The First Conception: Rise of Eris

The Conception Series #1

by Nesly Clerge

You may not know who I am, but you know what I’ve done. I’m the one who altered human conception around the world in an unimaginable way, unimaginable to all but me—a seed planted while I was young. People had to be punished for what they did. The punishment had to be specific. I became a medical doctor, researcher, and vindicator of the verbal, physical, and sexual assaults perpetrated against women by men for eons. Including me. I’m not alone in my work. A great number of women share my ultimate goal. All except one. I’ll find the betrayer. Until then, men are beginning to pay for their sins against us. And I’m just getting started. Dr. Katherine Eris Barnes—remember my name. Although, I don’t know how you’ll be able to forget it.

Reviewers and bloggers can email me at clergebooks@gmail.com for a digital copy.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2018

About the author

**INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER – GOLD MEDAL**
Readers' Favorite 2017 Best general fiction for When The Serpent Bites

**INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER – SILVER MEDAL**
Readers' Favorite 2017 Best general fiction for When The Dragon Roars

Nesly Clerge received his bachelor’s degree in physiology and neurobiology at the University of Maryland, and later pursued a doctoral degree in the field of chiropractic medicine. He is currently practicing as a board certified chiropractic physician. Although his background is primarily science-based, he has finally embraced his lifelong passion for writing. Clerge’s debut novel, When the Serpent Bites, explores choices, consequences, and the complexities of human emotions, especially when we are placed in a less-than-desirable setting. When he is not writing, Clerge manages several multidisciplinary clinics. He enjoys reading, chess, traveling, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with his significant other and his sons.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads]

Judging from the other reviews, I cannot believe I read the same book as everyone else.

In other words, be prepared for me to get ranty

"We just received word that Amber Lake, our miracle woman, the only woman on our planet to conceive in the last five years, has suffered a miscarriage."

Pretty interesting concept, right?

The world is inexplicably sterile and no one knows what to do. Everyone is despairing.

And, equally inexplicably, the first 30% of the book is child rape, the next 10% is adult rape and roughly 20% more (scattered) is more rape scenes.

Why? Just why?

We follow eleven-year-old Katherine Eris Barnes - who later plays a key role in the world's sterility - as she is systematically raped, traumatized and raped again by nearly every man in her life.

"Maybe you oughta let your mama show you how it done then take over for her."

Now, I am all for giving a character a tragic past. However, I cannot help but question the author's motives in devoting roughly 50% of the book to painfully described rape scenes.

Was it to show us that Katherine really, realllllly hated men? Cause that could easily be accomplished with one or two scenes (heck, they could even be memories).

"Karl didn't only like women his age. He liked them my age too."

After the fifth or sixth rape scene, I became desensitized to Katherine's plight - it became more of a "Oh wow. Would you look at that. There she goes, getting raped again." opposed to an emotional reaction.

To top it all, her mother was the main reason all of these pedo-men were in Katherine's life. Mama would run from one rapist man to another because

"I got needs. You don't understand. You too young."

The one time a social worker finds out that Katherine is being raped by her mother's boyfriend - the kid is removed from the household. Only to be kidnapped by the mother to "start a new life."

During which, Katherine gets raped (again) by a new guy. And yet, Katherine is perfectly content with living with her mother. Are. You. Kidding. Me.

Katherine, who by all accounts is an absolute genius, doesn't seem to understand that her mother is the one that is letting her get raped.

Instead, Katherine grows up being furious with men. All men.

"I'd make men pay for their sins in a way that would really get their attention."

Anyway, rape-victim-extraordinaire has the motivation to make her move against men. And how does she do that?

Through probably the most convoluted and poorly thought out revenge plot of all time.

Katherine (now in college) begins her revenge by studying for her medical degree, joining WAM (a woman empowering movement) all while still finding time to get raped a few times.

"Let me guess. The police aren't getting anywhere."
Agatha leaned forward. "We didn't involve the police. It was Katherine's preference."

So. You are telling me that not once did this genius-kid actually try the cops? Really? REALLY?

Through the encouragement of WAM, she begins extracting revenge on her old rapists - notably cutting off the dick of one, slicing up another and drowning a third (then stealing his dog).

Oh and Katherine used her uber-smart brain to create an aerosolized chemical weapon which took away the fertility of all women everywhere.

Putting aside the laughable science, all I have to say - seriously?? That's the best Katherine could do?

Rapists get off on rape, not fertility. Did Katherine really expect rapists to be bummed if their victim couldn't have kids?

Yes, there is a whole subplot of not having the antidote and there's a part two of her revenge - which (without giving it away) is equally implausible and ridiculous.

The whole time, I kept thinking - why go to such lengths? Why not make the men impotent or find a drug that makes erectile dysfunction permanent? If they can't get any pleasure from raping someone, doesn't that solve your problem?

Anyway, when someone finally confronts Katherine about unspeakable evil, all she can say is:

"How remarkable. And how like a man it is for her to blame women for the actions of men."

Jesus H Christ lady - what the hell is wrong with you? You literally made the world infertile.

I'm all for a dark hero revenge story but this was just dark (and not in the good way).

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

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[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this authors first series, so when told that his series is 'a little different' I actually went in blind, and I am so glad that I did because everything was a surprise to me.

Kathryn Eris Barnes has a mother that [how can I put this....] doesn't seem to be able to function without a man, she picks the wrong ones though, or they do her. The men start out being nice but end up being brutes and this has a severe domino effect on this 7 year old child, Kathryn.

A poor background and one that will pull at your heart strings, one that will make you wonder, yet again, why do women stay with men who abuse, and abuse your flesh and blood.

I loved how her Mother tried to pull herself out of the mess, but I also felt pain for her each time she was hit, each time she was abused and each time Katherine didn't ask to be part of this. It was horrific, its detailed and it has to be to make an impact on us.
This world is full of 'nasty vile things' and some become complacent at what they hear because it happens so often, I think this author has done an excellent job at making this impact and making us gasp, breath heavy and make us angry.

From a male writing this and to be so 'spot on' is a credit to him and what surprises his readers, and why hes won a position in the writing field and has enormous respect.

I'd say, "he knows his stuff"

Katherine is a very brainy bright young woman and has been invited to get involved in a movement, a woman's movement that can change things.
A lot of these women have been tortured or abused by men.

I found the concept brilliant. The woman behind all of this was fascinating and how Katherine grew within these chapters both physically and mentally stronger.

You [the reader] will have to make up your'e own mind as to what you think so far at the end of this book, revenge or a place or women to be heard?

I'm really looking forward to book 2 next year as I am wondering where Nesly Clerge will lead us with this and the members of this cast.

Not my usual type of genre and some would say sci fi. I say it boarders maybe on that towards the end but.....who knows or sure. I don't yet.

Yes it has strong overflows of abuse and bullying from men towards women. This has to be faced, it happens and I am a great believer in not being an ostrich.

Well written, and I am surprised so much so that I loved this book so much that I have put it into my Top 2018 reads when I review the top books at the end of the year, I'm thinking that my wrap up will be 'this is a book that knocked my socks off' surprisingly so.

Sometimes its good to step out of the comfort zone of reading the same genre and this is what I like, this author tries so many subjects.

Its a thumbs up from me.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while, a book comes along that completely takes your breath away.

Get familiar with the edge of your seat. Be prepared to feel your soul twist into knots. Feel compassion, empathy, rage and great sorrow. Feel moments of triumph and moments of horror and no matter your personal feelings, you will understand what can drive a woman on a mission to "make the world right," in the eyes of herself and her sisters.

Katherine Eris Barnes didn’t ask to be born. She didn’t ask to be brilliant. She didn’t ask to be abused and betrayed, but she demanded to make things right, to use her brain, her heart and her soul to create change. Katherine learned to trust in a precious few humans who gave her unquestioned friendship, loyalty and most precious of all, understanding. She had a chance to make a difference for women who also faced abuse, brutality and betrayal by monsters and she ran with like an avenging angel. But did she run in the right direction or had her inner compass become tainted and skewed? Who would continue to see her vision for all women and who would become her Judas?

Nesly Clerge has given new meaning to intrigue, horror, science fiction and true grit in writing. THE FIRST CONCEPTION is a brilliant tale of one woman’s torment becoming the catalyst for what COULD be some of history’s greatest scientific achievements. But were they or were they the product of a woman whose beautiful mind was coming unraveled? Aren’t moments of genius obsession also moments of genius insanity? The answers lie in future additions to this brilliant cornerstone of riveting and exciting reading!

What Mr. Clerge has created is nothing short of brilliance itself in the delivery, the characters and the unseen events that lie beyond the very next page. Emotionally taut, mentally magnetic, this well-told tale is a powerful statement to Nesly Clerge’s ability to address social issues in a truly unique and commanding way.


I received a complimentary copy from Nesly Clerge!

Series: The Conception Series - Book 1
Publisher: Clerge Books, LLC (March 6, 2018)
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Genre: Science Fiction | Suspense
Print Length: 323 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Nesly Clerge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly appreciate the support from all the fans, readers, reviewers, and followers. The First Conception was selected as an editor’s pick, and voted one of the best thriller books of 2018.

**VOTED AS ONE OF THE BEST THRILLER NOVELS OF 2018**
Editor’s pick by Best Thriller’s book review

"The book focuses on traumatized molecular biologist Dr. Katherine Eris Barnes, the child of a poor single mother with a dizzying array of abusive lovers. Clerge's depiction of Barnes' home life is remarkable for its psychological and physical brutality, but the result is a smart, imaginative revenge fantasy wrapped in a terrifying medical thriller. While Barnes cops to her plot to destroy humanity in the very first chapter, discovering how she does it - and why - is well worth the journey." --Bella Wright, Best Thrillers


"The writing in The First Conception: Rise of Eris is flawless and there is a musicality that accompanies the prose, making it an enjoyable read. The story is emotionally intense, filled with suspenseful moments, and embellished with dialogues that are as exciting as they are natural. The different elements of the story are created with a striking balance -- the fast-paced, intelligent plot, the powerful conflict, the phenomenal characters, and the excellent prose. It's a real page-turner with perceptive insights into human nature."
--Divide Zape, Readers' Favorite


"Both timely and prescient. Despite being written by a man, this novel strikes a powerful chord about the treatment of women both in the past and present, leaving readers with plenty to consider about their own actions, and the current treatment of women overall. The plot is fast-paced and the writing is clean, swinging deftly between thought-provoking philosophy and creative narration. It sets up a new series excellently, with many more storylines and ideas to explore within this intriguing premise." --SPR

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FIRST CONCEPTION: RISE OF ERIS (The Conception Series 1) by Nesly Clerge is a
dark sci-fi-fantasy, that explores the definitive punishment of men for their violence against, and disrespect of, women.

This was not an easy read, and not normally from the genre I normally read, but rather a combination of sci-fi and fantasy…all told through a man’s perspective.

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, and sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers and may be offensive to some readers.

You may not know who I am, but you know what I’ve done. I’m the one who altered human conception around the world in an unimaginable way, unimaginable to all but me—a seed planted while I was young. People had to be punished for what they did. The punishment had to be specific. I became a medical doctor, researcher, and vindicator of the verbal, physical, and sexual assaults perpetrated against women by men for eons. Including me. I’m not alone in my work. A great number of women share my ultimate goal. All except one. I’ll find the betrayer. Until then, men are beginning to pay for their sins against us. And I’m just getting started. Dr. Katherine Eris Barnes—remember my name. Although, I don’t know how you’ll be able to forget it

Katherine Eris Barnes, is an intelligent medical doctor/researcher, who came from an abusive childhood, and tragic life, and now shows the cumulative effects of men treating women with disrespect. SHE WANTS REVENGE! SHE IS GOING TO PUT AN END TO IT…AND THEY WILL FINALLY PAY!

Frederick Starks from the Starks trilogy makes an appearance, in this novel, and it was nice to touch base again.

This book was well written and shows a promising future for this new series.

Many thanks to the author for my copy.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never know what to expect from one of Nesly Clerge's books. They're not in the genre I usually read (nice for a change), but one thing I have come to expect is that I will love absolutely them.

This tale is quite epic, not in length (although there are more books to come) but in its vision and ambitions. It tackles the vexed issues of the objectification and subjugation of women through the entitled attitudes and behaviours of men. But this is no feminist manifesto. It tells a story through the eyes of one Katherine Eris Barnes. Born to a poor black woman and neglected and abused throughout her too brief childhood, Katherine is in possession of a fierce intellect that she vows to put to use to right the wrongs that have been perpetrated against women throughout the ages.

She is taken in by the founder of a women's movement that has, alongside its public agenda of supporting women victims, a more covert agenda of finding a way to 'make men pay'. Katherine, brilliant as she is, develops the science that makes the first steps possible. But what about her methods? There is also a bunch of unintended consequences of what this secret women's army has put in place. Consequences that could spell great danger for humanity. You may not agree with her methods (I didn't), you may also not agree with the collateral damage - after all, not all men are bad to the bone. But you will think about the issues. This book, in light of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and subsequent outings of sexual predators and the #metoo movement is very timely, and if you are a man you may just feel a teeny bit uncomfortable about it all.

As a story this was riveting, probably Clerge's best work yet, and extremely entertaining and thought provoking. A certain little twist at the end makes you really wonder about Katherine and her motivations, and also wonder where the heck the next instalment of this story will take us.

[reneeNaDaCherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First Conception: Rise of Eris (The Conception Series #1)

When I began reading, I thought it was going to be a paranormal adventure. But I quickly learned it was more of a sci-fi fantasy. Katherine Eris Barnes was an extraordinarily intelligent human being from birth. All of the suffering she endured (extreme sexual, repeated physical and emotional abuse) and hardships in her life with her selfish mom was stunning and truly upsetting to comprehend. I'm sure it contributed to her later diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (DID) or multiple personality disorder. After finishing her doctoral at Stanford, Dr. Barnes aka Dr. Eris showed growth in character while being groomed by Patricia to become the head of WAM.

Starks (from The Starks Trilogy) was looking for a solution to his wife Kayla's cancer and contacted WAM. The mention of characters from your previous 📚, Jeffrey David and Frederick Starks of Tendum Enterprises, was an unexpected surprise. Five 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 rating, IMO. I have given my honest review. Thanks to Nesly Clerge for providing me an eARC.

Now I cannot wait to read The Conception Series #2.

[Brandy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the bleepy blop blah, just happened?

I’m trying to form sentences right now, I’m at a loss for words, completely.

Where do I start, Nesly Clerge, has done it again, completely transfixed me to one of his books. My heart bled for Katherine during her entire life. All the ups and downs, the abuse, etc. I completely understood her need to “punish” men for what was done to her. I was engrossed in the book from beginning to the end and once I was almost to the end I was hit, with in incredible and unpredictable blow. I was shocked, wrecked, jolted and excited. I couldn’t stop reading till the end. This book will take you on an exciting and unpredictable roller coaster ride and you won't want to get off.

Nesly has this incredible way of writing, it sucks you in and keeps you completely entertained until the end. I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to read several of his books. He is by far one of my favorite authors.

I need more, there must be more to this story!

[C.E. Clayton · Rating 1 out of 5]

“The First Conception” is a very hard book to read for obvious and not so obvious reasons. The obvious: right in the synopsis we know that this is a revenge story told from the perspective of the female survivor—she was raped and abused sexually and physically her whole childhood and well into her adult years. This “inspired” her to take away the ability to conceive for the whole world. Now, I love a good revenge plot where the MC is less than “good”, especially when it’s over something as heinous as abusing a child so repeatedly. Also, there are your trigger warnings for rape, graphic violence against both women and men, sexual assault against children, spousal abuse, and if topics of infertility are sensitive for you, then this may not be a good fit. Granted, some of these warnings make sense for the genre—it’s billed as a thriller, after all—and while that’s fine, I think this book got to the point of being gratuitous.

The first chapter tells you exactly what happened: no one can have children and the world will be facing an extinction event if this can’t be rectified. That’s gripping! That’s compelling! Oh goodness, tell me how we got there! So even though the chapters following were very hard to read because of the detailed abuse Katherine witnesses and is then subjected to, this was a page turner early on. I kept going through these mini-bite sized chapters (seriously, there’s over 100 chapters in a book barely over 300 pages in length) wondering when we’d get back to that first chapter, when we’d leave the past behind and get to the present. But we don’t get back to that until there’s only about 30% left in the book.

That’s right: 70% of this book shows Katherine getting abused, raped by multiple people throughout the course of her life, and then the mundane process of her going to school and getting more involved with a female run organization. I get what the author was attempting—to create sympathy with the MC so we’d be on her side when she decides to do this terrible thing to everyone. Unfortunately, the abuse became so common place, so expected that 1. I didn’t need every instance shown to me, just a few would have been more than enough and the rest maybe could have just been mentioned without the detail? And 2. It really slowed down the book, especially when it’s coupled with the rather uninteresting day-to-day of Katherine’s life. It was a slog to get through and when all you see are these over dramatized, radicalized feminist groups, it portrayed EVERYONE horribly. The women were depicted as snake-in-the-grass types, and every man was a rapist, or a would-be a rapist if they were given the chance. Having this men vs. women type trope is really dangerous given the current world wide narrative we live in regarding gender and equality. Even in a fictional thriller this is an issue when everyone is so, so drastic in their beliefs, even the dissenters were radical about their religion, and the extremes they’d go to in order to stop these women from getting more power, or stop Katherine from playing God.

There ended up being no one I wanted to side with, no one I wanted to see “win”, which had me no longer caring about anything the book wanted me to care about, unfortunately. Katherine’s whole rationale for revenge is so skewed, so backward that I struggled to see how someone who is portrayed as such a genius believed that men got off on conception and that’s why they raped women. That’s not what rape is about! Rape doesn’t stop because women can’t have babies! So why she didn’t give every man erectile dysfunction is beyond me, it would have been way easier than the lengths she does go to in order to punish both men and the women who never wronged her. There are flavors of the new movie “A Promising Young Woman” in this story, but this narrative, and Katherine’s actions, don’t actually do anything to address rape culture… Then, at the very end, there is an added complication as to Katherine’s stability, the mole that is still in the organization, and the worldwide infertility that is left as a cliffhanger to be answered in later books. But because I’m just so mad at Katherine at the end I don’t see myself continuing on with this series.

To be honest I wasn’t going to give this book a rating or a review. I don’t like writing negative reviews. I don’t like giving books less than 3 stars. But I felt this was important to share because of the triggering content, the problematic portrayals of rape survivors, and the troubling relationships between men and women—the over the top power struggle in an actual battle between the sexes. I was struggling about rating this book as a whole, because despite its problems, the first half or so was a page turner, and I did enjoy the diverse cast of characters. But I wasn’t truly aware of the content when I first agreed to review the book, and it does really bother me personally, even now. So I’m giving this 1.5 stars, and will caveat that this may just be me, as there are tons of glowing reviews for this book, and the authors other books as a whole, so just keep that in mind. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an imaginative and well written book! After a childhood of abuse by her mother's boyfriends, Katherine - who has the mind of a scientific prodigy, turns her knowledge - and hatred of men's abuse of women - into an organization for giving women information and ways to no longer be exploited by the male gender. This book gives a great deal of satisfaction in seeing some of these women being able to exact revenge on men who victimized them. And the organization seeks to change the world into a place where women do not need to fear men. Let me say this is a page turner, the ending packs a powerful punch, and it is obvious this is not the last we will hear of this series! I look forward to the coming books in The Conception Series.
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is one of those reads that I really didn't want to put down. I empathised with the main character and when her turn came for revenge, I stood back and admired her determination and tenacity. Kathryn Eris Barnes is a child. An eight year old child in a home that we cringe to read about. A Mother beaten by her lover and nothing in privacy. Kathryn sees everything and has to fend for herself. She is gifted in geometry as well as other things that she hasn’t yet discovered, but at home has to hide her books and barricades herself in her room in case “he” comes in and does unspeakable things. Eventually she finds herself, after being maligned all her life so far , surrounded by equally talented women. Women who not only empathise but have the means to do change things and the way of the world. A gritty tale for the first part which may be hard to read for some, but stick with it and I am fairly sure that you will smile. A little science fiction, a little science, some excellent research and a truly brilliant plot. What goes around comes around. Karma? Perhaps with a little help from your friends.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.b

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, just WOW! I don't know how to describe my feelings about this book, but I'll try.

I empathised and sympathised (#MeToo), I cried so many tears, I was completely with the women for revenge, I raged, I swore like a trooper, and by god did I say "WTF?" out loud at the end. I'm going to have to read it again to catch what I missed the first time. So much happened in Katherine's life, that my head was rattling.

Put simply (and nothing really is simple, is it?), this is the ultimate punishment of men for their violence against, and disrespect of, women...but not quite in the way that you think.

This would be a fantastic book club choice as there is SO MUCH to discuss between these pages. Truly, I don't know if I enjoyed this or not, I'm thunderstruck by some of the contents. It's a very reactive novel. Be warned that this includes child abuse, rape, and extreme violence, but it needs to be told for the story.

Never forget, though, that this is penned by a man. Every word came from a male imagination. Now, I love Nesly's work, but he knocked me for six with this one. This is Katherine's story, from her young life to adulthood, and you can understand why she behaves the way she does. You may not agree with it, but you can understand it. Coupled with like-minded women, she is unstoppable.

The story - when it gets to the altered human conception parts - is just amazing. I would love to know what triggered the idea for this. So well written, an unusual but scarily realistic storyline, full characterisations, and for this woman - feeling every emotion under the sun - but I can't wait for the rest of this series. Fantastic, but very harrowing.

I was given an eARC which I voluntarily read and reviewed. Any opinions are my own.

[lliah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to begin?

This book was a journey to read. Not in the sense of length, but in the experiences and raw emotions that develop as the story progresses through our narrator, Katherine Eris Barnes.

Through the course of the novel, we grow up with Katherine, starting off at being at a young age, with a mind that is far too brilliant, but too exposed to too much trauma.

(Warning: topics such as sexual assault, abuse, drugs, and grotesque/vivd descriptions of murder are included through the course of the novel.)

Despite all the tragedies, Katherine overcomes it all. Becoming stronger each time with a firm resolution to empower and protect women from the oppressive violence and demeaning characteristics of men (or so we are lead to think, as issues at the end of the novel made me question the reliability of our narrator with a goal that seems to be justified, but maybe far too radical? An obsession? There is more to be analyzed with her complex character and the relationships made in the story.)

Everything simply had a purpose in this novel, among my favorites being the way the diction and prose evolves with Katherine’s age. I also felt that while nothing was too drawn out, the suspense and thrill of the novel prevailed.

I guess I should note that before this book, I have never read adult science fiction/crime fiction, but I have watched my fair share of CSI and Law and Order SVU to have some background on the topics presented, despite how Katherine’s methods of justice were not legally fought as she grew up.

—————

In all, Katherine found her voice, her strength, and empowered herself at a young age, and while she initially sought to silence her internal war, when she spoke out as a survivor and began to unravel her inner warrior, her inner goddess that she herself embodies, if you cannot tell by her middle name alone.

Furthermore, various references to quotes which Clegre appropriately integrates to each situation Katherine faced were also made, among them being:

“Words of Buckminster Fuller came to me. ‘The wave is not the water. The water merely told us about the wave moving by.’

I’d been hit by a wave, the undertow too much to bear.

And I was drowning.”

along with scientific diction that the pre-med student in me enjoyed. Haha.

—————

I don’t want to spoil much of the book, but it is definitely a worth while read. It may be a bit radical and offensive to certain audiences, but it was defined an eye opening book on a unique take on the issues fought for during the second wave of feminism and continues to be fought for today.

p.s. I couldn’t help, but draw some similarities with Their Eyes With Watching God (a book I spent a semester studying for my Literary Analysis for my AP Lit class) in the first third part of the book, with regards to oppressive males, discovering one’s sexuality, independence, and empowerment. It was pretty cool to see a different and more modern take on the subjects :)


—————

I also want to thank Shayla Eaton for providing me a copy of this book to read and review! All thoughts and commentary made about this book are my honest opinion.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashback, 1977, Katherine Eris Barnes (A/A, daughter, narrator) A/A father Mr. Barnes inseminated her A/A mother Mrs. Sally Barnes.
Chicago, IL. Mr. Sanchez (7th. grade math teacher) thought Katherine might be a very intelligent child.
Later the social worker, Ms. Green & an armed policeman, showed up at the family apartment.
Sally later kidnapped Katherine & moved her to Coeur d’Alene, ID.
The principal wanted to place her in 5th. grade

Sally wanted her tested. Saturday it would be.
Anthony (Sally’s lover) wasn’t much better than the other 2.
County courtroom. She wanted him put in prison.
Fast forward, while Dr. Katherine Eris Barnes (BA, MS, PhD, Professor, narrator) was away at Stanford U.
The police had no clue who killed Sally.
She had now embarked on becoming a MD.
Dean Broward had called Katherine to his office, ASAP.
It went a whole lot better than she expected.
Abigail Wright (BFF/college student) was taking Katherine to a Women’s Advancement Movement (WAM) group meeting.
Their goal is to address the issues of domestic abuse such as: verbal, physical, & sexual assaults perpetrated against women by the men in their lives.
Patricia Hill (WAM founder) welcomed all the new members.
Why did Katherine call Clyde Morgan (Insurance Agent)?

What were Connie & Katherine up to?
With Patricia’s help Dr. Katherine Eris Barnes (MD, narrator) later adopted Lauren Hill Barnes.
Agatha, Brenda, Connie (security), Lauren(security), Faye, Chloe, Gretchen, Lavender wanted Katherine to take over the position of head of WAM.
Each of the girls would be part of the research team.
Katherine (33) cut the ribbon for the Patricia Hill School of Early & Higher Learning.
What was the heated discussion about that Chloe (seasonal affective D/O) & Katerina were having?
It was Mada’s (chimp) 2nd. birthday.
1/7/2015, News Flash: Sasha Aspen (Global Media) announced Amber Lake the only woman on the planet that can conceive, suffered a miscarriage.
Now what for the human race?

Draino cleaner works very well.

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, & great font/writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Clerge Books, LLC.; BookFunnel; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)

[Kimberlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, brilliant, exhilarating and terrifying.

Katherine Eris Barnes. She is extremely intelligent, and she has had enough of men being violent towards, and mistreating women. She is going to put an end to it, she is going to make them pay.

It has been pummeled into her throughout her entire life, by men, that men are bad, that men treat women as possessions, that men treat women like trash. Living a horrifying childhood, going through things no child should ever have to experience, then dealing with tragedy after tragedy at the hands of men has made Katherine hard and cold towards the male gender.

With an exceptional memory, she excels at everything throughout her education, then begins her research that will change the world in ways no one could imagine. The research is fascinating, although I enjoyed it more when it was done with humans than animals. It's such a unique concept, and there's a shocking twist I never saw coming. The story is so riveting it didn't even need a twist, so it was completely unexpected. As another reviewer said, I can't wait to read this book again. You'll understand why once you finish it.

Frederick Starks from the Starks trilogy makes an appearance. I absolutely love the crossovers from series to series, it's a way to keep up with and learn more about characters whose stories could be mostly over.

Nesly Clerge is amazing at what he does, and I cannot wait to see what comes next, both in Katherine's story and any future stories that he writes. If you haven't read all of his books I suggest that you do, just make sure you don't have anything important you have to stop reading for when you start one, you might just miss it.

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, and am very grateful for it.

[Dee Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0
This was an intriguing read as I felt this was a combination of genres. A great job was done with the introduction of Katherine- as the traumatic situations she experienced in her younger years were detrimental to her thought processes & actions in adulthood. Her high academic intelligence paid off as she completed her medical training & succeeded in her quest to become a physician. It was good to see her connect with positive & inspiring folks after having such a sad & devastating past. Their assistance was what she needed. I felt Nesly did well attempting to write from a female's point of view. Detailed storyline & plot held my attention as I found the concepts of WAM interesting & the Sci-Fy aspect was noted. Although I didn't always agree with Kate's ideas, her experiments were spellbinding & helped make the story entertaining. Overall, I thought The Rise of Eris was a well written beginning to the series & I'm looking forward to reading the next segment. I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is compelling in so many ways, from the futuristic feel to the fact that the book takes place in the 1980’s to present day. I’d say fiction with a twist of Science Fiction. What I found very interesting is that this book, at its core, is about women and told from the female characters' viewpoints however it is very well written by a man. This is one of those books that is hard to put down. I read it in a little over one day because I wanted to know, I had to know, what was going to happen! So if I tell you there are some surprises does that ruin the surprise? Read it and find out.
The book does contain some rough scenes involving sex and sexual abuse including to a child.
I was given this book and asked for an honest review.

[Adam Czarnecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent story and entertaining read. I particularly enjoyed the first 40% or so best, which centered around the main character as a child. After that, the pace began to pick up and not in the best of ways. Most of the characters (besides Eris, her mother, and several of her mother's boyfriends) are interchangeable and only exist to deliver exposition--which I guess isn't a deal-breaker, but after a while it got tiring hearing how amazed everyone was with Eris' brilliance. It felt like every other page someone was stopping in awe, saying something like "now I know what Patricia saw in you." And near the end, the chapters are seemingly split at random, sometimes in the middle of dialog. This made for odd pacing issues, which, when coupled with some strange coincidences and hand-waving, makes for a mixed-review. That said, as a self-published effort at half the price of a traditional novel, I think this works fine and I'll probably pick up the next one when its released just because I liked Eris and the concept is intriguing.

[Nore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from a giveaway, and I'm happy to report that unlike the last book I won, I was actually able to finish this, and in a timely manner, even! But I wasn't blown away. The two stars are, as always, literal: It was okay.

Despite the interesting concept, this was a very, very slow book. The plot unfolds over roughly 30 years, from Katherine's childhood to the end of her young adulthood, and great portions of the book are dedicated to bland narration detailing what she did over the concept of so many years. To make matters worse, there are over 100 chapters - in a book with 330 pages!! - cutting the book into teeny-tiny slivers, which only served to make the whole thing drag even worse.

None of the characters had any real life to them. Even Katherine herself is fairly flat, as if the author wrote out a few bullet points for each character and left it at that; there's no character development, no depth. I never felt touched by Katherine's struggles despite following her from such a young age.

The plot was.... not what I was hoping for. Major spoilers: It's revealed late in the book that there's a mole in the organization (isn't there always?), which lead to a raid on their headquarters and the death of their leader, Patricia. I'm fairly sure, after the reveal that Abigail is Katherine's alter ego, that the mole was Katherine all along (le gasp), which would explain why that plot thread was dropped except for Katherine reminding us about it every few chapters - but I don't understand how the government would let WAM continue on unmolested after being tipped off to potential terrorism! According to the man they captured, there was no way the government would let them achieve their goals. And yet, they do, so easily that almost no time is devoted to how WAM manages worldwide coverage with their fertility-impeding aerosol spray! All the good sci-fi nonsense I was hoping for, glossed over in a few scant paragraphs! Add in some pure stupid in the form of Katherine attempting to impregnate males without uteri, and the book was ruined for me.

The writing itself did nothing for me. I'm occasionally swayed by a particularly good turn of phrase, but there's nothing like that in this book; this is adequate writing which gets the job done. In a word: Meh.

And finally, while I get the feeling the author wanted to present Katherine as a sympathetic character taking radical and unwise steps, and while I don't feel like the author intended to be sexist, the further I read, the more I felt as if the underlying theme was "lol, women who hate men are crazy" - and that's some good ol' fashioned sexism right there! Sarai Walker's Dietland did female radicalism so much better.

So, like..... Meh overall, to be honest. I will say that as far as self-published books go, this wasn't bad, but I don't think I'll read the second one.

[Niki Agrawal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is incredible in that even though there are significant plot holes and hardly any character development, it keeps your attention the entire way through.

The story starts with one of the most gripping first two pages I have ever read. And then it rapidly regresses into flashbacks so far away from the initial hook that you are wondering when you will actually reach the part that captured your attention. When I finally finished the book (I had to), I came to the realization that the entire novel is simply a setup for more books. I have not decided if I will read onwards… On the one hand, I want to know what happens. On the other hand, I would not recommend this book to anyone unless I was painfully teaching them the power of a good hook.

[Katey · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

"And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?"
-Keep Ya Head Up by Tupac Shakur

The First Conception: Rise of Eris is categorized as science fiction and I will warn that there are many graphic sexual and violent scenes throughout this book.

Katherine Barnes is a little girl growing up in the ghetto with a very unhealthy home environment. After the help of some school staff she is put in foster care and then later taken back by her mother where she is able to live a more safe life. In the beginning of this book I was thinking it was going down the pathway of the movie Precious (Directed by Lee Daniels); but, WOW was I mistaken.

While things do get better for Katherine, her heavy studies as a future physician and new friends change her mindset from victim to avenger. Perhaps taken way too far and to the extreme.

I will admit, as a mother, this book was difficult to read in the beginning. So much so, I considered calling it quits with the publisher that reached out to me about reading it. However, I stuck through it BECAUSE it made me upset/uncomfortable. The author brings some very foul, real truth in this book. These things happen everyday, especially to children in broken homes.

Further on, the author helps the reader relate to the anger Katherine is feeling. Where it went a bit too far was when you began to understand her plot for revenge against the male sex and how she was going to do it. I found myself feeling very conflicted with the ethical issues behind her scientific work. I also felt her idea had no real way of helping women, it just created more problems for them. Then I found myself being excited/happy that I was able to be so invested into the story to where I was DYING for the author to bring in a character to talk some sense into Katherine!!

The ending had a great surprise and twist I was not expecting at all. I won't spoil it any further as this book is the beginning of a series; but, I definitely look forward to reading more in the future.

Overall, this book was really good. It was well written, fit the genre and had me emotionally attached to the characters and stories. It pulled me in after I was able to conquer the first few uncomfortable chapters. I enjoyed it so much that I am also interested in another book by this author called The Anatomy of Cheating. Hopefully that book will be up here soon for review.

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy science fiction, drama, medicine, philosophy and psychology, this is a book you will enjoy!

Happy reading, amigos!

[HiddenTales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I`d like to start by noting some trigger warnings for this book. Sexual assault, rape, abuse, domestic violence and mental illness are a recurring topic of this book. It`s just something to keep in mind before going into this book.

This honestly was a very emotional read for me.
You read from the perspective of Katherine Eris Barnes. You get to know her as a child and how her life used to be. She is one of the bravest characters I have ever read about.

You`ll witness her days as she explains them. At home she always escapes to her room, because she`s afraid of her mothers boyfriend.

Katherine is one of the brightest people you`ll meet. At the age of nine she knows things people at high school are having difficulties with. She can skip some years of school ahead and aces all the exams like it`s no big deal at all. She also meets her first ever friend.
But back at home she quickly makes a sandwich and grabs a coke or water and flights to her room. Afraid of what might come.

When life goes on, her mother still finds the worst boyfriends and Katherines terror and disgust by men increases.

Katherine, now a student, lives away from home in her dorm.
Having a difficult time coping with her past, she finds help at WAM (Women`s Advancement Movement). All women here have some kind of history with men that let them to finally stand up for themselves. They want to let men pay for how they treated women. Being a extraordinary smart woman, Katherine finds a way to do just that. Although there are some consequences that involves mankind.

The writer Nesly Clerge did such a wonderful job writing the characters, they felt so real to me and I laughed, cried, got angry with them and also felt immense joy for them at their accomplishments.

The story has a very long intro, not so that you wonder when the main plot is going to show, but you get introduced to as how Katherine grows and how she developed such hatred towards men.

When I first started the book I honestly was expecting that I wouldn`t like it that much, because of the heavy topics which I mentioned, like sexual assault. Then again I`m a pretty sensitive person when it comes to those matters. The way it was written was in my opinion so harsh and raw. But it really made me feel all the emotions.

Overall this book was such a good read and it made me think a whole lot. I would suggest for you to pick up this book ``The first conception`` and read it for yourself if you`re intrigued.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this dystopian novel, we meet Katherine Eris Barnes as a child. She is a child growing up in an environment of revolting abuse, who finds a coping mechanism in geometry and a way out with her keen intellect. Her mother manages to save them both once, but keeps falling into the same trap with the same sort of men. It's quite clear early on why Katherine decides that men need to pay.

During her studies, Katherine soon becomes an integral part of a feminist group. She pursues revenge against the men who abused her and her mother. Once Katherine has dealt with this personal revenge, she moves on to the world at large. As a doctor, now head of the large feminist organization and with a bevy of fellow scientists at her side, she has specific ideas and methods for making all men in the world pay for their sins, whatever the cost. A twist at the end leaves us wondering and wanting to know more about Katherine and her future - and the future of mankind.

Nesly Clerge has done it again. Though I called this a dystopian novel, his novels aren't easily pigeon-holed into one genre. He manages to deal with disturbing situations as necessary to advance the story and help the reader understand the characters' background, but doesn't add them gratuitously. (But sensitive readers beware, the novel contains graphic sexual situations, rape, child abuse, violence.) He creates a character in Katherine who has a hard exterior, a shell hiding her from the world and protecting her, and yet he shows us her fragility through her weaknesses, doubts, relationships with others, and betrayal by her best friend. As she says when she starts dealing with her trauma, "All this time, I'd imagined I'd coped quite well with my emotions. I had no idea I could feel the level of sadness and rage that spewed from me." The novel deals with themes of abuse and feminism, bringing the reader to consider the quest for "equality." As in his other novels, the psychology behind each character is an important aspect of the story.

I'll be watching for the next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[C.p. Bialois · Rating 5 out of 5]

At what point do we push too far?

This is a great question Nesly Clerge tackles in his latest book, The First Conception: Rise of Eris.

The story if narrated by the main character, Katherine Barnes, and through her, we’re taken into a world as dark and twisted as any. The thing about her world is it’s sadly true for many. She’s molested, raped and betrayed by those close to her, giving rise to a determination and hunger for revenge towards men that’s understandable.

As much as we sympathize with her, we’re slowly shown the depths of her hatred as she begins to “pay back” those that have wronged her or those she cares about. In doing so, the author does a phenomenal job of displaying first her reasoning, and then the counter point of the dangers of labeling and punishing an entire group for the actions of a few. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but to do this, the author uses the characters as both positive and negative reinforcements (ie devil on one shoulder, and an angel on the other).

Like his previous works, this is well written and delves deep into our psychology, helping to guide and/or urge us to ask important questions and consider what others are dealing with from a different angle. What’s really awesome about the story is it doesn’t pick sides or tell us what’s right or wrong, and to me, that’s the best way to open a dialogue and help address the issues in our society such as equality and extremism.

The first in a series, I’m excited to see where this goes.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the year's best thrillers! The author of the addictive Amazon #1 bestselling psychological thriller The Anatomy of Cheating shows his narrative range in his latest outing, The First Conception: The Rise of Eris. In an alternate reality, a genetically engineered blight has caused most of humanity to become infertile. As in vitro techniques fail, the human race faces inevitable extinction.

The fear of mass infertility has been a common sci-fi theme over the past few decades, including P. D. James’ novel The Children of Men, Margaret Atwoods’ The Handmaid’s Tale and the upcoming The Completionist by Siobhan Adcock. With The First Conception, author Nesly Clerge has written a worthy entry into the canon. But unlike Atwood, James or Adcock, the cause of infertility isn’t caused by an environmental disaster, but rather, by a powerful team of women who have had enough of male dominance and sexual abuse.

Check out the rest of my review at BestThrillers.com.

[David Z Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a dark and imaginative thriller, sure to challenge even the most jaded readers.

After suffering a troubled childhood and abused by a series of men who view women and girls as nothing more than objects of their own pleasure, Katherine Eris Barnes emerges into adulthood singularly driven for retribution. Thanks to her intellectual brilliance, she formulates and carries out a plan with like-minded women that is sure to succeed, unless it ends humanity forever.

Nesly Clerge has a talent for creating complex protagonists that you can’t help but root for even when you probably shouldn’t, peppered with twists that will leave your head spinning. I haven’t the faintest idea where he is going with this, but I can’t wait to find out.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught me completely off guard! Unlike any other story I’ve read from Nesly Clerge. This story had me fraught with emotions. Some good; some not so good. I loved the characters, and their depth, and had to put a lot of thought into how I was feeling about things unfolding in the book. I have always loved Clerge’s writing style, and this book does not disappoint. It’s almost sci-fi in a way, which I am not a huge fan of, but this works. Pick up a copy and delve into the minds of a society of women who think changes are needed in our world, and the lengths they are willing to go to make that happen.

[Pamela Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in The Conception series

This book is a mind **ck I don't know what to make of it but I do know that it's scary as heck these women are way over their heads and the head protagonist is INSANE . But if you ask me Patricia knew what she was doing when she brought Katherine on board . As for Katherine she is so sad she has been used abused from a young age no thanks to her mother and circumstances I knew that she wasn't right I just didn't know how not right she was . Well the world is **CKED with this crazy woman in charge can't wait to see how this plays out .

[Taylor Wentzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is “wow”. This book had me completely hooked from the very beginning. Such an interesting and surprising storyline. “The First Conception” puts the reader in a position to both question and sympathize with a victim taking revenge. The author is obviously knowledgeable of psychology, medicine, and poverty/crime ridden environments, which are all used to create a fantastic read. There were several twists that caught me completely off guard, and I can not wait to see where this story goes.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost put this book down because this one definitely needed trigger warnings. I started to think the opening prologue belonged to another book. Once you get past the repeated rapes, constant sexual/mental/emotional abuse of children, battering of women and murders, it becomes clear why the author chose to include all of those things. Ultimately, the book was probably a 3-star, but I'm giving it 4 as the middle to end was very interesting, though I'm not quite sure if I want to dive back into this world.