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Emperium #1
Parcel
Leo is your average, confused teenager, and he's lost in a world he doesn't understand. There’s only one problem... Earth isn't the world he's lost in. After waking in an icy prison, he’s kidnapped and thrown into the strange, timeless city of Parcel.
He quickly finds himself with a new master who just happens to be borderline psychotic. She works hard to bring honor and recognition to her family’s ludus, and some of Parcel’s most fierce gladiators can be found training under her roof. She demands complete obedience from her servants, and her eccentric nature yields only to her insatiable desire for anything, or anyone, who defies the norm. When she sees a frail young boy with abnormally blue eyes being sold in the market, she cannot resist.
As the years start to pass, Leo slowly learns how to blend in... but everything changes when he almost dies in his master's gravity bay. Not even the strongest fighters, ones who train at the highest levels, could've survived his accident...but somehow he did.
Now he must face a whole new set of dangers, and only time will tell if he's strong enough to survive.
He quickly finds himself with a new master who just happens to be borderline psychotic. She works hard to bring honor and recognition to her family’s ludus, and some of Parcel’s most fierce gladiators can be found training under her roof. She demands complete obedience from her servants, and her eccentric nature yields only to her insatiable desire for anything, or anyone, who defies the norm. When she sees a frail young boy with abnormally blue eyes being sold in the market, she cannot resist.
As the years start to pass, Leo slowly learns how to blend in... but everything changes when he almost dies in his master's gravity bay. Not even the strongest fighters, ones who train at the highest levels, could've survived his accident...but somehow he did.
Now he must face a whole new set of dangers, and only time will tell if he's strong enough to survive.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2013
About the author
Austin Quinn
6 books16 followersAustin R. Quinn is a Florida-based author of young adult fiction.
He grew up in the town of Port St. John, FL, directly across from the Kennedy Space Center. Every rocket launch rattled his windows, often waking him up during all hours of the night.
Austin graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice in May of 2014. A dedicated husband and loving father, Austin works as a law enforcement officer for a local police department, but has recently started producing works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Austin's recently published "Undead Honeymoon" encapsulates the horrors a newlywed couple must face when they find themselves knee deep in a zombie outbreak on a cruise ship.
His first novel, "Parcel", follows the tale of an amnesia stricken teenager who finds himself in a town lost in time. A strange mixture of gladiators and futuristic technology makes an addictive combination in this clever piece of teen fiction.
He grew up in the town of Port St. John, FL, directly across from the Kennedy Space Center. Every rocket launch rattled his windows, often waking him up during all hours of the night.
Austin graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice in May of 2014. A dedicated husband and loving father, Austin works as a law enforcement officer for a local police department, but has recently started producing works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Austin's recently published "Undead Honeymoon" encapsulates the horrors a newlywed couple must face when they find themselves knee deep in a zombie outbreak on a cruise ship.
His first novel, "Parcel", follows the tale of an amnesia stricken teenager who finds himself in a town lost in time. A strange mixture of gladiators and futuristic technology makes an addictive combination in this clever piece of teen fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 26, 2013
First to review! I bought Parcel on a whim when I went on a shopping craze after getting my new Kindle (along with like 10 others I've never heard of). I'm really glad I did! It's actually the first novel I couldn't stop reading since The Hunger Games, and that's saying a lot because I'm obsessed with that series. The main character, Leo, is pretty awesome. I like how his self-esteem goes from non-existent to godly by the end of the book. I won't say anything else, but this one is definitely worth a read. The only reason I'm giving it four stars is because the page length was just a little on the low side. Hopefully the next book in the series will be longer!
March 19, 2014
A boy comes to and finds himself immobilised in what seems to be a cocoon of ice. He remembers nothing, and upon being freed by a mysterious pair of men, soon finds himself sold into slavery in a world which seems to be a weird mix of ancient Rome and futuristic technology.
Four years later and Leo - Leonidus, named by his new mistress - discovers that he has uncanny capabilities which he and no one else can explain or understand. Beginning his gladiatorial training, all he can think about is earning enough to buy his freedom.
So, quite a lot of this book is, essentially, setting the scene for what is to (presumably) come in the next book. By no means a difficult read, there's quite a lot of Leo training, and...well, in all honesty I can't remember what else. Stuff, I guess. There is an interesting system of training for gladiator fights - special rooms in which the gravity can be increased for training purposes, so that eventually the fighters are faster and stronger when returned to normal levels of gravity. Whether this would actually happen...I don't know; and not at the levels they are exposed to. I also didn't understand why the rooms could go up to levels that no human being could withstand - surely that's just completely pointless?
Anyway, the ending is a vaguely interesting twist but not enough to induce me to carry on reading this series I don't think.
Four years later and Leo - Leonidus, named by his new mistress - discovers that he has uncanny capabilities which he and no one else can explain or understand. Beginning his gladiatorial training, all he can think about is earning enough to buy his freedom.
So, quite a lot of this book is, essentially, setting the scene for what is to (presumably) come in the next book. By no means a difficult read, there's quite a lot of Leo training, and...well, in all honesty I can't remember what else. Stuff, I guess. There is an interesting system of training for gladiator fights - special rooms in which the gravity can be increased for training purposes, so that eventually the fighters are faster and stronger when returned to normal levels of gravity. Whether this would actually happen...I don't know; and not at the levels they are exposed to. I also didn't understand why the rooms could go up to levels that no human being could withstand - surely that's just completely pointless?
Anyway, the ending is a vaguely interesting twist but not enough to induce me to carry on reading this series I don't think.
January 5, 2014
it's sad that this book only has one review. the author must be new. Parcel was a pretty awesome read. I spent an entire afternoon and night on it until I finished. Leo (main character) is pretty cool. I personally liked Ethos a little better, with his quirky and chipper attitude towards fighting. the author needs to hurry up with the second book in the series, because the end left me dying to know whats going to happen next.
February 1, 2014
Really great concept: a futuristic world full of gladiator-style fighting and new physics. I definitely wanted to find out more about Leo and his past. I enjoyed the gravity training and the fight scenes. I think if the author focuses on creating powerful stakes for Leo (possibly tied to his past and what he lost), as well as much more detail about this fantastic world of the future, this series could really go places.
January 12, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book. I was so caught up in the story that I was sad when it ended. The story was original and easy to read. The characters were likable and the author paints a great pictures of the city. I can't wait until the next book.
January 25, 2014
Cool concept. Can tell it is self-published; the writing needs polishing. Note to author: regimen does not equal regiment. I would love to see this get picked up and cleaned up, because the concept kept me reading.
June 20, 2014
Parcel is the debut novel of Austin Quinn, and it is a strong showing of force from the young author. Our modern teenage protagonist Leo wakes from an icy prison with amnesia, only to find himself in yet another prison—this one being a Romanesque city surrounded by an enormous and impassible Wall.
The city of Parcel is a throwback to ancient Rome, complete with coliseum games and an autocratic ruler. The favored gladiatorial matches now dominate the Bygone Coliseum, and the wealthiest houses train slaves and convicts to become the strongest fighters. Leo is a stranger in this land, and he is auctioned off as a scrawny slave to one of the more powerful houses, that of the lady Domina. When he survives a freak accident in the house’s gravity bay, one which should have pulverized him, Leo is submitted to the brutal training and deadly lifestyle of a coliseum gladiator, with an ultimate goal of regaining his memory and dealing justice to those who took him from his home.
The first chapter starts off by drowning Leo—and the reader—in a torrent of confusion. It is not enough to start off with a story in a strange world—we’re being born into it with a sense of bewilderment, given only a single memory to hold onto while we wonder at the protagonist’s origins. It takes a while for the story to establish itself; the first few chapters gave some details that are alluded to later on, but the actual meat of the plot didn’t start until a good while into the book. The author takes this opportunity to give a good feel for the world, solidly setting the scene and providing a clear image of the social dynamics of Parcel.
I found Leo to be instantly likeable, with a sarcastic personality and kind disposition compensating for the lack of character background. We can’t judge him from his past actions, friends, or family, yet we can form a pretty good idea of the kind of person he is early on in the story. The larger-than-life Ethos is a fantastic friend for the modest Leo, and Nera Domina makes for a harsh yet quirky mistress—“mistress” being apt in every sense of the word. The relationships that develop are organic, though the romantic potential between some characters feel underdeveloped—this will probably (read: hopefully) be expanded upon and resolved through the rest of the Emperium series.
The other reviews are correct in calling this story a page-turner. There are so many unique ideas, creatures, and people in Parcel that half of the fun is in discovering something new about this ancient Roman town.
The citizens of Parcel don’t speak with overly-formal and stilted prose, and the reason for it is very simple: it isn’t set in ancient Rome. There are contractions and contemporary phrases used throughout, yet these are not anachronistic flaws. It is another element of the plot, and it also means that readers won’t be tripping over dialogue and descriptions as they stumble through the story. Think of it as ancient Rome with modern tech and speech.
One thing that is certain is that this is not a complete story in and of itself; Parcel is just the first in a series, and it lays a lot of groundwork without providing much conflict resolution. There are a lot of introductions to characters and concepts, but then the story ends kind of abruptly. Also, in comparison with the rest of the book and how powerful Leo ultimately becomes, I thought the last few pages were very weak. It feels like a less-than-organic growth to the story, and I don’t think Leo reacts naturally to how his world is going to change in the rest of the series. I am fearful that Leo will become a puppet for artificially advancing the plot (making irrational decisions or easily accepting unacceptable changes), but for now he is still in control, and the rest of the book was fantastic.
In the Kindle version, there seemed to be some issues with justification and alignment shifts. There are a few typographical errors I noticed, whether through improper word choice or a slip-up in spelling—medial instead of menial, effect instead of affect, broadsided instead of blindsided, etc. Understandable mistakes and thankfully few in number, but they were noticeable when they occurred. These can be addressed by a quick edit.
The reading level is pretty basic, so it should be an enjoyable read for almost all ages. There is definitely a skew toward a younger audience, mostly because Leo is only 17 years old by the end of the book, but the writing is still engaging and the characters are complex enough that it doesn’t feel like the book is being dumbed down for the reader.
I enjoyed reading it, and I think the author has some very inventive ideas that hopefully will proliferate throughout the series. While I wasn’t a fan of the ending, Parcel is still a very intriguing city and the series has a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
5/5 stars.
The city of Parcel is a throwback to ancient Rome, complete with coliseum games and an autocratic ruler. The favored gladiatorial matches now dominate the Bygone Coliseum, and the wealthiest houses train slaves and convicts to become the strongest fighters. Leo is a stranger in this land, and he is auctioned off as a scrawny slave to one of the more powerful houses, that of the lady Domina. When he survives a freak accident in the house’s gravity bay, one which should have pulverized him, Leo is submitted to the brutal training and deadly lifestyle of a coliseum gladiator, with an ultimate goal of regaining his memory and dealing justice to those who took him from his home.
The first chapter starts off by drowning Leo—and the reader—in a torrent of confusion. It is not enough to start off with a story in a strange world—we’re being born into it with a sense of bewilderment, given only a single memory to hold onto while we wonder at the protagonist’s origins. It takes a while for the story to establish itself; the first few chapters gave some details that are alluded to later on, but the actual meat of the plot didn’t start until a good while into the book. The author takes this opportunity to give a good feel for the world, solidly setting the scene and providing a clear image of the social dynamics of Parcel.
I found Leo to be instantly likeable, with a sarcastic personality and kind disposition compensating for the lack of character background. We can’t judge him from his past actions, friends, or family, yet we can form a pretty good idea of the kind of person he is early on in the story. The larger-than-life Ethos is a fantastic friend for the modest Leo, and Nera Domina makes for a harsh yet quirky mistress—“mistress” being apt in every sense of the word. The relationships that develop are organic, though the romantic potential between some characters feel underdeveloped—this will probably (read: hopefully) be expanded upon and resolved through the rest of the Emperium series.
The other reviews are correct in calling this story a page-turner. There are so many unique ideas, creatures, and people in Parcel that half of the fun is in discovering something new about this ancient Roman town.
The citizens of Parcel don’t speak with overly-formal and stilted prose, and the reason for it is very simple: it isn’t set in ancient Rome. There are contractions and contemporary phrases used throughout, yet these are not anachronistic flaws. It is another element of the plot, and it also means that readers won’t be tripping over dialogue and descriptions as they stumble through the story. Think of it as ancient Rome with modern tech and speech.
One thing that is certain is that this is not a complete story in and of itself; Parcel is just the first in a series, and it lays a lot of groundwork without providing much conflict resolution. There are a lot of introductions to characters and concepts, but then the story ends kind of abruptly. Also, in comparison with the rest of the book and how powerful Leo ultimately becomes, I thought the last few pages were very weak. It feels like a less-than-organic growth to the story, and I don’t think Leo reacts naturally to how his world is going to change in the rest of the series. I am fearful that Leo will become a puppet for artificially advancing the plot (making irrational decisions or easily accepting unacceptable changes), but for now he is still in control, and the rest of the book was fantastic.
In the Kindle version, there seemed to be some issues with justification and alignment shifts. There are a few typographical errors I noticed, whether through improper word choice or a slip-up in spelling—medial instead of menial, effect instead of affect, broadsided instead of blindsided, etc. Understandable mistakes and thankfully few in number, but they were noticeable when they occurred. These can be addressed by a quick edit.
The reading level is pretty basic, so it should be an enjoyable read for almost all ages. There is definitely a skew toward a younger audience, mostly because Leo is only 17 years old by the end of the book, but the writing is still engaging and the characters are complex enough that it doesn’t feel like the book is being dumbed down for the reader.
I enjoyed reading it, and I think the author has some very inventive ideas that hopefully will proliferate throughout the series. While I wasn’t a fan of the ending, Parcel is still a very intriguing city and the series has a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
5/5 stars.
January 24, 2014
Parcel by Austin Quinn is a futuristic novel set in the distant future where Leo finds himself captured and brought to the glorious city of Parcel where he is enslaved by its inhabitants. The author pays tribute to a classic episode of Star Trek in which Captain Kirk is captured and forced to compete in a gladiator arena. Only in this case, Leo is scooped up like Kunta Kinte in Roots, considered as private property by the ruling elite. He ends up in the House of Ludus Nera, a patrician family whose slaves compete regularly in the Bygone Coliseum. True to its name, contests are staged in a fashion designed by the Emperor Ceciro as criminal punishment. Only his successor, Decimus, has lifted restrictions so that one and all can engage in his bloodsport.
Quinn blends sci-fi with ancient history in conveying images of both world throughout the narrative. There is a gravity bay that increases mass while increasing gravitational force, turning contestants into superhuman behemoths to enhance their destructive capabilities. As a result, these scientifically-altered freaks are able to wreak increasingly levels of damage upon each other. Aurora, the slave of Tarcius, takes pity upon Leo and does her best to appeal to his human nature rather than watch him descend to the level of the bloodthirsty brutes of the coliseum. His mistress Domina also becomes affected by Leo’s plight and soon begins to realize the depths of barbarism to which this technically advanced society has fallen.
The combat scenes are interspersed with dramatic introspection, and the narrative provides us with an incisive scenario as we question whether preserving our heritage and traditions requires us to inherit the evils that defiled and destroyed it. Parcel by Austin Quinn gives us food for thought, and plenty of fast-paced action to help us work it out.
Quinn blends sci-fi with ancient history in conveying images of both world throughout the narrative. There is a gravity bay that increases mass while increasing gravitational force, turning contestants into superhuman behemoths to enhance their destructive capabilities. As a result, these scientifically-altered freaks are able to wreak increasingly levels of damage upon each other. Aurora, the slave of Tarcius, takes pity upon Leo and does her best to appeal to his human nature rather than watch him descend to the level of the bloodthirsty brutes of the coliseum. His mistress Domina also becomes affected by Leo’s plight and soon begins to realize the depths of barbarism to which this technically advanced society has fallen.
The combat scenes are interspersed with dramatic introspection, and the narrative provides us with an incisive scenario as we question whether preserving our heritage and traditions requires us to inherit the evils that defiled and destroyed it. Parcel by Austin Quinn gives us food for thought, and plenty of fast-paced action to help us work it out.
January 15, 2016
An intriguing book, it sucks you into the story from the outset. The hero, who doesn’t know where he comes from, is transported into a Roman-type civilisation where he is enslaved by a master (mistress) and is made to become a gladiator. Most of the story describes his training, and how he becomes physically enhanced by ‘gravity’ synthesis. There are some thrilling fights along the way, and eventually he becomes the foremost fighter in the land and coveted by the emperor. And there the book ends, rather leaving the reader in suspense, but as in many of these future-fantasy books, you are led to expect that the plot will be continued in the next volume.
It is very well written. The character of the hero is very well drawn and sympathetic – a mixture of stoicism and mild humour – and one gets to identify with him closely , but the other characters are sketched in and don’t really impinge. The story is quite straightforward, and never lacks pace, though too much of the book is spent following the intricacies of the gravity training.
It is a good, exciting read, nonetheless.
It is very well written. The character of the hero is very well drawn and sympathetic – a mixture of stoicism and mild humour – and one gets to identify with him closely , but the other characters are sketched in and don’t really impinge. The story is quite straightforward, and never lacks pace, though too much of the book is spent following the intricacies of the gravity training.
It is a good, exciting read, nonetheless.
February 18, 2014
I really liked this book. I enjoyed the way the author mixed ancient Rome with science fiction technology. Good character development. Appropriate for Jr. High and up. Nothing explicit. Has something for everyone, the arena, romance, and friend ship. Good foundation was set for future books. I give it 4stars.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews