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Pearseus #1
Rise of the Prince
Librarian's Note: this is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B00FYRKLPI.
Justice without compassion is but tyranny
The series that has reached #1 on Amazon!
The handful of humans that crash-landed on Pearseus three hundred years ago have by now colonized a large part of the planet, rebuilding their civilization from scratch. In the process, they have created a dystopia for themselves, splitting into three competing factions: the Capital, the Loyalists and the Democracies, all embroiled in endless intrigue and constant warfare.
An uneasy truce between the three parties still holds - barely. While man turns against man, the First, Pearseus' indigenous people, wage their own war against a shadowy enemy; an ancient conflict that threatens to engulf and destroy all of humanity.
Following an unspeakable crime, the men and women of Pearseus struggle to live and love as their world crumbles all around them. But can love be found in the ruins of humanity's civilization?
Justice without compassion is but tyranny
The series that has reached #1 on Amazon!
The handful of humans that crash-landed on Pearseus three hundred years ago have by now colonized a large part of the planet, rebuilding their civilization from scratch. In the process, they have created a dystopia for themselves, splitting into three competing factions: the Capital, the Loyalists and the Democracies, all embroiled in endless intrigue and constant warfare.
An uneasy truce between the three parties still holds - barely. While man turns against man, the First, Pearseus' indigenous people, wage their own war against a shadowy enemy; an ancient conflict that threatens to engulf and destroy all of humanity.
Following an unspeakable crime, the men and women of Pearseus struggle to live and love as their world crumbles all around them. But can love be found in the ruins of humanity's civilization?
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2013
19 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas C. Rossis
21 books120 followersNicholas C. Rossis lives to write and does so from his cottage on the edge of a magical forest in Athens, Greece. When not composing epic fantasies or short sci-fi stories, he chats with fans and colleagues, writes blog posts, and enjoys the antics of two silly cats and his baby daughter, all of whom claim his lap as home. His books have won numerous awards, including the Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award.
In addition to his best-selling series, Pearseus, he writes short science fiction/speculative fiction stories, many of which have appeared in various collections and anthologies. These include Infinite Waters, which was voted one of the best 50 Indie books of 2015.
What readers are saying about Nick's fantasies:
"Most avid readers still have books from their childhood which they read over and over again. 'Runaway Smile' has joined the list."
"From the very first sentence I realized I was not reading a book, I was going on an adventure."
"Each story is like watching an old episode of the Twilight Zone."
For more on Nick or just to chat, visit him on:
Blog: http://bit.ly/1G79bQS
eNovel Authors: http://bit.ly/1JZEQct
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18lyLr5
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1dKgsPT
Google+ : http://bit.ly/1IkzR22
In addition to his best-selling series, Pearseus, he writes short science fiction/speculative fiction stories, many of which have appeared in various collections and anthologies. These include Infinite Waters, which was voted one of the best 50 Indie books of 2015.
What readers are saying about Nick's fantasies:
"Most avid readers still have books from their childhood which they read over and over again. 'Runaway Smile' has joined the list."
"From the very first sentence I realized I was not reading a book, I was going on an adventure."
"Each story is like watching an old episode of the Twilight Zone."
For more on Nick or just to chat, visit him on:
Blog: http://bit.ly/1G79bQS
eNovel Authors: http://bit.ly/1JZEQct
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18lyLr5
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1dKgsPT
Google+ : http://bit.ly/1IkzR22
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 13, 2016
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
With Rise of the Prince, Nicholas C. Rossis does an amazing job of combining a science fiction setting with ancient Greek history to create a Dune-like story, filled with political scheming, mystical creatures, psychopathic murderers, and personal tragedies. The novel proving yet again that self-published works are just as good and just as professional as the traditionally published works.
Here the setting is an alien world . . . Well, it once was an alien world until the starship Pearseus landed there generations ago; its cargo of Earth colonists swarming across the temperate continent, making contact with the primitive, local inhabitants whom they dub the “First.”
War inevitably erupted. A conflict which sees the superior technology of the newcomers helping them overcome the “magic” of the First. The tribes of “Apes” — as some humans insultingly call the original inhabitants — being driven back into the less desirable areas of the planet, while the earth-ers spread out, forming new nations called simply the Capital, the New Capital, and the Democracies of the West.
As this story begins, the arrival of the Pearseus is already ancient history. The once mighty technology of the earth colonist long lost to age and lack of resources. Now, the world has sunk back to an ancient Greco-Roman level, supplemented by a few, surviving pieces of high tech. The three major regions of the world locked in a perpetual state of strife and war.
In the city-state of Anthea, the petty dictator Teo Altman finds himself being ousted from his seat of power. The people of the city tired of his autocratic rule, desperate to return their land to a democratic government. Teo plotting to reassert his control through deals with his political backers inside the city (the Bulls and the Sea Lions parties), his powerful friends and family as well as cutting deals with other nations.
Teo’s replacement as head of Anthea is the idealistic yet political suave Sol Walker. This irrepressible, optimistic, and driven young woman determined to keep out any dictators and take her city to heights of power undreamed by its forefathers. Personal tragedies might strike her and her loved ones, but she will not be stopped, even when it makes her the target of the most power nation in the world.
Within the halls of government of that most powerful of countries (The Capital), Justice Styx is slowly growing more unstable, power mad, and psychopathic in her behavior. Her insanity possibly caused by a shadowy being who visits her at night. All her venom focused upon her brilliant and loyal General Parad; her chosen target his young son Cyrus, who will soon be sacrificed upon the pyre of her growing paranoia.
And while politics destroys lives and changes fortunes among the earther nations, there are strange matters brewing far to the north among the First. A young warrior named Lehmor finding himself drawn to the sanctuary of the “Old Woman” who warns him of a coming struggle: A hidden war between the dreaded “Whispers” (who infect men’s minds with violence) and the “Orbs” (who are helpful spirits of harmony). The harbringer of this conflict the arrival of strangers from the south who Lehmor must aid — whatever the personal consequences.
The strength of Rise of the Prince is two-fold: Mr. Rossis’ flowing, concise writing and his brilliant use of ancient Greek history.
In my mind, not many indie authors pen a smoother, more readable story than Mr. Rossis. His writing style is crisp and clear, readily able to convey the mood of the characters as well as the world around them without bogging down in flowery description or useless wordiness. Definitely, a joy to read.
As for the incorporation of ancient Greek stories into the narrative, it is amazingly well done. Some history buffs might see the influences of the past in the ongoing Pearseus story, but the author mixes it into his own ideas so flawlessly that they become something new and original, reminding me very much of how Frank Herbert’s Dune series.
The only criticism I can level at Rise of the Prince is the fairly significant info dump at the beginning of the book. While Mr. Rossis finds a very plausible reason for this to take place and the necessity to provide this information to readers is obvious, I just felt that there was too much background given to me too quickly.
Overall, this was a wonderful introduction to the world of Pearseus. Filled with political machinations, personal tragedies, mystical overtones, and unexpected triumphs, this Dune-like science fiction epic is definitely a book worth giving a try.
With Rise of the Prince, Nicholas C. Rossis does an amazing job of combining a science fiction setting with ancient Greek history to create a Dune-like story, filled with political scheming, mystical creatures, psychopathic murderers, and personal tragedies. The novel proving yet again that self-published works are just as good and just as professional as the traditionally published works.
Here the setting is an alien world . . . Well, it once was an alien world until the starship Pearseus landed there generations ago; its cargo of Earth colonists swarming across the temperate continent, making contact with the primitive, local inhabitants whom they dub the “First.”
War inevitably erupted. A conflict which sees the superior technology of the newcomers helping them overcome the “magic” of the First. The tribes of “Apes” — as some humans insultingly call the original inhabitants — being driven back into the less desirable areas of the planet, while the earth-ers spread out, forming new nations called simply the Capital, the New Capital, and the Democracies of the West.
As this story begins, the arrival of the Pearseus is already ancient history. The once mighty technology of the earth colonist long lost to age and lack of resources. Now, the world has sunk back to an ancient Greco-Roman level, supplemented by a few, surviving pieces of high tech. The three major regions of the world locked in a perpetual state of strife and war.
In the city-state of Anthea, the petty dictator Teo Altman finds himself being ousted from his seat of power. The people of the city tired of his autocratic rule, desperate to return their land to a democratic government. Teo plotting to reassert his control through deals with his political backers inside the city (the Bulls and the Sea Lions parties), his powerful friends and family as well as cutting deals with other nations.
Teo’s replacement as head of Anthea is the idealistic yet political suave Sol Walker. This irrepressible, optimistic, and driven young woman determined to keep out any dictators and take her city to heights of power undreamed by its forefathers. Personal tragedies might strike her and her loved ones, but she will not be stopped, even when it makes her the target of the most power nation in the world.
Within the halls of government of that most powerful of countries (The Capital), Justice Styx is slowly growing more unstable, power mad, and psychopathic in her behavior. Her insanity possibly caused by a shadowy being who visits her at night. All her venom focused upon her brilliant and loyal General Parad; her chosen target his young son Cyrus, who will soon be sacrificed upon the pyre of her growing paranoia.
And while politics destroys lives and changes fortunes among the earther nations, there are strange matters brewing far to the north among the First. A young warrior named Lehmor finding himself drawn to the sanctuary of the “Old Woman” who warns him of a coming struggle: A hidden war between the dreaded “Whispers” (who infect men’s minds with violence) and the “Orbs” (who are helpful spirits of harmony). The harbringer of this conflict the arrival of strangers from the south who Lehmor must aid — whatever the personal consequences.
The strength of Rise of the Prince is two-fold: Mr. Rossis’ flowing, concise writing and his brilliant use of ancient Greek history.
In my mind, not many indie authors pen a smoother, more readable story than Mr. Rossis. His writing style is crisp and clear, readily able to convey the mood of the characters as well as the world around them without bogging down in flowery description or useless wordiness. Definitely, a joy to read.
As for the incorporation of ancient Greek stories into the narrative, it is amazingly well done. Some history buffs might see the influences of the past in the ongoing Pearseus story, but the author mixes it into his own ideas so flawlessly that they become something new and original, reminding me very much of how Frank Herbert’s Dune series.
The only criticism I can level at Rise of the Prince is the fairly significant info dump at the beginning of the book. While Mr. Rossis finds a very plausible reason for this to take place and the necessity to provide this information to readers is obvious, I just felt that there was too much background given to me too quickly.
Overall, this was a wonderful introduction to the world of Pearseus. Filled with political machinations, personal tragedies, mystical overtones, and unexpected triumphs, this Dune-like science fiction epic is definitely a book worth giving a try.
June 20, 2017
An ominous prophesy, a ruler influenced by a wicked adviser sends the son of her loyal General to his death. Now, on the brink of war, she begs the General to save the kingdom and her. What would you do? Would you save the woman to murdered your son? In the same vein as Game of Thrones, betrayal and revenge are front and center in Rise of the Prince. Rossis breaths life into his characters with such description, you'd swear they were real. I found myself gripping my e-reader as Rossis spun his tale of politics, murder and revenge. Twenty years from now, readers will claim this fantasy series as a classic. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
June 24, 2017
Overall, I enjoyed parts of Rise of the Prince (Pearseus #1) by Nicholas Rossis but ultimately felt that the novel struggled to come together as a cohesive story. I finished reading RotP a month ago. Given my recent move across the country, I haven't had many free moments to write or read, let alone write reviews. Now, I'm finally getting back to it. Here's what I recall.
The story was well-written and flowed well. Rossis knows how to write dialogue and prose.
Personally, I found Rossis' focus to be a little misplaced. Too often, the reader is abstracted away from what's really important. Too many of the scenes involve characters sitting around talking about what's going on rather than actually showing what's happening. Every other scene portrays character(s) talking about the ill-explained and ill-motivated war going on on a battlefield far, far away. I don't care much if I cant't see it. When the reader is actually immersed in the drama or action, the story shines.
The novel doesn't have a clear cut main protagonist, an approach I don't favor but an acceptable one that's becoming more and more popular. It wasn't until many chapters into the book that I got to know the key players and how they related to one another. The book offered a large cast and each chapter featured a different key player as the viewpoint character. I liked the approach, but it was still difficult to get know them all.
Parad, the head military commander of the most powerful land/country, was one of the more likeable and sensible characters. He acted as the voice of reason and constantly got the short end of the stick because of it. That made me emphathize with him big time. Teo was the stereotypical self-serving antagonist who would serve whichever side benefited him. He was interesting and helped to drive the story, but he didn't have enough truly vile or redeeming qualities to make me care about him. Justice Styx, the leader of the most powerful land/country, needed more background and redeeming qualities. She's essentially the Cersei Lannister of the story but without anywhere near the depth. As a result, I wasn't all that moved by her fate at the end. And of course the book is called Rise of the Prince, yet the rising prince, Cyrus, doesn't have much personality and plays too little a role until later in the story.
One thing that drove me crazy was the frequency with which characters smiled and smirked. It happened so frequently that it became laughable. I try to limit and pay close attention to the context in which my characters smile--especially smiling by my antagonists--to make sure they don't become cliche, cackling villains. In real life, people don't smile and feel all self-satisfied when they come up with a clever, unfoilable plot. No. They worry about whether or not the plan is actually going to work because failure has serious consequences.
Even after finishing the book, I still don't have a clear sense of the different lands/countries/governments and who represented each. To a certain extent, this was par for the course in a fantasy story. But some better explanations, simplification, and use of conventions to help me remember would have been helpful.
As the story went on, Rossis started devoting significant dialogue and prose to his personal philosophies. The book became overly preachy during these sections. I could've forgiven the pontification if it had driven the plot forward, but the story could have easily done without any of it.
I would classify this book as space fantasy, not science fiction. In my view, hard science fiction should be a redundant term. If you're not putting the "science" in science fiction, it's not science fiction. But others would certainly disagree. Rossis provided a smidgen of science when he explained why the days/months/years on his planet are longer. Otherwise, he simply included typical elements of sci-fi like energy swords and e-readers on a world where civilization had slipped back to a medieval level of progress after a colony ship crash-landed hundreds of years ago. High tech devices were in short supply and controlled by people in power, which was a fairly cool concept.
Unfortunately--and in disagreement with a handful of other reviewers--I found Rossis' marriage of supernatural/fantasy and science fiction elements to be awkward and off-putting. The author gives no explanation for how his spirits and demons (the non-scientific) can coexist with crashed space ships, e-readers, and other forms of tech (the scientific). Keep in mind that technology is the application of science (dictionary definition), so you can't have tech/science and fantasy without dealing with the contradictions. Typically, science fiction of such nature attempts to justify the existence of "spirits/ghosts" by referring to them as alien entities of pure energy, or something like that. Rossis made no such effort in RotP, which left me stewing over the issue throughout the novel.
Plot-wise, the major subplot of the prince rising to power completes about 80% of the way through the novel. Better development of Cyrus and Styx would've made this conclusion more gripping. Another major subplot was driven by the spirits' subtle intervention in human affairs; the last 20% of the book focused on this later angle. However, to the best of my recollection, Rossis never revealed the spirits' motivations by the end, which made for an unsatisfying conclusion. I'm sure that the sequels will yield more answers, but I believe the major subplots in a given novel need to be resolved within that same novel unless you're going to write "to be continued" at the end of the last chapter.
All in all, there was a lot to like. The story gripped my attention at times but started losing me toward the end, which is the opposite of what should happen. I cheer for and support fellow indie authors. This might not have been my favorite story, but I have little doubt other types of readers will enjoy it more than I did.
The story was well-written and flowed well. Rossis knows how to write dialogue and prose.
Personally, I found Rossis' focus to be a little misplaced. Too often, the reader is abstracted away from what's really important. Too many of the scenes involve characters sitting around talking about what's going on rather than actually showing what's happening. Every other scene portrays character(s) talking about the ill-explained and ill-motivated war going on on a battlefield far, far away. I don't care much if I cant't see it. When the reader is actually immersed in the drama or action, the story shines.
The novel doesn't have a clear cut main protagonist, an approach I don't favor but an acceptable one that's becoming more and more popular. It wasn't until many chapters into the book that I got to know the key players and how they related to one another. The book offered a large cast and each chapter featured a different key player as the viewpoint character. I liked the approach, but it was still difficult to get know them all.
Parad, the head military commander of the most powerful land/country, was one of the more likeable and sensible characters. He acted as the voice of reason and constantly got the short end of the stick because of it. That made me emphathize with him big time. Teo was the stereotypical self-serving antagonist who would serve whichever side benefited him. He was interesting and helped to drive the story, but he didn't have enough truly vile or redeeming qualities to make me care about him. Justice Styx, the leader of the most powerful land/country, needed more background and redeeming qualities. She's essentially the Cersei Lannister of the story but without anywhere near the depth. As a result, I wasn't all that moved by her fate at the end. And of course the book is called Rise of the Prince, yet the rising prince, Cyrus, doesn't have much personality and plays too little a role until later in the story.
One thing that drove me crazy was the frequency with which characters smiled and smirked. It happened so frequently that it became laughable. I try to limit and pay close attention to the context in which my characters smile--especially smiling by my antagonists--to make sure they don't become cliche, cackling villains. In real life, people don't smile and feel all self-satisfied when they come up with a clever, unfoilable plot. No. They worry about whether or not the plan is actually going to work because failure has serious consequences.
Even after finishing the book, I still don't have a clear sense of the different lands/countries/governments and who represented each. To a certain extent, this was par for the course in a fantasy story. But some better explanations, simplification, and use of conventions to help me remember would have been helpful.
As the story went on, Rossis started devoting significant dialogue and prose to his personal philosophies. The book became overly preachy during these sections. I could've forgiven the pontification if it had driven the plot forward, but the story could have easily done without any of it.
I would classify this book as space fantasy, not science fiction. In my view, hard science fiction should be a redundant term. If you're not putting the "science" in science fiction, it's not science fiction. But others would certainly disagree. Rossis provided a smidgen of science when he explained why the days/months/years on his planet are longer. Otherwise, he simply included typical elements of sci-fi like energy swords and e-readers on a world where civilization had slipped back to a medieval level of progress after a colony ship crash-landed hundreds of years ago. High tech devices were in short supply and controlled by people in power, which was a fairly cool concept.
Unfortunately--and in disagreement with a handful of other reviewers--I found Rossis' marriage of supernatural/fantasy and science fiction elements to be awkward and off-putting. The author gives no explanation for how his spirits and demons (the non-scientific) can coexist with crashed space ships, e-readers, and other forms of tech (the scientific). Keep in mind that technology is the application of science (dictionary definition), so you can't have tech/science and fantasy without dealing with the contradictions. Typically, science fiction of such nature attempts to justify the existence of "spirits/ghosts" by referring to them as alien entities of pure energy, or something like that. Rossis made no such effort in RotP, which left me stewing over the issue throughout the novel.
Plot-wise, the major subplot of the prince rising to power completes about 80% of the way through the novel. Better development of Cyrus and Styx would've made this conclusion more gripping. Another major subplot was driven by the spirits' subtle intervention in human affairs; the last 20% of the book focused on this later angle. However, to the best of my recollection, Rossis never revealed the spirits' motivations by the end, which made for an unsatisfying conclusion. I'm sure that the sequels will yield more answers, but I believe the major subplots in a given novel need to be resolved within that same novel unless you're going to write "to be continued" at the end of the last chapter.
All in all, there was a lot to like. The story gripped my attention at times but started losing me toward the end, which is the opposite of what should happen. I cheer for and support fellow indie authors. This might not have been my favorite story, but I have little doubt other types of readers will enjoy it more than I did.
May 22, 2015
Combining a well-realised twist on devolved civilisations with a firm grasp of the power of emotional and spiritual factors in shaping action, Rossis creates a possible future humanity that seems plausible on both a logical and visceral level.
When the colony ship Perseus crash-landed only a handful of humans survived. Three hundred years later humanity has spread to cover much of the planet they named after their ship, pushing the previous inhabitants, the First, into the wilderness. Riven by political disagreement, humanity now lives in three loose nations of city states, for ever on the verge of outright war. Humanity’s history is evidence enough that conflict grows from the most mundane events, but is there – as the First allege – a larger conflict beneath the bickering?
Unlike many books featuring civilisations built by the survivors of a great disaster, this novel is neither one of unaccountable amnesia nor surprising success. While Rossis takes full account of both the impact of the initial crash on loss of skills and knowledge, and the lack of suitable resources the new world brings, human civilisation is aware of its past and the reasons for some compromises made.
Combined with the pre-existing civilisation, this produces a setting of mostly feudal states both using high-tech solutions as a limited resource rather than magic and holding to odd faiths and superstitions.
This melange of (now) ancient human history with aboriginal beliefs and social compromises is perhaps best shown in Rossis’ use of reworded human stories: formally educated generals and native shamans alike tell famous Chinese aphorisms set in other settings; characters discuss Persian ancestry with the same interest as their ancestors roles on the colony ship.
Having created an interesting variation on post-apocalyptic growth, Rossis adds overlapping threads of both personal growth and international politics, giving the novel the feeling of epic fantasy without the length.
However, perhaps as a result of this compression of an immense history, Rossis in places adopts a style more usual for a text-book than fiction: rather than providing evidence of events and leaving the reader to assemble the world, actions and decisions are sometimes followed by a neutral explanation from the narrator. This is especially noticeable at the start of several chapters that open with several sentences of action followed by one or two sentences that tell the reader how long has passed since the last chapter and what significant events have happened in that time. While this jumping between key series of events with intervening time being treated as not worth full consideration does support the prophecies and destinies alleged by the faithful, it also weakens the sense of cause and effect.
As befits a complex fantasy world, Rossis has created a cast of complex and distinct characters, many of whom get to be narrator of key events. This sharing of perspectives adds depth to both the civilisations and to characters’ appearances in other character’s arcs. And when Rossis remains with a character his development is solid; however, the extensive primary cast results in more transition skips, each of which risks the sense of character agency, potentially leaving the reader with a sense they have missed the real emotions behind actions.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking the engaging and varied world-building, philosophies, and cast of epic fantasy without the immensity.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for a fair review.
When the colony ship Perseus crash-landed only a handful of humans survived. Three hundred years later humanity has spread to cover much of the planet they named after their ship, pushing the previous inhabitants, the First, into the wilderness. Riven by political disagreement, humanity now lives in three loose nations of city states, for ever on the verge of outright war. Humanity’s history is evidence enough that conflict grows from the most mundane events, but is there – as the First allege – a larger conflict beneath the bickering?
Unlike many books featuring civilisations built by the survivors of a great disaster, this novel is neither one of unaccountable amnesia nor surprising success. While Rossis takes full account of both the impact of the initial crash on loss of skills and knowledge, and the lack of suitable resources the new world brings, human civilisation is aware of its past and the reasons for some compromises made.
Combined with the pre-existing civilisation, this produces a setting of mostly feudal states both using high-tech solutions as a limited resource rather than magic and holding to odd faiths and superstitions.
This melange of (now) ancient human history with aboriginal beliefs and social compromises is perhaps best shown in Rossis’ use of reworded human stories: formally educated generals and native shamans alike tell famous Chinese aphorisms set in other settings; characters discuss Persian ancestry with the same interest as their ancestors roles on the colony ship.
Having created an interesting variation on post-apocalyptic growth, Rossis adds overlapping threads of both personal growth and international politics, giving the novel the feeling of epic fantasy without the length.
However, perhaps as a result of this compression of an immense history, Rossis in places adopts a style more usual for a text-book than fiction: rather than providing evidence of events and leaving the reader to assemble the world, actions and decisions are sometimes followed by a neutral explanation from the narrator. This is especially noticeable at the start of several chapters that open with several sentences of action followed by one or two sentences that tell the reader how long has passed since the last chapter and what significant events have happened in that time. While this jumping between key series of events with intervening time being treated as not worth full consideration does support the prophecies and destinies alleged by the faithful, it also weakens the sense of cause and effect.
As befits a complex fantasy world, Rossis has created a cast of complex and distinct characters, many of whom get to be narrator of key events. This sharing of perspectives adds depth to both the civilisations and to characters’ appearances in other character’s arcs. And when Rossis remains with a character his development is solid; however, the extensive primary cast results in more transition skips, each of which risks the sense of character agency, potentially leaving the reader with a sense they have missed the real emotions behind actions.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking the engaging and varied world-building, philosophies, and cast of epic fantasy without the immensity.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for a fair review.
January 16, 2014
To start with I will shamelessly admit some bias: I know Nicholas Rossis since we were seven, albeit we were never really close friends. Frankly though, I am very proud of his achievement writing this book.
Ancient Greek mythology, science fiction, fantasy, and bits and pieces of political philosophy blent in an exciting plot exploring the theme of the "reboot of human society" - with a twist. How ideas shape choices, how choices are defined by the past, how the past shapes the future, and how the future is defined by our actions are entwined in an exciting plot.
English is not Nicholas native language - but I challenge you to realize that reading the book. Written in a modern and fluent style, its an enjoyable read, that will make you think, or at least it will let you have a good time reading it.
Ancient Greek mythology, science fiction, fantasy, and bits and pieces of political philosophy blent in an exciting plot exploring the theme of the "reboot of human society" - with a twist. How ideas shape choices, how choices are defined by the past, how the past shapes the future, and how the future is defined by our actions are entwined in an exciting plot.
English is not Nicholas native language - but I challenge you to realize that reading the book. Written in a modern and fluent style, its an enjoyable read, that will make you think, or at least it will let you have a good time reading it.
July 20, 2015
Although Pearseus, Rise of the Prince is a Sci-Fi novel, its focus is very much on its characters, and the complex relationships and alliances (or feuds) between them. The characters are well drawn out, complex, and never just black or white. The result is a story populated by a wide and varied cast that feels real in their flaws and desires, and therefore very relatable.
One of my favourite aspects of Pearseus was the influence from Ancient Greek culture. The mix of Ancient Greek culture and sci-fi is unusual but works very well and makes for a very unique and rich world. I particularly loved the endless political machinations between the various factions.
All in all it’s a very interesting read. The world building is stellar and along with a very entertaining plot, there’s a blend of philosophy and strategy that I very much enjoyed. I definitely recommend!
One of my favourite aspects of Pearseus was the influence from Ancient Greek culture. The mix of Ancient Greek culture and sci-fi is unusual but works very well and makes for a very unique and rich world. I particularly loved the endless political machinations between the various factions.
All in all it’s a very interesting read. The world building is stellar and along with a very entertaining plot, there’s a blend of philosophy and strategy that I very much enjoyed. I definitely recommend!
March 19, 2015
This book was a surprisingly good Dystopian Sci-Fi book. I enjoyed the different characters, different Point of views, and different themes. This book kept me reading all the way to the end. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
May 10, 2014
A book of wisdom and mastery of language!
This book speaks volumes (excuse the pun!) for the fine qualities of its author. It’s a highly imaginative story with philosophical wisdom stitched into it with supreme skill. The reader can’t help but surmise that Nicholas Rossis is not just a fervent supporter of the ideals of truth and justice, not just a highly spiritual human being, but also that he’s widely read. I loved the way that Pearseus speaks about the human condition so eloquently, despite the fact that this world is set on another planet. Gems of wisdom are to be picked up throughout the story. My absolute favorite was: “Evil’s strength is an illusion, for evil is strong only as long as you feed it.”
I had read the first part of Pearseus (“The Schism”) before reading “The Rise of The Prince” which means that I was fully familiarized with all the characters first to arrive on Pearseus. This came in handy each time there were references to them in this book and it helped to have a deeper understanding of past history in this fantastical world. Yet, it isn’t an absolute prerequisite. The reader could also read these books out of order.
There was an element in this book that rendered me utterly baffled and that was the map of Pearseus as it’s illustrated in the book. Even a cursory glance will make it obvious that what you’re looking at is the Eastern Med with Greece at its center! The islands look different but surely, there’s the Peloponnese slightly shifted and slanted. Even the names are often similar to actual names in the real world. For example, Cypress Island for Cyprus and Jonia for Ionia in Asia Minor. I didn’t know what to make of that but a quick search on the Internet revealed that the author has actually admitted openly that his story is an allegory and that of course, there are references to Greece and its history. I won’t say any more as not to give any spoilers. I just wanted to include in my review a mention to the map because it got me so mystified. I hope the clarifications serve any other reader out there who may have noticed the similarities.
At the end of this book I felt overwhelmed; not just by the wisdom imparted, but also by the solid writing, the believability of the characters and the never-ending twists and turns as all the parallel stories unfolded. The strange thing is that this type of book is not my cup of tea at all. I don’t feel safe or happy in fantastical worlds as a reader. I love fantasy, but set in contemporary worlds. I don’t normally pick up books likely to have fighting scenes, battles and gore as I can be quite squeamish. Having said that, I loved the book simply because the writing was so incredible and the use of language, superb. It is truly remarkable to think that English, is not even this author’s native language!
Truly, the only grievance I have with this book is that it ended on an unbearable cliff-hanger! But on a happy note, I hear that the next book, “Mad Water”, is coming soon and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
This book speaks volumes (excuse the pun!) for the fine qualities of its author. It’s a highly imaginative story with philosophical wisdom stitched into it with supreme skill. The reader can’t help but surmise that Nicholas Rossis is not just a fervent supporter of the ideals of truth and justice, not just a highly spiritual human being, but also that he’s widely read. I loved the way that Pearseus speaks about the human condition so eloquently, despite the fact that this world is set on another planet. Gems of wisdom are to be picked up throughout the story. My absolute favorite was: “Evil’s strength is an illusion, for evil is strong only as long as you feed it.”
I had read the first part of Pearseus (“The Schism”) before reading “The Rise of The Prince” which means that I was fully familiarized with all the characters first to arrive on Pearseus. This came in handy each time there were references to them in this book and it helped to have a deeper understanding of past history in this fantastical world. Yet, it isn’t an absolute prerequisite. The reader could also read these books out of order.
There was an element in this book that rendered me utterly baffled and that was the map of Pearseus as it’s illustrated in the book. Even a cursory glance will make it obvious that what you’re looking at is the Eastern Med with Greece at its center! The islands look different but surely, there’s the Peloponnese slightly shifted and slanted. Even the names are often similar to actual names in the real world. For example, Cypress Island for Cyprus and Jonia for Ionia in Asia Minor. I didn’t know what to make of that but a quick search on the Internet revealed that the author has actually admitted openly that his story is an allegory and that of course, there are references to Greece and its history. I won’t say any more as not to give any spoilers. I just wanted to include in my review a mention to the map because it got me so mystified. I hope the clarifications serve any other reader out there who may have noticed the similarities.
At the end of this book I felt overwhelmed; not just by the wisdom imparted, but also by the solid writing, the believability of the characters and the never-ending twists and turns as all the parallel stories unfolded. The strange thing is that this type of book is not my cup of tea at all. I don’t feel safe or happy in fantastical worlds as a reader. I love fantasy, but set in contemporary worlds. I don’t normally pick up books likely to have fighting scenes, battles and gore as I can be quite squeamish. Having said that, I loved the book simply because the writing was so incredible and the use of language, superb. It is truly remarkable to think that English, is not even this author’s native language!
Truly, the only grievance I have with this book is that it ended on an unbearable cliff-hanger! But on a happy note, I hear that the next book, “Mad Water”, is coming soon and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
May 12, 2014
This book benefited from the bump that I give anything I would give a half star since I also post these on Amazon and Goodreads. For me, it was a solid 3.5 stars. The story was unique enough to keep my attention. There was a decent amount of action and it was an interesting story of the good versus bad variety with some alien help for both sides. In a lot of ways this story seemed like a study in what motivates humans and how they can be influenced especially on an emotional level.
The book description does a pretty good job of explaining what the story is about. With regard to readability, I didn't have any problem getting through it. The story flowed pretty smoothly with no gaping holes. It could be a standalone work as it gives enough background that you can figure out what is going on without too much effort even if you accidentally read the second book before the first one like I did. The writing was good and descriptive. The story was well thought out. Several different characters are followed and the author did a good job with that. At no time was I confused about what was going on or how it all fit together. On the whole I enjoyed it.
There were a few places in the story where there were typos/editing errors (or something going on - words out of order) that kind of stopped me, but they were weird like something you would get from a translation program (or so it seemed to me). Not sure what was going on with those, but they just weren't normal errors you generally find and as always I take off a little for editing problems that make me have to stop reading mid-sentence. Anyway, aside from that it was a solid read. I looked forward to getting back to the story when I had to put it aside. Even with the weird errors I'd recommend it for the price. I noticed that the author has packaged Book 1 and Book 2 (this one) together if you want to pick it up as a single purchase. If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it as well.
This post was originally posted on my blog at: http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
The book description does a pretty good job of explaining what the story is about. With regard to readability, I didn't have any problem getting through it. The story flowed pretty smoothly with no gaping holes. It could be a standalone work as it gives enough background that you can figure out what is going on without too much effort even if you accidentally read the second book before the first one like I did. The writing was good and descriptive. The story was well thought out. Several different characters are followed and the author did a good job with that. At no time was I confused about what was going on or how it all fit together. On the whole I enjoyed it.
There were a few places in the story where there were typos/editing errors (or something going on - words out of order) that kind of stopped me, but they were weird like something you would get from a translation program (or so it seemed to me). Not sure what was going on with those, but they just weren't normal errors you generally find and as always I take off a little for editing problems that make me have to stop reading mid-sentence. Anyway, aside from that it was a solid read. I looked forward to getting back to the story when I had to put it aside. Even with the weird errors I'd recommend it for the price. I noticed that the author has packaged Book 1 and Book 2 (this one) together if you want to pick it up as a single purchase. If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it as well.
This post was originally posted on my blog at: http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
July 26, 2016
Three hundred years have passed since a spaceship from Earth crash landed on an unexplored planet, and the survivors' descendants consider themselves its undisputed rulers. However, unable to fight their human nature, soon they want to rule over each other as well. The least of their worries are the fur-clad indigenous people who have no means to stake claims over lands. But is the inescapable fate of all humanity their only guide to self-destruction, or are the unseen, whispering enemies that the indigenous fear so much, not a pigment of their imagination after all? But most importantly, are they all as different as they think or are they fractured parts of a whole that has set the wheels in motion to redress an imbalance--an abominable act of crime against the universe?
I have to be honest here: after I read Pearseus: Year 18 - The Schism, the prequel to this book, I was hooked; I just had to read on. However, at the same time, sci-fi/fantasy not being my genre of choice, I had braced myself for an onslaught of names, places and data indispensable to an author who aspires to successful world-building. But this world is not self-serving. "Rise of the Prince" is so much more than a sci-fi book presenting the reader with a different version of life. It's a blending of philosophy of history, existentialism, strategic thinking and great fiction involving living, breathing heroes that become totally relatable. It's a book about life, death, the origins of mankind and the nature of humanity. But all these aspects do not overwhelm the unsuspected reader. They're presented through compelling stories, engaging dialogue and great imagery. Combined with Nicholas Rossis' excellent writing, this book truly stands out!
I was so impressed that I'm heading to get myself a printed copy! I just have to have it in my library!
I have to be honest here: after I read Pearseus: Year 18 - The Schism, the prequel to this book, I was hooked; I just had to read on. However, at the same time, sci-fi/fantasy not being my genre of choice, I had braced myself for an onslaught of names, places and data indispensable to an author who aspires to successful world-building. But this world is not self-serving. "Rise of the Prince" is so much more than a sci-fi book presenting the reader with a different version of life. It's a blending of philosophy of history, existentialism, strategic thinking and great fiction involving living, breathing heroes that become totally relatable. It's a book about life, death, the origins of mankind and the nature of humanity. But all these aspects do not overwhelm the unsuspected reader. They're presented through compelling stories, engaging dialogue and great imagery. Combined with Nicholas Rossis' excellent writing, this book truly stands out!
I was so impressed that I'm heading to get myself a printed copy! I just have to have it in my library!
April 9, 2014
What happens when mankind is almost annihilated? All the books are gone. No computers, all ancient text of knowledge gone, and nothing is left but intelligent people?- And they must start over, almost from scratch. It's almost like what we perceive earth to be 10,000 years ago. But the people that crash land on a earth-like planet from an exploding space ship and with their knowledge, still had human nature to deal with. Greed, selfishness, super egos and all the competitive nature and ugly parts of the human make-up. And, just plain evil; all that goes along with a human being. Rossisi deals with this in the second book: Pearseus: Rise Of The Prince Three opposing forces and "states" much like countries are on earth in 2014 are in defiance and war.
It's a good tale and forces the reader to use his or her imagination. It encourages one to think. Simply to consider what you would do in a similar situation. The only problem I had with the story is that there are so many characters it was easy for my mind to wonder off the story a bit. If I took that into account, I would give this book a four star. But since I had some trouble following so many characters, I consider it my shortcoming. I tend to like and read Historical Fiction more than Science fiction. I wonder how he can describe is such detail space ships and astronauts. It is clear, Nichalas Rossis is an excellent writer.
It's a good tale and forces the reader to use his or her imagination. It encourages one to think. Simply to consider what you would do in a similar situation. The only problem I had with the story is that there are so many characters it was easy for my mind to wonder off the story a bit. If I took that into account, I would give this book a four star. But since I had some trouble following so many characters, I consider it my shortcoming. I tend to like and read Historical Fiction more than Science fiction. I wonder how he can describe is such detail space ships and astronauts. It is clear, Nichalas Rossis is an excellent writer.
January 13, 2015
This was my bedside table book: a slow burn with diverse, multi-faceted characters which, for me, was best consumed in small but regular servings. I reviewed the first book and this sequel blows it out of the water in scope and scale. I could never be sure where this book was heading, save for the nods to the Greco-Persian Wars, but since this was a science-fiction tale I knew I couldn’t rely on that ;). Truthfully, I had trouble deciding who was meant to be the ‘good guys’ or even who the ‘real’ main character was, and I mean this as a compliment. After all, real life is not so clear cut, is it? The story is told through so many characters’ eyes over their evolving and challenging lives, a true epic.
While the culture and warfare was more ancient world, the touches of scifi and relict energy weapons (seen through the eyes of characters whose limited understanding of the technologies often interpreted it as magic) reminded me of where these people came from, and the book even comments on where we could be going. The concept of ‘the eternal games’ sticks in my mind.
I think this will definitely appeal to lovers of epic stories and historic retellings (is that a genre? It should be). A unique mix of space-age science fiction, fantastical spirits, and epic history.
While the culture and warfare was more ancient world, the touches of scifi and relict energy weapons (seen through the eyes of characters whose limited understanding of the technologies often interpreted it as magic) reminded me of where these people came from, and the book even comments on where we could be going. The concept of ‘the eternal games’ sticks in my mind.
I think this will definitely appeal to lovers of epic stories and historic retellings (is that a genre? It should be). A unique mix of space-age science fiction, fantastical spirits, and epic history.
October 4, 2015
I have the three-pack set of Pearsus but wanted to review each one separately. Just finished this fascinating and creative book 1, Rise of the Prince. This dystopian sci-fi is packed with action, adventure, magic, mystery, myths, strange creatures such as shadows and whisperers, evil and kind rulers, and many other characters in between that it was mind boggling to keep track of all of them. I found this adventure to be of epic proportions the way that the author devised each storyline to crisscross with one another and its well-defined characters.
There is constant strive between the Firsts and the newcomers on the planet Pearseus. Every day seems to be a struggle for any one faction to control the people and creatures. Who will win control? Will the shadows and whisperers succeed in taking over more unsuspecting newcomers? Will the Firsts regain control over their planet that was changed by the newcomers causing massive devastation to their people?
This book was chock-full of adventures, wars, death, destruction and all kinds of mayhem that kept this reader on the edge of my seat. I could imagine this epic adventure as a future movie in the making. Kudos to the talented author for this exciting series.
There is constant strive between the Firsts and the newcomers on the planet Pearseus. Every day seems to be a struggle for any one faction to control the people and creatures. Who will win control? Will the shadows and whisperers succeed in taking over more unsuspecting newcomers? Will the Firsts regain control over their planet that was changed by the newcomers causing massive devastation to their people?
This book was chock-full of adventures, wars, death, destruction and all kinds of mayhem that kept this reader on the edge of my seat. I could imagine this epic adventure as a future movie in the making. Kudos to the talented author for this exciting series.
September 24, 2014
Three hundred years have passed since that first split that created distinct empires on the new planet Pearseus, not to mention the native First. But the whispers in the dark never did go away.
There's now three main Newcomer factions, plus the First. Not to mention the shadow war between the Orbs and the Whispers. We meet characters from each of these places as they struggle to keep the peace, stay alive, and win wars. Leadership changes, friendships are born, and battles won.
Rise of the Prince isn't a story about a single character or hero, but the story of a world struggling to find peace. The dynamics and alliances are constantly changing, and through it all, we have to decide for ourselves who's in the right and who's not.
There's now three main Newcomer factions, plus the First. Not to mention the shadow war between the Orbs and the Whispers. We meet characters from each of these places as they struggle to keep the peace, stay alive, and win wars. Leadership changes, friendships are born, and battles won.
Rise of the Prince isn't a story about a single character or hero, but the story of a world struggling to find peace. The dynamics and alliances are constantly changing, and through it all, we have to decide for ourselves who's in the right and who's not.
March 14, 2014
It moved me to tears! I had downloaded Pearseus a while back, but only had time to skim through it, then had the time to read it properly last week. Almost from the beginning, it amazed me. The cruelty of Styx moved me to tears, as did the subsequent feelings of suspense, relief and shock as the story unfolded and the ending drew closer. This is a highly recommended book, that I couldn't put down. I'm now looking forward to the next book in the series.
July 25, 2017
This is one of those books that I would probably give 3.5 stars, but it leans closer to four stars. There were aspects of this story that I really liked. The author did an amazing job in created richly developed characters. There was great depth to many of them, and once I got a hold of the various characters, I easily connected with almost all of them. I felt their angst and understood their fears/doubts. I rooted for some and cheered with the demise of others.
I also enjoyed certain scenes a great deal. The scenes with the Old Woman and Tie were some of my favorite because of the lessons given. The scenes between Parad and Gella were fantastic as well. The author does a wonderful job of describing the moment so that the reader can truly feel a part of it.
I thought the plot was fantastic. I am a fan of twists and turns, so I love the spin on the black-and-white not being so black-and-white. I loved the idea of newcomers to a planet trying to make it their own and having to fight those who are already there. I enjoyed being able to see things from different points of view.
With all of that being said, there were things that drew me away from the story as well...
With as much as I loved the characters and the author's ability to write rich characters, there were too many in too short a time frame. The author did a great job in separating the chapters so that each chapter was from a different character's perspective and from a different location, but it took me forever to get a grasp on which character belonged where and why. I had the hardest time with Teo because that man bounced around everywhere. lol!
There were certain scenes in which I had to slow down or reread because there was just so much information given. In some scenes, major plot twists happened with no warning (which is perfectly fine), but there were just too many one right after the other, especially at the end of the novel. I know that this book is part of a sequel, and I LOVE cliffhangers, but it didn't feel like a cliffhanger. It felt more like whiplash. Lol!
Still, if you like fantasy and dystopian novels merged into one, you would probably like this book. I'm not happy about certain characters being killed, but I am sure there is a purpose for it. There always is, right? ;-)
I also enjoyed certain scenes a great deal. The scenes with the Old Woman and Tie were some of my favorite because of the lessons given. The scenes between Parad and Gella were fantastic as well. The author does a wonderful job of describing the moment so that the reader can truly feel a part of it.
I thought the plot was fantastic. I am a fan of twists and turns, so I love the spin on the black-and-white not being so black-and-white. I loved the idea of newcomers to a planet trying to make it their own and having to fight those who are already there. I enjoyed being able to see things from different points of view.
With all of that being said, there were things that drew me away from the story as well...
With as much as I loved the characters and the author's ability to write rich characters, there were too many in too short a time frame. The author did a great job in separating the chapters so that each chapter was from a different character's perspective and from a different location, but it took me forever to get a grasp on which character belonged where and why. I had the hardest time with Teo because that man bounced around everywhere. lol!
There were certain scenes in which I had to slow down or reread because there was just so much information given. In some scenes, major plot twists happened with no warning (which is perfectly fine), but there were just too many one right after the other, especially at the end of the novel. I know that this book is part of a sequel, and I LOVE cliffhangers, but it didn't feel like a cliffhanger. It felt more like whiplash. Lol!
Still, if you like fantasy and dystopian novels merged into one, you would probably like this book. I'm not happy about certain characters being killed, but I am sure there is a purpose for it. There always is, right? ;-)
April 12, 2018
On the Pearseus colony, city-states are fighting for power. Or rather, their leaders fight for power, and in the meantime ban knowledge and technology, which remain available only to the elite. While conspiracies, war and cruel intentions unfold, you also get to follow politics reflect upon them (every regime is represented in the colonies, from tyranny of an elite to democracy to tyranny of the Justice, and none is black or white), and human qualities and flaws. This is probably what I loved most, that there is no action just for action, but a deep -although discreet- discussion on humanity: if we settle in a new world, are we capable of reproducing only the best of our experience? Saddly, probably not.
Add to the above the intriguing presence of benevolent and malevolent "spirits" and "voices" that take hold of some of the characters and you get a plot full of "good against evil", where evil and good are not always where /what you suspect them to be.
Read "Schism", the prequel, to ground you even better in the story. As for me, I'm already fully engaged in the following book of the series, Mad Waters.
Add to the above the intriguing presence of benevolent and malevolent "spirits" and "voices" that take hold of some of the characters and you get a plot full of "good against evil", where evil and good are not always where /what you suspect them to be.
Read "Schism", the prequel, to ground you even better in the story. As for me, I'm already fully engaged in the following book of the series, Mad Waters.
Want to read
January 6, 2023Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2023/01...
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2023/01...
November 22, 2015
This is a hard book to summarise without giving away any spoilers, something I try hard not to do. It is set in the future in a world that has been colonised by humans but lost all contact with the home world. For reason I shan’t give away the society has gone backward technologically speaking but still has some advanced objects left. The world is at war with its self as well as mixed up in a war of super natural beings. The book follows the lives of several key characters as events unfold.
What I didn’t like;
There is not much to hate about this book but do have a few niggles.
The opening is excellent hooked me straight away, but then suddenly you leave the opening character and jump around meeting new ones and it’s quite some time before you return to the original. I found this very disconcerting, eventually you get used to the fast pace of the book but at first it does leave you reeling a bit, struggling to keep up.
There are few lazy jumps in the plot. On particular scene a character had been leading up to an event. It was all very exciting then suddenly we have jumped three months and she is explaining what had happen to her maid. I want to experience the action not hear about it in passing! There were a few times this happened and it did stop it being a five star book for me.
This paragraph please feel free not read it’s just me being a geek. I loved the parallels with ancient Greece (more about that later). There was one part where it went too far. I’m all for history repeating it’s self but not to the extent of Draco, it stretches belief than another Draco should do the exactly the same as his name sake from ancient Athens causing the same word (draconian) to come into existence.
What I liked
Well pretty much everything, the parallels with ancient Greece were inspired from the political tension between the states and social classes, the aristocrats using the masses to gain power, the different political systems to Teo whoring himself from city to city like the last tyrant of Athens Hippias who did a deal with the Persians to try and get his city back. The only thing wrong with it is that I didn’t think of it first.
I loved the characters, even the good guys had a darker side. My favourite was Styx I love a good baddy with complicated motives. Pretty much all the main ones went through a journey, I can’t say too much I don’t want to give any spoilers.
There was the right element of tragedy and double dealing very appropriate for a novel inspired by the ancient Greeks. Grease
I liked the supernatural element particularly exploring balance and perspective.
The ending was great and a little unexpected (which I love.)
In conclusion
It was a great book only spoiled by a few plot jumps. It had interesting characters with enough plot twist to keep you guessing I would recommend it and I shall be reading the next in the series – 4.5 out of 5 stars! – I might round it up for Goodreads just to be nice!
What I didn’t like;
There is not much to hate about this book but do have a few niggles.
The opening is excellent hooked me straight away, but then suddenly you leave the opening character and jump around meeting new ones and it’s quite some time before you return to the original. I found this very disconcerting, eventually you get used to the fast pace of the book but at first it does leave you reeling a bit, struggling to keep up.
There are few lazy jumps in the plot. On particular scene a character had been leading up to an event. It was all very exciting then suddenly we have jumped three months and she is explaining what had happen to her maid. I want to experience the action not hear about it in passing! There were a few times this happened and it did stop it being a five star book for me.
This paragraph please feel free not read it’s just me being a geek. I loved the parallels with ancient Greece (more about that later). There was one part where it went too far. I’m all for history repeating it’s self but not to the extent of Draco, it stretches belief than another Draco should do the exactly the same as his name sake from ancient Athens causing the same word (draconian) to come into existence.
What I liked
Well pretty much everything, the parallels with ancient Greece were inspired from the political tension between the states and social classes, the aristocrats using the masses to gain power, the different political systems to Teo whoring himself from city to city like the last tyrant of Athens Hippias who did a deal with the Persians to try and get his city back. The only thing wrong with it is that I didn’t think of it first.
I loved the characters, even the good guys had a darker side. My favourite was Styx I love a good baddy with complicated motives. Pretty much all the main ones went through a journey, I can’t say too much I don’t want to give any spoilers.
There was the right element of tragedy and double dealing very appropriate for a novel inspired by the ancient Greeks. Grease
I liked the supernatural element particularly exploring balance and perspective.
The ending was great and a little unexpected (which I love.)
In conclusion
It was a great book only spoiled by a few plot jumps. It had interesting characters with enough plot twist to keep you guessing I would recommend it and I shall be reading the next in the series – 4.5 out of 5 stars! – I might round it up for Goodreads just to be nice!
December 24, 2014
After reading and reviewing the first book in this series, I looked forward to reading the segue, and book two did not disappoint. From the very beginning I could reconnect to the first book, and it simply flowed. The stories are so enthralling that when I accidentally broke my Kindle, I quickly continued my reading on my lap-top. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Apart from the interesting direction of the stories, it was the deeply religious insights that drew my interest in the book. Some of these insights were eye opening, and got me thinking and comparing my own beliefs with them. Some were very similar to the myths that I am familiar with. This simply tells me that all the world is a stage, is one , and linked together.
We have the same myths which we live and interpret differently, but intrinsically the same. We all believe in a supreme God, and in other elements who have powers. We all believe in the theory of a creative force, which has created the good, the bad, and how these two forces are in fact the two faces of one and the same element. How one can result in the other, and the other in the one. Let me not spoil this beautiful read for others. Just grab a copy.
Apart from the interesting direction of the stories, it was the deeply religious insights that drew my interest in the book. Some of these insights were eye opening, and got me thinking and comparing my own beliefs with them. Some were very similar to the myths that I am familiar with. This simply tells me that all the world is a stage, is one , and linked together.
We have the same myths which we live and interpret differently, but intrinsically the same. We all believe in a supreme God, and in other elements who have powers. We all believe in the theory of a creative force, which has created the good, the bad, and how these two forces are in fact the two faces of one and the same element. How one can result in the other, and the other in the one. Let me not spoil this beautiful read for others. Just grab a copy.
April 22, 2015
I wanted to like this story, part one of what is clearly intended to be a large series, a lot more. It failed with me on several levels. With a complex mix of characters, locations, concepts and weaving history, it is essential that the reader has time to engage. Songs of Ice and Fire is a good example which the Game of thrones TV adaption fails to deliver. There is just too much jumping about before the reader has a chance to settle. I have no problem with complexity per se just give me a chance.
The second thing it needs is characters that are engaging and this is where this story comes up short. I had little or no interest in the characters. Even as the story continued my interest declined not increased. Deaths of major characters left me unmoved.
Mix in allegedly scary monsters, a sense of foreboding and enough religious metaphors to annoy even the most devoted and this book lost me.
Don't get me wrong there are some good moments and the world with its back history should be intrguing but it did not work for me.
The second thing it needs is characters that are engaging and this is where this story comes up short. I had little or no interest in the characters. Even as the story continued my interest declined not increased. Deaths of major characters left me unmoved.
Mix in allegedly scary monsters, a sense of foreboding and enough religious metaphors to annoy even the most devoted and this book lost me.
Don't get me wrong there are some good moments and the world with its back history should be intrguing but it did not work for me.
December 29, 2014
What if some of the best and brightest of humanity had the opportunity to start over-on another world. Would it result in the development of a Utopian society? Learn from history? What if they had the chance to take assistance from a peaceful species, closely resembling humans. Human nature is explored in the Pearseus series. This book is a worthy continuation of the story begun in Schism, but it has better heroes, better villains, and the world and character development expands.
This is world building science fiction at its best. Oh, and well edited, which is a rarity in this day of exploding self-publishing.
This is world building science fiction at its best. Oh, and well edited, which is a rarity in this day of exploding self-publishing.
January 24, 2016
I happen to love Sci-Fi, but not only did this have a well drawn out story, but the characters were also worth following. I really want to say who my favorite character was, but no one likes a bad guy....hahaha just remember it's only a book. Good job Nick!
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August 1, 2016I liked the Rise of the Prince and have moved on to Mad Water Book 2.
October 27, 2016
The storyline is intriguing. The characters are impressive. Even if this tale presents itself far off in the future, nothing has changed much. Everyone believes themselves justified in their rule of the planet they discovered some generations ago. But the planet was already occupied, however, the new people feel superior . . .
Nicolas C Rossis brings some great philosophy into his writing. I especially loved his introspective into freedom, location 2934 in the kindle edition, it resonated with me. It provides a universal truth rarely understood.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Nicolas C Rossis brings some great philosophy into his writing. I especially loved his introspective into freedom, location 2934 in the kindle edition, it resonated with me. It provides a universal truth rarely understood.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
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