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Elysian's Son
Beneath the pallid glass of Mehkane's Dome Dominion, twelve-year-old David has known only the sterile certainty of life within the Unified Sovereign Alliance, where every life is monitored, and all dreams are extinguished. But whispered stories of Elysian, a place where freedom thrives beyond the Anointed's reach, ignite something dangerous within him.
When David breaks free from his predetermined life and flees into the wilderness beyond the dome, carrying only hope and the belief that Elysian exists, he is pursued by the relentless Guardian 10-2-10, whose orders are terminate the dream. With help from Lady Myla, one of the Anointed's own elite who risks everything to help him escape the system she once served, David races across a harsh landscape where reality blends with legend, forced to decide what he's willing to give up to find a place that may only exist in stories.
Elysian's Son is a breathtaking journey that questions the very nature of freedom and faith, showing that even in the darkest dystopias, some truths are worth fighting for, and the human spirit refuses to be caged.
When David breaks free from his predetermined life and flees into the wilderness beyond the dome, carrying only hope and the belief that Elysian exists, he is pursued by the relentless Guardian 10-2-10, whose orders are terminate the dream. With help from Lady Myla, one of the Anointed's own elite who risks everything to help him escape the system she once served, David races across a harsh landscape where reality blends with legend, forced to decide what he's willing to give up to find a place that may only exist in stories.
Elysian's Son is a breathtaking journey that questions the very nature of freedom and faith, showing that even in the darkest dystopias, some truths are worth fighting for, and the human spirit refuses to be caged.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 11, 2025
Elysian and Freedom
Domed cities. Training videos. Elites, workers, obedient consumers. Fail the standards you'll be culled to the Wilderness. Resist and your escorts becomes an assassin.
Mother Reina, guardian of the orphan, David tells him of Elysian and freedom. Warns him to always wear contact lenses to conceal his eye color.
When David tells the school Muse that the Alliance and the Anoited are meddling, he's taken to the headmaster. Chosen for the Cultivation Project. Each day David meets with Lady Myla (an Anointed). When she takes him to a museum and the learns the truth about the Anointed and Elysian, he freaks.
Guardians of the Way are waiting. Lady Myla and David escape the dome in search of Elysian.
Guardian of the Way 10-2-10's assignment. Full Termination. A wild ride through the Wilderness. David and Lady Myla face the Clans of the Last Man, The Good Reverend Shepherd, Lancers. The Teacher, Theus, and always 10-2-10 on their heels.
Great story.
Domed cities. Training videos. Elites, workers, obedient consumers. Fail the standards you'll be culled to the Wilderness. Resist and your escorts becomes an assassin.
Mother Reina, guardian of the orphan, David tells him of Elysian and freedom. Warns him to always wear contact lenses to conceal his eye color.
When David tells the school Muse that the Alliance and the Anoited are meddling, he's taken to the headmaster. Chosen for the Cultivation Project. Each day David meets with Lady Myla (an Anointed). When she takes him to a museum and the learns the truth about the Anointed and Elysian, he freaks.
Guardians of the Way are waiting. Lady Myla and David escape the dome in search of Elysian.
Guardian of the Way 10-2-10's assignment. Full Termination. A wild ride through the Wilderness. David and Lady Myla face the Clans of the Last Man, The Good Reverend Shepherd, Lancers. The Teacher, Theus, and always 10-2-10 on their heels.
Great story.
November 3, 2025
It’s nice to see a new novel from Douglas S. Reed. I read Child of Gilead several years ago and enjoyed it immensely. His latest is Elysian’s Son, a thoughtful and engrossing tale about a dictatorial society.
A young boy named David is a citizen of the Divine Five alliance. Children his age receive indoctrination from AI machines. Though orphaned and almost blind, David has qualities that bring him to the attention of authorities. He is assigned to Lady Myla, a high-placed official’s wife struggling to deal with the death of her infant son.
David is also under the influence of Mother Reina, a member of a religious society that encourages young people to think for themselves. Torn between two persuasive rationales, David must decide who to trust. Matters come to a head as he learns more about his parentage, and Lady Myla begins to question her own place in the world. Together they go in search of a legendary free society, pursued by an assassin bent on preserving the status quo.
Much of the novel is a progression of encounters with people possessing vague, mystical names that cloud David’s quest. Unlike other dystopian novels, Elysian’s Son goes beyond the simple contrasts between good and evil, with a single hero fighting for good. In the Wilderness David encounters many factions who lay out their arguments in great philosophical detail. Reed does an impressive job of fleshing out the foundations of this fractured world and how it came into being. The ruling class has a clever approach to dealing with rebellion that keeps everyone in line and reinforces the idea that government knows and does what is best for its citizens.
Some readers may find the novel tedious at times, but I think Reed has something important to say. He is an exceptional writer, well-read and authoritative about his subject matter. His descriptions of David’s journey are vivid and imaginative. I’m pleased to award Elysian’s Son a four-star rating.
A young boy named David is a citizen of the Divine Five alliance. Children his age receive indoctrination from AI machines. Though orphaned and almost blind, David has qualities that bring him to the attention of authorities. He is assigned to Lady Myla, a high-placed official’s wife struggling to deal with the death of her infant son.
David is also under the influence of Mother Reina, a member of a religious society that encourages young people to think for themselves. Torn between two persuasive rationales, David must decide who to trust. Matters come to a head as he learns more about his parentage, and Lady Myla begins to question her own place in the world. Together they go in search of a legendary free society, pursued by an assassin bent on preserving the status quo.
Much of the novel is a progression of encounters with people possessing vague, mystical names that cloud David’s quest. Unlike other dystopian novels, Elysian’s Son goes beyond the simple contrasts between good and evil, with a single hero fighting for good. In the Wilderness David encounters many factions who lay out their arguments in great philosophical detail. Reed does an impressive job of fleshing out the foundations of this fractured world and how it came into being. The ruling class has a clever approach to dealing with rebellion that keeps everyone in line and reinforces the idea that government knows and does what is best for its citizens.
Some readers may find the novel tedious at times, but I think Reed has something important to say. He is an exceptional writer, well-read and authoritative about his subject matter. His descriptions of David’s journey are vivid and imaginative. I’m pleased to award Elysian’s Son a four-star rating.
January 19, 2026
Elysian’s Son
by Douglas S. Reed
Elysian’s Son is a compelling dystopian novel that blends science fiction, faith, and coming-of-age themes into a powerful story about freedom and belief. Set beneath the oppressive glass dome of Mehkane’s Dominion, the novel introduces readers to twelve-year-old David, a boy raised in a world where surveillance is constant, individuality is erased, and dreams are systematically destroyed. From its opening pages, the story establishes an atmosphere of quiet suffocation that makes David’s yearning for something more deeply resonant.
The Unified Sovereign Alliance governs every aspect of life, ensuring obedience through control and fear. Against this bleak backdrop, whispered rumors of Elysian—a place beyond the Anointed’s reach where freedom still exists—become more than myth. For David, Elysian represents hope itself. Reed captures the innocence and courage of a child daring to believe in something better, even when belief alone is considered a threat.
David’s escape beyond the dome launches the novel into a fast-paced and emotionally charged journey. The wilderness outside Mehkane is as dangerous as it is symbolic, representing both the chaos of freedom and the cost of choice. His relentless pursuer, Guardian 10-2-10, is a chilling embodiment of absolute obedience, serving as a constant reminder of the system’s reach and its intolerance for dissent. The tension between hunter and child is sustained with skill, creating urgency without sacrificing character depth.
Lady Myla is one of the novel’s most intriguing characters. As a member of the Anointed elite, her decision to help David adds moral complexity to the story. She is neither purely rebel nor villain, but someone awakening to the cost of the system she once upheld. Through her, Reed explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the courage it takes to unlearn indoctrination.
by Douglas S. Reed
Elysian’s Son is a compelling dystopian novel that blends science fiction, faith, and coming-of-age themes into a powerful story about freedom and belief. Set beneath the oppressive glass dome of Mehkane’s Dominion, the novel introduces readers to twelve-year-old David, a boy raised in a world where surveillance is constant, individuality is erased, and dreams are systematically destroyed. From its opening pages, the story establishes an atmosphere of quiet suffocation that makes David’s yearning for something more deeply resonant.
The Unified Sovereign Alliance governs every aspect of life, ensuring obedience through control and fear. Against this bleak backdrop, whispered rumors of Elysian—a place beyond the Anointed’s reach where freedom still exists—become more than myth. For David, Elysian represents hope itself. Reed captures the innocence and courage of a child daring to believe in something better, even when belief alone is considered a threat.
David’s escape beyond the dome launches the novel into a fast-paced and emotionally charged journey. The wilderness outside Mehkane is as dangerous as it is symbolic, representing both the chaos of freedom and the cost of choice. His relentless pursuer, Guardian 10-2-10, is a chilling embodiment of absolute obedience, serving as a constant reminder of the system’s reach and its intolerance for dissent. The tension between hunter and child is sustained with skill, creating urgency without sacrificing character depth.
Lady Myla is one of the novel’s most intriguing characters. As a member of the Anointed elite, her decision to help David adds moral complexity to the story. She is neither purely rebel nor villain, but someone awakening to the cost of the system she once upheld. Through her, Reed explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the courage it takes to unlearn indoctrination.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews