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Significatorius
Animae Innexae Souls Entwined
The end of the world is Palena Moria's home.
She grew up in the Antarctic Gateway City of Oshovia, on the southern shores of Greater Patagonia. As another year's Vindem celebration approaches, Palena stumbles into an accidental encounter with Avelven Selk, superstar singer and famed frontman of the iconic rock band Fractura.
The sparks are instant, even against the anxious flutter of butterflies in the air. Blue-petaled dreams and ice-cold doubts twist and turn between blossoming explosions in the sky and reverent worship for the Seven Saints.
Across Vindem's four major festivals, Palena grows closer to Avelven. Two lost souls sharing late nights at dive bar shows and stolen moments beneath strong winds and vulnerable lyrics. Whether intimate intentions or fated desires, they begin to glimpse the shadows of chaos and the light of Her Flame encircling their world.
Through grounded mysticism or fantastic realism, every scene can be read through three Romance — Palena and Avelven's impossible struggle against gravity. Politics — Diplomacy across the continent is a cold and calculated game of chess. Religion — Submit to Saint Vinson, and She will answer the call.And where else but on a stage should all three perform?
A waltz shared by Palena and Avelven as they fall in and out of rhythm. In every song, in every act, and in every prayer, they dance across meaning and intention. From first sight at the top of the lighthouse Pharos to unexpected adventures much further beyond, together, they are searching for themselves and something deeper.
Maybe that's what it means to belong.
❄️🧣 Significatorius — Love under adverse stars, music at the end of the world.
"He was my adversary.
I was his star."
The end of the world is Palena Moria's home.
She grew up in the Antarctic Gateway City of Oshovia, on the southern shores of Greater Patagonia. As another year's Vindem celebration approaches, Palena stumbles into an accidental encounter with Avelven Selk, superstar singer and famed frontman of the iconic rock band Fractura.
The sparks are instant, even against the anxious flutter of butterflies in the air. Blue-petaled dreams and ice-cold doubts twist and turn between blossoming explosions in the sky and reverent worship for the Seven Saints.
Across Vindem's four major festivals, Palena grows closer to Avelven. Two lost souls sharing late nights at dive bar shows and stolen moments beneath strong winds and vulnerable lyrics. Whether intimate intentions or fated desires, they begin to glimpse the shadows of chaos and the light of Her Flame encircling their world.
Through grounded mysticism or fantastic realism, every scene can be read through three Romance — Palena and Avelven's impossible struggle against gravity. Politics — Diplomacy across the continent is a cold and calculated game of chess. Religion — Submit to Saint Vinson, and She will answer the call.And where else but on a stage should all three perform?
A waltz shared by Palena and Avelven as they fall in and out of rhythm. In every song, in every act, and in every prayer, they dance across meaning and intention. From first sight at the top of the lighthouse Pharos to unexpected adventures much further beyond, together, they are searching for themselves and something deeper.
Maybe that's what it means to belong.
❄️🧣 Significatorius — Love under adverse stars, music at the end of the world.
"He was my adversary.
I was his star."
449 pages, Paperback
Published August 4, 2025
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
John M. Bauer
6 books10 followersJohn Bauer spent his youngest years on a farm in the middle of nowhere. His dad was a lawyer for the local tribe and he grew up thinking he would one day raise pigs. After several more moves across countries and continents he ended up leaving that swine fueled dream behind and settling into an apartment just outside Paris. The constant shifting of the Earth has left John with a feeling that nowhere on the planet is truly ever home.
Adrift on that tiresome sea, he found a career in writing for other people and their goals - podcasts, blogs, marketing copy, press releases, vague content creation across the board. Disillusioned, undervalued, overexposed, and anxiety ridden, the emotional toll of every tick and every other tock ate away at that core motivation to see another tomorrow. But John could not stop that undying drive to create, letting passion guide him to a new focus: novels.
Adrift on that tiresome sea, he found a career in writing for other people and their goals - podcasts, blogs, marketing copy, press releases, vague content creation across the board. Disillusioned, undervalued, overexposed, and anxiety ridden, the emotional toll of every tick and every other tock ate away at that core motivation to see another tomorrow. But John could not stop that undying drive to create, letting passion guide him to a new focus: novels.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2025
Sometimes, you have to sit with a story and its characters after finishing before trying to come up with a review.
One thing that I've come to appreciate about the authors writing is that it has its own distinct voice and certain steps that he follows when telling a story. By no means does this make the stories predictable. If anything, as a reader, I am now more invested than ever.
Significatorius is set in the same world as the books Maneus and Rhean, but at a different point in this universes history. What I found interesting is the recurring theme of loss: of family, friends, and yourself. And as always, the BLUE flowers. The characters in this story aren't necessarily likeable. That's not the point. As a reader, I was observing Palena as she reached a threshold in her life without realising it. In the background, there are noises of a war that may or may not happen. It felt very real that even through the rumbling of change that life and love continue.
Significatorius feels dystopian in the way that there's an unease simmering throughout that you can't quite put your finger on. Palena gets her answers, and at the same time, she doesn't.
My apologies for this review that has turned out more rambling than I wanted.
Speculative fiction has to be experienced for it to be understood. Significatorius will not be for everyone. If you enjoy stories where the line between sci-fi and magical realism gets blurred and the story is driven by characters' personal journeys, consider giving Significatorius a chance.
One thing that I've come to appreciate about the authors writing is that it has its own distinct voice and certain steps that he follows when telling a story. By no means does this make the stories predictable. If anything, as a reader, I am now more invested than ever.
Significatorius is set in the same world as the books Maneus and Rhean, but at a different point in this universes history. What I found interesting is the recurring theme of loss: of family, friends, and yourself. And as always, the BLUE flowers. The characters in this story aren't necessarily likeable. That's not the point. As a reader, I was observing Palena as she reached a threshold in her life without realising it. In the background, there are noises of a war that may or may not happen. It felt very real that even through the rumbling of change that life and love continue.
Significatorius feels dystopian in the way that there's an unease simmering throughout that you can't quite put your finger on. Palena gets her answers, and at the same time, she doesn't.
My apologies for this review that has turned out more rambling than I wanted.
Speculative fiction has to be experienced for it to be understood. Significatorius will not be for everyone. If you enjoy stories where the line between sci-fi and magical realism gets blurred and the story is driven by characters' personal journeys, consider giving Significatorius a chance.
November 30, 2025
Blending magical realism and speculative fiction, Significatorius is a strange novel that will leave you wanting to explore its world further.
The information is delivered to the reader drop by drop without an ounce of info dumping and the lore of this world that seems to be far into the future is fascinating. The world building is hard to grasp at first and I would have liked the author to spend more time on it just because I am so intrigued by it and want to know more.
Musical metaphors are woven throughout the book in an expert manner, creating a rhythm that will carry you throughout the narrative. The book has more vibes than plot and honestly? It works really well.
My main complaint would be how quickly characters shifted from one emotion to another during dialogue sometimes and how the narrative could get a bit confusing due to the lyricism of its prose. Palena, the main character, also lets others walk over her which is a personal gripe I have with her, preferring more headstrong characters.
The information is delivered to the reader drop by drop without an ounce of info dumping and the lore of this world that seems to be far into the future is fascinating. The world building is hard to grasp at first and I would have liked the author to spend more time on it just because I am so intrigued by it and want to know more.
Musical metaphors are woven throughout the book in an expert manner, creating a rhythm that will carry you throughout the narrative. The book has more vibes than plot and honestly? It works really well.
My main complaint would be how quickly characters shifted from one emotion to another during dialogue sometimes and how the narrative could get a bit confusing due to the lyricism of its prose. Palena, the main character, also lets others walk over her which is a personal gripe I have with her, preferring more headstrong characters.
August 11, 2025
Significatorius is an adventure of a story, taking us through a journey of coming-of-age, falling in love, and opening your eyes to the world around you. Palena finds herself in situations that range from a stage to a mountainside and every moment leads to immense curiosity about what will happen next. The twists and turns kept me on my toes and I really had fun turning each page. #PalelvenForever
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews