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Myosotis: Book 1
What if your memories weren’t your own?
For readers of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers), The Memory Police (Yōko Ogawa), and Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel), Ellipso is a saga of memory and identity that blends the cruelty of dystopia with the sensitivity of human trauma.
Science fiction that both hurts and heals. And yeah if you are into hard Sci-Fi, you can pass your way.
Olivia Sarven has always trusted the fragments of her life on Ellipso. Until the day cracks forbidden zones no one mentions, truths erased from every record and whispers of a past. As she follows the hidden thread of her identity, Olivia realizes she is not alone. Her awakening sparks a dangerous rebellion to restore what was stolen from an entire people.
Step into the Ring. Dare to remember.
This omnibus unites Episodes 1–5 of the ELLIPSO saga.
For readers of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers), The Memory Police (Yōko Ogawa), and Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel), Ellipso is a saga of memory and identity that blends the cruelty of dystopia with the sensitivity of human trauma.
Science fiction that both hurts and heals. And yeah if you are into hard Sci-Fi, you can pass your way.
Olivia Sarven has always trusted the fragments of her life on Ellipso. Until the day cracks forbidden zones no one mentions, truths erased from every record and whispers of a past. As she follows the hidden thread of her identity, Olivia realizes she is not alone. Her awakening sparks a dangerous rebellion to restore what was stolen from an entire people.
Step into the Ring. Dare to remember.
This omnibus unites Episodes 1–5 of the ELLIPSO saga.
- GenresDystopia
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2026
About the author
Caroline Lorien
8 books41 followersC. Lorien is a Quebec-based science fiction author, fascinated by technological overreach, collective memory, and the limits of human consciousness.
Through the Ellipso series, she explores a post-Earth future where artificial intelligence and biological implants redefine human freedom.
WE ARE LAUCHING SOON A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN to print the first copies of MYOSOTIS. If you can follow it here, it would help me so much : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
🔔 If you're intrigued, subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive sneak peeks, giveaways, and behind‑the‑scenes updates: subscribepage.io/PMQtGV
Through the Ellipso series, she explores a post-Earth future where artificial intelligence and biological implants redefine human freedom.
WE ARE LAUCHING SOON A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN to print the first copies of MYOSOTIS. If you can follow it here, it would help me so much : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
🔔 If you're intrigued, subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive sneak peeks, giveaways, and behind‑the‑scenes updates: subscribepage.io/PMQtGV
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 16, 2026
Well... it's a book that I read. TLDR section at the very bottom.
The good: it's a short, quick, easy read. Don't let the page count fool you, you'll be flipping through them at blazing speeds; makes you feel like a speed reader.
The bad: Everything else? To clarify the speed reading thing; half this book is empty space. Sentences are short and basic. No compound sentence or complex thoughts and ideas to be found in the writing here. On top of that, paragraphs are 1-3 sentences long, which is why you fly through the pages; they're half blank.
The main character, Olivia, is a redhead; this is something you won't forget because you'll be reminded that "the redhead" did something every 10 or so pages.
Lastly, about three quarters of the way through, Olivia goes by a different name and shortly after the author refers to her by both/either name in the same scene. If she switched, switch; if she uses one around a group of people and the other around other groups of people, use the one that's appropriate for the scene. Just switching names back and forth and back again in the span of 6 sentences in the same scene is just jarring and weird.
Story wise... meh. There is no real struggle or hardship, it seems most things go right and everyone is helpful, and if there is a hiccup, it's minor and magically resolves itself. Things aren't explained on why or how they happen, they just do.
And the ending, just... no. It's not a twist or a cliff hanger, it's just open without any closure at all. I get this is book 1 of 2, but reading the synopsis of book 2 it sounds like it jumps forward 20 years. So we get no closure or information on how anything from this story line goes, or what their actions caused. We will probably see the aftermath and maybe flashbacks in the second book, but you don't get to experience the story to a close. I won't find out though, as I will not be reading the second book when it releases in a year; I'll likely have forgotten about this one by then.
TLDR: Simple writing, bad style of writing, and mid storyline with an underwhelming and crap ending makes for my first 1 star read. Only didn't DNF because half the pages are blank and it reads quick; as fast a 150 page novella.
The good: it's a short, quick, easy read. Don't let the page count fool you, you'll be flipping through them at blazing speeds; makes you feel like a speed reader.
The bad: Everything else? To clarify the speed reading thing; half this book is empty space. Sentences are short and basic. No compound sentence or complex thoughts and ideas to be found in the writing here. On top of that, paragraphs are 1-3 sentences long, which is why you fly through the pages; they're half blank.
The main character, Olivia, is a redhead; this is something you won't forget because you'll be reminded that "the redhead" did something every 10 or so pages.
Lastly, about three quarters of the way through, Olivia goes by a different name and shortly after the author refers to her by both/either name in the same scene. If she switched, switch; if she uses one around a group of people and the other around other groups of people, use the one that's appropriate for the scene. Just switching names back and forth and back again in the span of 6 sentences in the same scene is just jarring and weird.
Story wise... meh. There is no real struggle or hardship, it seems most things go right and everyone is helpful, and if there is a hiccup, it's minor and magically resolves itself. Things aren't explained on why or how they happen, they just do.
And the ending, just... no. It's not a twist or a cliff hanger, it's just open without any closure at all. I get this is book 1 of 2, but reading the synopsis of book 2 it sounds like it jumps forward 20 years. So we get no closure or information on how anything from this story line goes, or what their actions caused. We will probably see the aftermath and maybe flashbacks in the second book, but you don't get to experience the story to a close. I won't find out though, as I will not be reading the second book when it releases in a year; I'll likely have forgotten about this one by then.
TLDR: Simple writing, bad style of writing, and mid storyline with an underwhelming and crap ending makes for my first 1 star read. Only didn't DNF because half the pages are blank and it reads quick; as fast a 150 page novella.
February 25, 2026
ARC in exchange for a review. 1.5 ish stars rounded up.
I will start by saying that I’m not a classic sci-fi reader however I do find myself coming back to dystopian fiction over the years. I went on a James S.A. Corey binge last year and finished The Expanse series and I have just completed Hugh Howey Wool/Shift/Dust. I was starting to think that perhaps I could become a sci-fi girl but I did not connect with this book.
It started out with dropping you into the world, which can be a bit overwhelming at first when there’s unfamiliar references but I was intrigued to learn more. The first few chapters seemed to have more structure, and I enjoyed the modern aspects of sci-fi including the AI elements. I also enjoyed the imagery in the SOMA and relating it to the Nordic spas that I love so much. After that, it kind of lost me.
I found the dialogue to be unnatural and formal even among close friends. There were odd uses of people’s names vs their descriptions based on hair colour/age which I found confusing. For example, “mumbled the young red-haired woman” seemed strange as did “exclaimed the brown-haired young man” when we’re already on page 50+. I would have expected more physical attributes to be attended to in the first chapter or two if they were important, rather than dropping them as links to the speakers throughout the rest of the novel.
The plot moved extremely quickly, and largely through dialogue and with many plot holes/convenient solutions. Characters seemed to have abrupt changes of heart, one line stating they’ll never do something and then being immediately convinced in the next line that they should. At the end of the novel, I don’t know what the protagonist herself really stands for because she’s inconsistent, which makes her seem more like an adolescent than an adult. Some of the assertions also make little sense, even as plot devices, such as . I still don’t understand how the AI somehow can know so much about each person but couldn’t immediately detect who was behind the broadcasts.
Overall – it started strong, and I looked forward to seeing where things would go, but by the end felt like the majority of the book was carried by near-point form sentences and dialogue. I enjoy how it made me consider the themes of memory and data ownership as well as leveraging AI for the “greater good” however I think it would have taken a lot more worldbuilding and development for me to truly buy in.
Also, as a physician I cannot read the word "myosotis" on the first try without seeing "myositis". Very different.
I will start by saying that I’m not a classic sci-fi reader however I do find myself coming back to dystopian fiction over the years. I went on a James S.A. Corey binge last year and finished The Expanse series and I have just completed Hugh Howey Wool/Shift/Dust. I was starting to think that perhaps I could become a sci-fi girl but I did not connect with this book.
It started out with dropping you into the world, which can be a bit overwhelming at first when there’s unfamiliar references but I was intrigued to learn more. The first few chapters seemed to have more structure, and I enjoyed the modern aspects of sci-fi including the AI elements. I also enjoyed the imagery in the SOMA and relating it to the Nordic spas that I love so much. After that, it kind of lost me.
I found the dialogue to be unnatural and formal even among close friends. There were odd uses of people’s names vs their descriptions based on hair colour/age which I found confusing. For example, “mumbled the young red-haired woman” seemed strange as did “exclaimed the brown-haired young man” when we’re already on page 50+. I would have expected more physical attributes to be attended to in the first chapter or two if they were important, rather than dropping them as links to the speakers throughout the rest of the novel.
The plot moved extremely quickly, and largely through dialogue and with many plot holes/convenient solutions. Characters seemed to have abrupt changes of heart, one line stating they’ll never do something and then being immediately convinced in the next line that they should. At the end of the novel, I don’t know what the protagonist herself really stands for because she’s inconsistent, which makes her seem more like an adolescent than an adult. Some of the assertions also make little sense, even as plot devices, such as . I still don’t understand how the AI somehow can know so much about each person but couldn’t immediately detect who was behind the broadcasts.
Overall – it started strong, and I looked forward to seeing where things would go, but by the end felt like the majority of the book was carried by near-point form sentences and dialogue. I enjoy how it made me consider the themes of memory and data ownership as well as leveraging AI for the “greater good” however I think it would have taken a lot more worldbuilding and development for me to truly buy in.
Also, as a physician I cannot read the word "myosotis" on the first try without seeing "myositis". Very different.
March 27, 2026
Myosotis, set in the near future where earth is uninhabitable, humanity survives by living on an orbital ring called Ellipso. The ring is controlled by a Council that controls minds through Mitoc Memory Chips. Life seems uncomplicated and calm, AI monitors and controls everything, but what are they also taking away? Olivia is about to find out when she receives an encrypted message.
A quick yet entertaining read. An engaging take on what life would be like after Earth’s demise. I enjoyed the first half of story, but it slowly began to feel repetitive and did not have enough plausible resolutions, or explanations for the events that transpired. I saw the “ending” (if you can call it that) well before I wanted too. I would have liked more details/backstories on some of the side characters, most of the futuristic way of life with AI was interesting but at times seemed to contradict itself, more clarification here would be good. I had high hopes for this book, so I will give the next book a read, if it crosses my path.
A quick yet entertaining read. An engaging take on what life would be like after Earth’s demise. I enjoyed the first half of story, but it slowly began to feel repetitive and did not have enough plausible resolutions, or explanations for the events that transpired. I saw the “ending” (if you can call it that) well before I wanted too. I would have liked more details/backstories on some of the side characters, most of the futuristic way of life with AI was interesting but at times seemed to contradict itself, more clarification here would be good. I had high hopes for this book, so I will give the next book a read, if it crosses my path.
February 16, 2026
DNF
I wanted to like this because it sounded like an interesting plot. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it because of the writing. It seemed more like a first rough draft than a ready-to-publish book.
The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic. The author seemed to forget what she had or hadn’t introduced to us. Intimacy was forced between characters that didn’t feel realistic to what was developed on the pages.
There’s a lot of telling instead of showing as well as plot holes.
Maybe after a heavy re-write and a keen editor, this could be good.
I wanted to like this because it sounded like an interesting plot. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it because of the writing. It seemed more like a first rough draft than a ready-to-publish book.
The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic. The author seemed to forget what she had or hadn’t introduced to us. Intimacy was forced between characters that didn’t feel realistic to what was developed on the pages.
There’s a lot of telling instead of showing as well as plot holes.
Maybe after a heavy re-write and a keen editor, this could be good.
March 4, 2026
I am giving this book 2 stars only because the concept is cool and if you can look past all of this books flaws, of which there are many, you may enjoy this book.
To start, the writing style: I did not enjoy it, this book was a quick 300 page book that reads much faster than that. I found it incredibly difficult to build out any sort of imagery in my head about scenes or locations. An example being protagonist goes to a fancy dinner and “breathes in the atmosphere” however barely any context is given about the atmosphere.
Long journeys just happen, import conversations that could have great details are ignored and instead we just get quick blurbs with no context or details about conversation that took place.
Characters just appear and are suddenly deemed important and then are tossed aside never to be heard from again.
The travel system with long journeys through the ring and entering sectors they’ve never experienced just happens with no details given other than, this journey took 16 hours.
The protagonist: I found them to be deeply unlikable, it could be the lack of dialogue in general, but when we do get to see them interact with people within the book, it is not an enjoyable experience. The romance that just suddenly occurs I found absurd, poorly written and cringe worthy. There is never enough dialogue or context or descriptive writing to buy into any of the relationships in the book.
The ending was also poor, with no real sense of pay off or answers to fundamental questions posed throughout the book. I was just happy to be done reading it and moving on to something else.
Cool concept of a Ring around earth being the last human refuge being run by A.I, but poor execution.
To start, the writing style: I did not enjoy it, this book was a quick 300 page book that reads much faster than that. I found it incredibly difficult to build out any sort of imagery in my head about scenes or locations. An example being protagonist goes to a fancy dinner and “breathes in the atmosphere” however barely any context is given about the atmosphere.
Long journeys just happen, import conversations that could have great details are ignored and instead we just get quick blurbs with no context or details about conversation that took place.
Characters just appear and are suddenly deemed important and then are tossed aside never to be heard from again.
The travel system with long journeys through the ring and entering sectors they’ve never experienced just happens with no details given other than, this journey took 16 hours.
The protagonist: I found them to be deeply unlikable, it could be the lack of dialogue in general, but when we do get to see them interact with people within the book, it is not an enjoyable experience. The romance that just suddenly occurs I found absurd, poorly written and cringe worthy. There is never enough dialogue or context or descriptive writing to buy into any of the relationships in the book.
The ending was also poor, with no real sense of pay off or answers to fundamental questions posed throughout the book. I was just happy to be done reading it and moving on to something else.
Cool concept of a Ring around earth being the last human refuge being run by A.I, but poor execution.
February 25, 2026
It's been awhile since I've read a good sci-fi dystopian combo, and this one delivers just enough to keep pages turning and interest piqued. Between chips that control emotions and AI controlling the governing force, this book is a powerful punch in the emotion department.
Despite the few errors scattered through the last hundred or so pages, I really enjoyed this story and I'm a bit sad I have to wait for the next book to release.
Despite the few errors scattered through the last hundred or so pages, I really enjoyed this story and I'm a bit sad I have to wait for the next book to release.
Did Not Finish
March 15, 2026While I would love to be able to say that I am a sci-fi fan, I just haven’t made it there yet. I’m tapping my toe waiting for the right fit. Unfortunately, this book and I were not a match. The writing style didn’t flow with my taste, the plot was over my head, and so I had to DNF.
I would still recommend reading this book though because what didn’t work for me may work for you. It’s all subjective really.
I would still recommend reading this book though because what didn’t work for me may work for you. It’s all subjective really.
February 12, 2026
MYOSOTIS: Book 1 (ELLIPSO) is a mind-bending journey through memory, identity, and rebellion. Olivia Sarven’s story is haunting, immersive, and utterly unforgettable, a dystopian saga that both hurts and heals. I couldn’t put it down, and I can already see it sparking discussions among readers who love thought-provoking, emotionally rich science fiction.
February 18, 2026
Usually I reserve 1 or 2 stars for books I don't even finish. I did finish this because I was given an advance copy and because I was curious about the story, but ultimately, unfortunately, the writing just wasn't very good and the narrative didn't wrap up in a way that made sense to me. The general set-up of this particular dystopian future society was interesting, though.
March 3, 2026
The story had a very interesting concept. However, it felt very rushed. I would have liked to see more relationship and character development. The ending also felt very abrupt. Overall, the story has a lot of potential.
January 24, 2026
This was the first ARC book I have read! And it was also the first book I have had to read on an e-reader (I liked that part less, I'm still a paper-copy person).
Myosotis is a dystopian fiction, it is easy to read, I really loved the world building, and I think the science/ideas are fantasy but all rooted in reality enough that it felt very believable.
I did not love the dialogue, I think it may have been translated from french Canadian and some expressions/phrases just didn't seem natural.
I also felt like some of the plot lines were too rushed, for example the Ori seemed to fall in love in the span of two pages, and then by the end of the book is already pregnant? And what about her former friend/romantic interest? I think those aspects of the character development/storyline could have been expanded upon and it would have added depth to some of the characters. I could see it as a TV show - where with the longer period of time you could really feel the connection between the characters.
Overall its worth a read, entertaining.
Myosotis is a dystopian fiction, it is easy to read, I really loved the world building, and I think the science/ideas are fantasy but all rooted in reality enough that it felt very believable.
I did not love the dialogue, I think it may have been translated from french Canadian and some expressions/phrases just didn't seem natural.
I also felt like some of the plot lines were too rushed, for example the Ori seemed to fall in love in the span of two pages, and then by the end of the book is already pregnant? And what about her former friend/romantic interest? I think those aspects of the character development/storyline could have been expanded upon and it would have added depth to some of the characters. I could see it as a TV show - where with the longer period of time you could really feel the connection between the characters.
Overall its worth a read, entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews