The Connection

The Arete #1.5

by Rae Else

The first e-short, one of two prequels to The All-Seeing Eye, book two of The Arete Series.

Janos, the only survivor of the Triad, traverses time, seeking to ensure that the future he desires will come to pass.

This short stories can be read online.

ebook

First published February 10, 2018

About the author

Rae Else is an Urban Fantasy author, most at home in the spaces between reality and the imaginary. When in the real world, she resides with her husband in Plymouth. The Arete Trilogy is her Young Adult, Urban Fantasy debut. Her upcoming series, The Dark Between, is a decadently dark YA Fantasy, featuring a whole cast of paras - shifters, vamps, witches, mages, fae ... and lots of soul magic.

Rae studied Classics at university and a lot of her stories draw on mythology and ancient worlds. In her twenties, Rae worked as a teacher and now writes full time. When not reading or writing, Rae loves to scuba dive and sail. She finds the big blue to be like a good book – a portal to a different world.

The Lost Assassin novella and two companion e-shorts to The Arete Series can be downloaded for FREE, as well as Doors To The Dead, the companion novella to The Dark Between Series. To grab them, go to http://raeelse.co.uk

Reviews

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story sequel to a novel I read a few years ago called Descendants. I found this online and thought it may be a good short lesson to get me back into the world. Unfortunately, since I read the novel three years ago, I am actually finding it hard to recall all of the events that happened. Some characters are still vague for me, and this short didn't do a lot to recap the last book.

Rae Else can actually write well, which is a bonus for an indie author. She does have a way with words and there was a brief passage in this story describing the former novel's heroine (in a flashback) dealing at a young age with a gift that has been descended from her demigod ancestry (specifically Medusa). She can wield incredible power over a living thing by looking at them in the eyes. Rae Else did a good job in a very short scene really uncovering the complex emotions that would erupt in a young girl with this gift, particularly consequences of accidentally using it on a beloved family pet.

So this story really kinda didn't hit any markers in terms of story (it was only like 6 pages), it did make me remember that I appreciate the way this author writes. So that's something. However, it also made me realize that if I have any plans to purse novel #2, I definitely need to skim book one again.

Three stars

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connection is the first novella of two novellas suggested reading before the All- Seeinng Eye which is the second novel in The Arete Series. It is very short possibly 6 to 8 pages. This novella provides some background and history to our protagonist Janos, the only survivor of the Triad at the end of the first novel Descendants. The novella provides this information through a flashback. It specifically deals with a time in which Janos discovers her powers. A gift that has been descended from her demigod ancestry (specifically Medusa). She can wield incredible power over a living thing by looking at them in the eyes. Ms. Else was able to describe the emotions that would be overwhelming to a young girl. This novella provides some information that I suspect will make my understanding of the upcoming novels more complete.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short, resulting in an incomplete story.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to learn more about the Graeae.