book and engaging in the world was a waste of time. It just doesn’t matter anymore - it’s akin to ending a book with “and it was all a dream”.
This all being said, I still love Gameyy Builds’ world and characters. I love the dioramas he makes on YouTube. I ADORE the short stories that accompany them. I think he has the chops to write an amazing novel. I’m leaving this review to express my disappointment in this novel alone, because I care a lot about the world he’s built.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2026
This book was my entry point into the Aegis World and went in not knowing anything about Gameyy Builds’ creative platform. I was so impressed by this debut novel and the work put into creating this world! So well written and I was drawn in with such a captivating plot. Excited for the second book in the series to come out!
May 23, 2026
I love this story so much; the world-building is sublime. The emotions are powerful, the decisions made had such a rippling impact across the story. I wasn't sure if I liked the subplot, but it grew on me as I read. I especially liked how much common sense went into character decisions.
As good as it is, it felt like it felt like something was wrong. I knew this story was written well, and it had seemingly everything going for it. I didn't come to this realization until after I finished reading the book, and I spent hours thinking about how to explain this issue in my review. I eventually recognized pacing was a massive weakness for this book. I was completely unable to feel any adrenaline from what should have been adrenaline-pumping scenes; in other words, I wasn't immersed as I should have been.
The author's pacing was perfect for emotional scenes. However, every scene felt like it suffered from the exact same slower, heavily descriptive pacing. In particular, scenes with a lot of action, movement, and fast-paced spectacles generally benefit from events being described in quicker succession.
For example:
While this section does sound good, when you consider how short & tense the scene is supposed to be, it feels like there's too much fluff going on. I'm supposed to read with the pace of the scene so I can immerse myself in the action and feel the heart-racing adrenaline from Len.
Scene summary:
This is not an erasure of the author’s work, nor am I proposing my rendition is THE fix to their book. The author has done so much great work describing everything before this action scene that I may read it and see what the author saw. So injecting more overly descriptive words and phrases only serves to unnecessarily slow down the pacing.
I recognize this is Gameyy Builds's 1st published book, and that might have played a role in him not trusting the foundation that he’s laid. Allow the reader’s imagination to work.
It was far too easy to put down this book because at times it felt boring and drawn out.
I read a comment that said Gaul “fell victim to men writing women." That concerned me when I just started because I do see where that came from. However, as I read, her character became much more fleshed out, and it showed her silence was intentional. She grew throughout the story and came out of her shell expressing very strong emotions. I think she is the most complex character in the book.
The characters agreed with
The problem is I shouldn’t have to reason any of this out.
Gameyy Builds needs to explain these issues and correct them in the next book.
As good as it is, it felt like it felt like something was wrong. I knew this story was written well, and it had seemingly everything going for it. I didn't come to this realization until after I finished reading the book, and I spent hours thinking about how to explain this issue in my review. I eventually recognized pacing was a massive weakness for this book. I was completely unable to feel any adrenaline from what should have been adrenaline-pumping scenes; in other words, I wasn't immersed as I should have been.
The author's pacing was perfect for emotional scenes. However, every scene felt like it suffered from the exact same slower, heavily descriptive pacing. In particular, scenes with a lot of action, movement, and fast-paced spectacles generally benefit from events being described in quicker succession.
For example:
While this section does sound good, when you consider how short & tense the scene is supposed to be, it feels like there's too much fluff going on. I'm supposed to read with the pace of the scene so I can immerse myself in the action and feel the heart-racing adrenaline from Len.
Scene summary:
This is not an erasure of the author’s work, nor am I proposing my rendition is THE fix to their book. The author has done so much great work describing everything before this action scene that I may read it and see what the author saw. So injecting more overly descriptive words and phrases only serves to unnecessarily slow down the pacing.
I recognize this is Gameyy Builds's 1st published book, and that might have played a role in him not trusting the foundation that he’s laid. Allow the reader’s imagination to work.
It was far too easy to put down this book because at times it felt boring and drawn out.
I read a comment that said Gaul “fell victim to men writing women." That concerned me when I just started because I do see where that came from. However, as I read, her character became much more fleshed out, and it showed her silence was intentional. She grew throughout the story and came out of her shell expressing very strong emotions. I think she is the most complex character in the book.
The characters agreed with
The problem is I shouldn’t have to reason any of this out.
Gameyy Builds needs to explain these issues and correct them in the next book.
July 20, 2026
This is a hard review to write, on one hand Gameyy Builds offers exactly what he is known for; some truly excellent world building... but that is where the positives end... the story has a good skeleton, the ideas that were attempted should make for a good story, but unfortunately GB learned from years of Build & Lore videos how to EXPLAIN a world but not how to SHOW it. Every bit of information given in this story is told to us, the whole thing is essentially exposition and not particularly well crafted or engaging exposition... every character knows what this or that thing is and every other character has no clue "What is this thing?" "I know i've been in hiding for years but let me tell you all about the empire and all of its facets"
beyond the exposition, the pacing is uneven and largely poor, the characters are mostly one note and often not believable as people but rather as devices for more exposition, the writing style is overly flowery... it all reads like someone who is smart trying to tell you they are smart...
I will very happily continue to support the youtube channel, but I can't see myself reading another book. I'd say i'd read another if it got good reviews, but seeing as the fanbase Gameyy Builds brought from his youtube channel seem to not be impartial, i don't think i could trust the reviews to actually guide me.
Ultimately, i hope my review will help those who aren't already fans to come to this book with caution... its not a bad book, it has some things going for it, but overall it was terribly mediocre. i'd give it a 2.5 star rating if GoodReads allowed for half stars, but as they don't i'd rather round down than up on this one...
beyond the exposition, the pacing is uneven and largely poor, the characters are mostly one note and often not believable as people but rather as devices for more exposition, the writing style is overly flowery... it all reads like someone who is smart trying to tell you they are smart...
I will very happily continue to support the youtube channel, but I can't see myself reading another book. I'd say i'd read another if it got good reviews, but seeing as the fanbase Gameyy Builds brought from his youtube channel seem to not be impartial, i don't think i could trust the reviews to actually guide me.
Ultimately, i hope my review will help those who aren't already fans to come to this book with caution... its not a bad book, it has some things going for it, but overall it was terribly mediocre. i'd give it a 2.5 star rating if GoodReads allowed for half stars, but as they don't i'd rather round down than up on this one...
August 2, 2025
4,5. A comfy read that will dip your toes into the world of Aegis.
As a long time viewer of the YouTube channel I was somewhat familiar with some of the locations, conflicts, and history that were sprinkled in throughout this book, but this book can stand perfectly on it's own.
Aegis is a world that has been worked on and cared for. Places like Bel'Torra station and Domocile Block 471 among others are not just there for the story. They have a history (or a future) that adds the overall understanding of the world. Giving a sneak peak of how the forces try to rule the world and kingdoms could fall. The blight is also a very interesting addition. Adding an extra layer as has a vital role in how the world chose to develop and will unfold itself through the story.
For me the story was the least impressive part of the book. Most of structure relied on small twists of events so chapters would end on a "cliffhanger" and was overused. Some chapters suffered harder than others from this. Pacing wise it also created this yo-yo effect with artificial danger that made the real dangerous moments less impactful in my opinion. The characters were easy to connect with and each had their own motivations and skills to showcase. Some character introductions felt a bit cheap, but I don't think they detract much from the overall enjoyment of read.
Even with the flaws it has I could enjoyed discovering what wonders and terrors this world might hold and will be looking forward to the next installment of the series.
As a long time viewer of the YouTube channel I was somewhat familiar with some of the locations, conflicts, and history that were sprinkled in throughout this book, but this book can stand perfectly on it's own.
Aegis is a world that has been worked on and cared for. Places like Bel'Torra station and Domocile Block 471 among others are not just there for the story. They have a history (or a future) that adds the overall understanding of the world. Giving a sneak peak of how the forces try to rule the world and kingdoms could fall. The blight is also a very interesting addition. Adding an extra layer as has a vital role in how the world chose to develop and will unfold itself through the story.
For me the story was the least impressive part of the book. Most of structure relied on small twists of events so chapters would end on a "cliffhanger" and was overused. Some chapters suffered harder than others from this. Pacing wise it also created this yo-yo effect with artificial danger that made the real dangerous moments less impactful in my opinion. The characters were easy to connect with and each had their own motivations and skills to showcase. Some character introductions felt a bit cheap, but I don't think they detract much from the overall enjoyment of read.
Even with the flaws it has I could enjoyed discovering what wonders and terrors this world might hold and will be looking forward to the next installment of the series.
August 28, 2025
The Children of Aegis by Gameyy Builds absolutely blew me away! As the first installment in the Beyond the Blight series, it perfectly blends survival, mystery, and big questions about humanity and technology against the haunting backdrop of the planet Aegis.
What stood out to me most were the characters—so rich, full of life, and deeply interconnected. Every relationship, whether on Bel’Torra Station or across the realms, felt meaningful and layered. The story constantly made me reflect on the moral dilemma of human vs machine, and I loved how it was never black and white but full of nuance.
This was my first-ever sci-fi novel, and I loved every single minute of it. The audiobook experience in particular was incredible—the unique personalities of each character were brought to life through their voices, capturing emotions so vividly that I felt like I was right there in the station with them.
The Children of Aegis is a stunning debut that left me hooked and eager for what’s to come in this series. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to dive into a rich, immersive sci-fi world that’s as thought-provoking as it is gripping.
What stood out to me most were the characters—so rich, full of life, and deeply interconnected. Every relationship, whether on Bel’Torra Station or across the realms, felt meaningful and layered. The story constantly made me reflect on the moral dilemma of human vs machine, and I loved how it was never black and white but full of nuance.
This was my first-ever sci-fi novel, and I loved every single minute of it. The audiobook experience in particular was incredible—the unique personalities of each character were brought to life through their voices, capturing emotions so vividly that I felt like I was right there in the station with them.
The Children of Aegis is a stunning debut that left me hooked and eager for what’s to come in this series. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to dive into a rich, immersive sci-fi world that’s as thought-provoking as it is gripping.
June 22, 2026
A wee while ago, I really got into model-building and scratch building and came across Gameybuilds YouTube channel. After watching a couple of his vids, I came across one that featured a bot from “Aegis” and that’s how I learned about this book. For a long time, it sat on my TBR, until eventually I had an audible credit, got reminded of this book and saw it was narrated by him. His voice and voice acting is pretty good and it made for a very audibly scenic experience.
I enjoyed this book, and would put it firmly as a 3*. It probably started off as a 2.5 and ended 3.5. The ending was good imo
It was equal parts new and cliche. Some parts made me think “what a rehash” but also some parts surprised me with its daring.
Spoilers ahead;
The fact that Hotas, when he returns, instead of being a good dad but instead is a right wanker was fun and very much subverted my expectation.
The ending where everyone gets “Matrix-ed” but it’s okay because this AI is nice was also unexpected.
I enjoyed this book, and would put it firmly as a 3*. It probably started off as a 2.5 and ended 3.5. The ending was good imo
It was equal parts new and cliche. Some parts made me think “what a rehash” but also some parts surprised me with its daring.
Spoilers ahead;
The fact that Hotas, when he returns, instead of being a good dad but instead is a right wanker was fun and very much subverted my expectation.
The ending where everyone gets “Matrix-ed” but it’s okay because this AI is nice was also unexpected.
June 27, 2026
Wonderful
I have been a YT follower of Gameyy Builds from fairly soon in that venture and what I have observed is that this young man is a Renaissance man. His talents are many and varied, from his builds, to his short stories that go with them. It is a vast array of skills and I am happy to have been a part of the journey. This book shows yet another in his toolkit. As he said in the introduction, if you don't know him from YT how'd you get here but welcome. If you are here without YT then I strongly encourage you to head over and scroll to the bottom of the list of videos and enjoy the ride.
I have been a YT follower of Gameyy Builds from fairly soon in that venture and what I have observed is that this young man is a Renaissance man. His talents are many and varied, from his builds, to his short stories that go with them. It is a vast array of skills and I am happy to have been a part of the journey. This book shows yet another in his toolkit. As he said in the introduction, if you don't know him from YT how'd you get here but welcome. If you are here without YT then I strongly encourage you to head over and scroll to the bottom of the list of videos and enjoy the ride.
May 3, 2026
This book was great, especially since I've been watching the diorama build that led to the books creation for years. Great characters, great character growth, writing was excellent. It really kept my attention which doesn't always happen. My only critique was that it seemed the true climax happened maybe 2/3 of the way through the book. The ending was good but I was supposed there was so much more after a certain point.
Overall though I loved it and am really looking forward to the rest of the seires
Overall though I loved it and am really looking forward to the rest of the seires
September 21, 2025
I've been enjoying Gamey's YouTube series for ages, and seeing it all come together in this story did not disappoint in the slightest. Well-written, descriptive, and with just the right level of techno-babble, he has constructed a story that keeps you hooked from page 1 and will not doubt be a delight to long-time fans and new readers alike (though the references to previous videos and their short stories made me smile every time!) Very much looking forward to seeing where this story goes next.
July 26, 2025
Move over, Orson Scott Card - Children of Aegis is a profound sci-fi exploration of selfless love and self-interest, masterfully woven with themes that resonate deeply in our world. Told in a style of timeless storytelling, it reaches into the heart and leaves a lasting impression. This is the kind of novel that deserves a broad audience.
August 10, 2025
I wasn’t expecting this story to go in the direction of alien life.. but I wasn’t disappointed by the book. It was everything I like about Gameyy Builds YouTube stories but on a larger scale. Honestly, I just wish I could have watched him assemble dioramas the whole time I listened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2025
I have never been a fan of Science Fiction but this book was amazing. I loved every second of it! It was touching and made me think. Honestly amazing!
January 29, 2026
DNF
Chapter 1
Not enough patience to give it more of a chance.
Chapter 1
Not enough patience to give it more of a chance.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews