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The Chronicles of Arenacea Book One
Zeteria is the first woman to be warrior caste in over 500 years. Her world is harsh and unyielding, filled with fights to the death in an arena for the “glory” of the lord of her house. The noble caste is all powerful, treating women and the other castes as slaves. Zee’s life changes when she meets Tessimi, a noble born woman who has become servant caste due to the fact that she’s, as of yet, unmarried. In their world, love between two women is punishable by death. But that won’t stop Zeteria and Tessimi from fighting for a way to be together.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2017
About the author
S.M. Lee
1 book8 followersS.M. Lee was born and raised in the Midwest of the United States in Indianapolis, IN where she now resides with her dog, Riley. She recently graduated with a doctorate in Chiropractic medicine and a Masters degree in Acupuncture.
S.M. began writing short stories as a teenager and found a passion for writing fantasy and science fiction during her undergraduate career at Indiana University, while she worked on her major of Exercise Science as well as her minor in Creative Writing. She is currently working on continuing the Arenacea series and is in the process of writing a science fiction series as well.
S.M. began writing short stories as a teenager and found a passion for writing fantasy and science fiction during her undergraduate career at Indiana University, while she worked on her major of Exercise Science as well as her minor in Creative Writing. She is currently working on continuing the Arenacea series and is in the process of writing a science fiction series as well.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 22, 2017
Are you in desperate need for more diverse fantasy books? Look no further: "The Chronicles of Arenacea" has got you covered. The badass protagonist Zee is a black lesbian and the first woman warrior this very patriarchal society has had since 500 years. She is in a f/f relationship, there is a gay couple as side characters, and overall, there are more female than male characters. But the awesomeness does not stop there: their relationship is very well build up, slowly and naturally. The society also has an interesting LGBT-acceptance, with gay relationships actually being tolerated, but lesbian relationships being strictly forbidden. And I loved the constant surprise of the male characters about women being violent and fighting back - they never expected it!
The world building in general was great. It is a society of strict classes - the rulers, the fighters send out in combats to gain favors for their masters, the servants (and the healers, which are technically separate). This class system overlapped with a family or allegiance system, which was a bit confusing in the beginning, as too many names and titles were thrown around. But it clears up easily. And although the world is small (it all takes place in just one keep), it was filled to the brim with interesting plots and a lot of action. I liked the main conflict, which was present without the usual trope of a chosen one or a typical quest story line. In many more minor details, S.M. Lee did a good job of deviating from the expected to write a more interesting story.
The fight scenes were all amazing, whether Zee was in them or just watching, whether practicing on her own or fighting for her life. They were not too drawn out, yet detailed enough to basically feel every hit on yourself. As a bonus, the readers get a few practical self-defense lessons - who can say no to that? The characters were all deep and multi-layered and very realistic, down to the side characters. I also loved that Zee had great moral qualms about fighting, and was not some heartless killer. She was allowed to be feminine while kicking ass.
Overall, a 4,5 out of 5 star rating: the world being so confined, the confusion about the titles in the beginning, and a slight cringe factor of the love scenes caused that rating. But those a minor issues. I am really looking forward to the rest of this series! Also: great job writing a first installment that does not already end with a big bang action set piece, but merely sets up a larger conflict, while also standing well on its own.
The world building in general was great. It is a society of strict classes - the rulers, the fighters send out in combats to gain favors for their masters, the servants (and the healers, which are technically separate). This class system overlapped with a family or allegiance system, which was a bit confusing in the beginning, as too many names and titles were thrown around. But it clears up easily. And although the world is small (it all takes place in just one keep), it was filled to the brim with interesting plots and a lot of action. I liked the main conflict, which was present without the usual trope of a chosen one or a typical quest story line. In many more minor details, S.M. Lee did a good job of deviating from the expected to write a more interesting story.
The fight scenes were all amazing, whether Zee was in them or just watching, whether practicing on her own or fighting for her life. They were not too drawn out, yet detailed enough to basically feel every hit on yourself. As a bonus, the readers get a few practical self-defense lessons - who can say no to that? The characters were all deep and multi-layered and very realistic, down to the side characters. I also loved that Zee had great moral qualms about fighting, and was not some heartless killer. She was allowed to be feminine while kicking ass.
Overall, a 4,5 out of 5 star rating: the world being so confined, the confusion about the titles in the beginning, and a slight cringe factor of the love scenes caused that rating. But those a minor issues. I am really looking forward to the rest of this series! Also: great job writing a first installment that does not already end with a big bang action set piece, but merely sets up a larger conflict, while also standing well on its own.
June 6, 2017
Interesting beginnings of a woman gladiator
I find myself enjoying this story of a woman gladiator going from simple survival to actually living. The ending I felt was a little abrupt and I hope big changes are in the heroine's future.
Her friends and others need to work together to create the changes that are needed.
Overall a good story....but I would've liked a little more interaction between the characters or maybe another 50 pages to flesh out some more details...I will buy the next one in the series.
I find myself enjoying this story of a woman gladiator going from simple survival to actually living. The ending I felt was a little abrupt and I hope big changes are in the heroine's future.
Her friends and others need to work together to create the changes that are needed.
Overall a good story....but I would've liked a little more interaction between the characters or maybe another 50 pages to flesh out some more details...I will buy the next one in the series.
September 26, 2017
The Chronicles of Arenacea Book One is a fantastic debut novel for SM Lee. The author builds an intricate world that is full of excitement and surprises. It keeps you totally engaged from the first page, and leaves you wanting Book Two. I eagerly look forward to the second installment of The Chronicles of Arenacea, and absolutely recommend Book One to anyone who wants to enjoy a thrilling adventure.
July 15, 2022
A stunning debut novel from S.M. Lee. The world building is excellent, the characters are incredibly interesting and are well developed. A fun and engaging read!
May 18, 2017
Outstanding book!! I immediately fell in love with the characters and the story! The book is extremely well-written and the writer really knows how to suck you in and keep you engaged right to the end. A wonderful first installment with an amazing ending! Can't wait for the next one!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews