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The Gryphon Generation #1
The Gryphon Generation
Gryphons are a new and budding race in the world. They suffered their share of strife and oppression when they first appeared but over time humans have become more accepting, especially as the new sport of Gryphball became popular. Thyra and Johnathen are the first interspecies married couple in America's southern states. They have had their own struggles fitting in, dealing with racist citizens and a religious cult that sees them as abominations that should be eradicated. Can Johnathen and Thyra live freely in a world that seems set against them?
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2018
26 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Bizzell
6 books16 followersBorn and raised in Chattanooga.
Working as an industrial technician.
General Falconer.
Complete bird nerd.
Car Enthusiast.
Enjoys traveling.
Loves a good beer.
Working as an industrial technician.
General Falconer.
Complete bird nerd.
Car Enthusiast.
Enjoys traveling.
Loves a good beer.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 15, 2025
Found this one at a Value Village, thought it would be funny.
The racial allegory is REALLY heavy handed. I think this book could've been a lot more satisfying if the bad guys weren't portrayed as racist xenophobes from the beginning, and the readers watched their ideology reveal itself. The book seemed really eager to have an irredeemable villain right away, and it feels like a little more care could've been put into it.
I love seeing how gryphons interact with this human-dominated world. Their culture, their unique colors reflecting their nationality, and even how clothes fit them. If this book series were entirely about a gryphon society (like a Wings of Fire, but with gryphons instead) this would be even cooler.
Also the book kinda glossed over a big plot point that one would assume would be big. Like, it shows the beginning, then has characters summarize their thoughts halfway through (BRIEFLY, mind you), and then its waved away later like "oh, that wasn't such a big deal". Meanwhile, the first few chapters of the book made it seem like it could be a massive roadblock for the main characters, and it could've lead to some interesting plot development. If you know, you know.
The racial allegory is REALLY heavy handed. I think this book could've been a lot more satisfying if the bad guys weren't portrayed as racist xenophobes from the beginning, and the readers watched their ideology reveal itself. The book seemed really eager to have an irredeemable villain right away, and it feels like a little more care could've been put into it.
I love seeing how gryphons interact with this human-dominated world. Their culture, their unique colors reflecting their nationality, and even how clothes fit them. If this book series were entirely about a gryphon society (like a Wings of Fire, but with gryphons instead) this would be even cooler.
Also the book kinda glossed over a big plot point that one would assume would be big. Like, it shows the beginning, then has characters summarize their thoughts halfway through (BRIEFLY, mind you), and then its waved away later like "oh, that wasn't such a big deal". Meanwhile, the first few chapters of the book made it seem like it could be a massive roadblock for the main characters, and it could've lead to some interesting plot development. If you know, you know.
June 16, 2018
I think the best thing to say about this book is that it has potential, but is currently not polished to the level required. The main characters are, for the most part, interesting enough. They share some great scenes, and you do get a good insight into their lives, which is nice.
However, their scenes also felt like little more than worldbuilding as the plot waited to kick in... but it never did. Most of the story just feels like a sequence of events that don't add any real drive to the plot. What few plot scenes that do happen, are all done off-screen (see: the court case, Thrya's first training session, etc.). The characters actually seem to do very little - the events of the story happen at them, and not the other way around.
The villain of this story is not interesting at all. He is moustache-twirling evil and that's about it. He doesn't seem to fit into this story and world - and nor does his organisation. I can tell what the author is attempting to do with him - reflecting some real world issues and planting them into this story, but it just comes across as too on-the-nose and lacking in subtlety. There is no nuance to it. While that may reflect reality somewhat, it doesn't always make an interesting story.
As implied before, the plot of this story feels very thin, and it just tends to meander about a bit. Even towards the climax of the story, things feel rushed and lacklustre, and certainly doesn't contain any solid resolution. I can assume there is another book in the series, but each volume should have some element of a conclusion to wrap things up, while still leaving things open for a sequel. This doesn't do that. It feels more like the opening chapters of a longer book.
Even the griffins themselves are poorly explained. There is next to no reference of how they came to being, except in the very last few chapters. They are inconsistent in their portrayal - in their capabilities and standing within society.
There is potential in this book. With more refinement and editing I feel this could be a really interesting story, but ultimately I feel it ends as an underwhelming disappointment.
However, their scenes also felt like little more than worldbuilding as the plot waited to kick in... but it never did. Most of the story just feels like a sequence of events that don't add any real drive to the plot. What few plot scenes that do happen, are all done off-screen (see: the court case, Thrya's first training session, etc.). The characters actually seem to do very little - the events of the story happen at them, and not the other way around.
The villain of this story is not interesting at all. He is moustache-twirling evil and that's about it. He doesn't seem to fit into this story and world - and nor does his organisation. I can tell what the author is attempting to do with him - reflecting some real world issues and planting them into this story, but it just comes across as too on-the-nose and lacking in subtlety. There is no nuance to it. While that may reflect reality somewhat, it doesn't always make an interesting story.
As implied before, the plot of this story feels very thin, and it just tends to meander about a bit. Even towards the climax of the story, things feel rushed and lacklustre, and certainly doesn't contain any solid resolution. I can assume there is another book in the series, but each volume should have some element of a conclusion to wrap things up, while still leaving things open for a sequel. This doesn't do that. It feels more like the opening chapters of a longer book.
Even the griffins themselves are poorly explained. There is next to no reference of how they came to being, except in the very last few chapters. They are inconsistent in their portrayal - in their capabilities and standing within society.
There is potential in this book. With more refinement and editing I feel this could be a really interesting story, but ultimately I feel it ends as an underwhelming disappointment.
October 25, 2018
I'd probably give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoy griffin stories, and this one was unique in the fact that it had griffins and humans living together, with griffins being some sort of intelligent test-tube species. A little difficult to grasp if you think too much about it, but simple and fun if not. I will say, not all of my questions were answered (what's the deal with the creation of griffins- why were they made? Griffin clothes? Griffins capable of human speech? And a handful of others)
However, this book was short and entertaining, and I'd recommend it to those who like griffin stories. The end left with a bit of possibility for the future, and if there's a second published I think I'll likely read it.
However, this book was short and entertaining, and I'd recommend it to those who like griffin stories. The end left with a bit of possibility for the future, and if there's a second published I think I'll likely read it.
April 12, 2018
If I could, I would give this book 3.5 stars. It was an interesting read regardless of some the issues I had with it. What I like most about this book is that I see a rich world of potential, not just in the lives of the characters in the book, but the world in which they life in. But on the other hand, there were a lot of things I found myself rolling my eyes to.
First off, I'll make a note of things I liked about the book. Thyra -- the female gryphon protagonist-- has a very charming and warm personality. We get to see how see interacts with a world that wasn't build for her and see how her positive attitude and friendliness carry her through rough patches. Despite all of this, she isn't a doormat, which is refreshing to see. Some of the other characters have their own charms and for the sake of time, I just say they were interesting to read about, too bad there weren't too many well flushed out personalities.
Bizzell also has some attention grabbing scenes that didn't have to rely on action or conflict. There are a number of interesting sections of the book were Thyra is enjoying her time home, which on the surface doesn't sound like an interesting read, but Bizzell interjects humor and enough of Thyra's personality to make the reader to want to see how Thyra will solve an small everyday hassle. Bizzell also had a few flashbacks and world building moments to spice the pages.
However, there are parts of the books were the characters and narrative fall flat. The foremost in my mind are some of the other characters are flat and just one dimensional or just hardly warrant much attention.
Chief example would be the antagonist of the book. Bishop Matthew Darnwall, a cult leader who just hates gryphons and anyone not white, is basically cartoonish. His motivations are almost wholly evil for no other reason other than he's an evil cult leader and surprised he wasn't kicking puppies when ever he would appear in the book. The cult he leads also has a lot of influence since the author states that Matthew has bought a lot of local officials and police, but seems to be unable to marshall it's influence in opposition of the protagonists. I'll get to that point later.
Most of the other characters --and there are a lot for a book this size-- come and go and a few of them I would had like to know better but it never happened. The plot would just wonder on to the next chapter.
Getting to the plot, tension and pacing where big issues. It takes a while in the story before we start to get real tension in the story, namely the lead male protagonist punching someone one. What would had been a more interesting story arch and what I thought the author would use be the plot of the book is just brushed aside off scene with little fallout in what was promised to be an exciting court case. Keep in mind, this is in a town were we are told the police and other officials have are members of the cult or have been bought off and yet they seem to settle on an out of court settlement. Oddly, the lead male was never arrested in the first place. This is all the more puzzling since Matthew and his cult were said to have so much influence. This is all the more frustrating due to the male protagonist being a lawyer opposing another lawyer. I wished Bizzell would show, not tell but sadly the author falls into this trap a couple of times during the story. I also get the sense the author is confusing criminal and civil court.
Getting on the topic of law, the one thing I wished the author would had settled was more of the legal aspect of gryphons in this universe since he does touch upon it. The male and female protagonist are legally married, which I find all the more strange since basically gryphons have no other rights under the law. For example, Thyra being discriminated in finding work and later was not able to enter a courthouse. That's like having same sex marriage as being legal, but any lgbtq person couldn't hold a job or enter a courthouse.
This review is getting a bit long, so I just finish off with two more thoughts. One; the book just seems to set the stage for something with tension and then sets it aside without much drama or fails to really live up to the possible climax. Case in point would be Thrya just being offered a job for a Gryphon Ball player but then it turns out to be a try out which kinda peters out once the book rushes to it's lackluster ending.
Finally, this book has a lot of potential, but seems confused in the story it wants to tell. What would had been interesting with some more world building and some more exploration into Thrya and her kind's history, is lost in competing narratives and in the end doesn't seem to have enough steam left to finish the book despite having a major brawl scene as the climax of the book. It felt in the end like a few ideals for short stories surrounding the life of Thrya were jammed together into one book.
I am still looking forward to another book in this series, which I hope it's going to be.
First off, I'll make a note of things I liked about the book. Thyra -- the female gryphon protagonist-- has a very charming and warm personality. We get to see how see interacts with a world that wasn't build for her and see how her positive attitude and friendliness carry her through rough patches. Despite all of this, she isn't a doormat, which is refreshing to see. Some of the other characters have their own charms and for the sake of time, I just say they were interesting to read about, too bad there weren't too many well flushed out personalities.
Bizzell also has some attention grabbing scenes that didn't have to rely on action or conflict. There are a number of interesting sections of the book were Thyra is enjoying her time home, which on the surface doesn't sound like an interesting read, but Bizzell interjects humor and enough of Thyra's personality to make the reader to want to see how Thyra will solve an small everyday hassle. Bizzell also had a few flashbacks and world building moments to spice the pages.
However, there are parts of the books were the characters and narrative fall flat. The foremost in my mind are some of the other characters are flat and just one dimensional or just hardly warrant much attention.
Chief example would be the antagonist of the book. Bishop Matthew Darnwall, a cult leader who just hates gryphons and anyone not white, is basically cartoonish. His motivations are almost wholly evil for no other reason other than he's an evil cult leader and surprised he wasn't kicking puppies when ever he would appear in the book. The cult he leads also has a lot of influence since the author states that Matthew has bought a lot of local officials and police, but seems to be unable to marshall it's influence in opposition of the protagonists. I'll get to that point later.
Most of the other characters --and there are a lot for a book this size-- come and go and a few of them I would had like to know better but it never happened. The plot would just wonder on to the next chapter.
Getting to the plot, tension and pacing where big issues. It takes a while in the story before we start to get real tension in the story, namely the lead male protagonist punching someone one. What would had been a more interesting story arch and what I thought the author would use be the plot of the book is just brushed aside off scene with little fallout in what was promised to be an exciting court case. Keep in mind, this is in a town were we are told the police and other officials have are members of the cult or have been bought off and yet they seem to settle on an out of court settlement. Oddly, the lead male was never arrested in the first place. This is all the more puzzling since Matthew and his cult were said to have so much influence. This is all the more frustrating due to the male protagonist being a lawyer opposing another lawyer. I wished Bizzell would show, not tell but sadly the author falls into this trap a couple of times during the story. I also get the sense the author is confusing criminal and civil court.
Getting on the topic of law, the one thing I wished the author would had settled was more of the legal aspect of gryphons in this universe since he does touch upon it. The male and female protagonist are legally married, which I find all the more strange since basically gryphons have no other rights under the law. For example, Thyra being discriminated in finding work and later was not able to enter a courthouse. That's like having same sex marriage as being legal, but any lgbtq person couldn't hold a job or enter a courthouse.
This review is getting a bit long, so I just finish off with two more thoughts. One; the book just seems to set the stage for something with tension and then sets it aside without much drama or fails to really live up to the possible climax. Case in point would be Thrya just being offered a job for a Gryphon Ball player but then it turns out to be a try out which kinda peters out once the book rushes to it's lackluster ending.
Finally, this book has a lot of potential, but seems confused in the story it wants to tell. What would had been interesting with some more world building and some more exploration into Thrya and her kind's history, is lost in competing narratives and in the end doesn't seem to have enough steam left to finish the book despite having a major brawl scene as the climax of the book. It felt in the end like a few ideals for short stories surrounding the life of Thrya were jammed together into one book.
I am still looking forward to another book in this series, which I hope it's going to be.
November 27, 2022
Having just finished the fourth (and currently the last) book in series - I like the story. It's an interesting world with interesting characters and fairly good storytelling. There are quite a few problems, though.
First book in this series has many issues with writing itself, which steadily picks up through the following books and becomes quite good in tome 4, but still not quite as polished as I'd like to see. To be quite honest, if I didn't knew the following books improve upon writing significantly, I don't think I would have even finished the first one - while the story is rather interesting, the writing is initially almost a deal breaker.
Writing quality aside, the story as a whole certainly has its moments. The character building is very good, though the world building is lacking. Many of events and decisions that involve the world at large (outside of main characters) often feel not quite grounded in reality, but it doesn't get in a way of the story too much, at least until the ending of book 4. It's a fun read.
The ending of book 4 felt really rushed, unfortunately, as both the quality of writing has declined in the last quarter again (editing was not done?) and the plot has ended in a way that I've found at odds with the... tone of the storytelling until that point. I am a bit disappointed with that, but I did enjoy the books overall. Certainly recommend to xenofiction enthusiasts of gryphonic persuasion.
First book in this series has many issues with writing itself, which steadily picks up through the following books and becomes quite good in tome 4, but still not quite as polished as I'd like to see. To be quite honest, if I didn't knew the following books improve upon writing significantly, I don't think I would have even finished the first one - while the story is rather interesting, the writing is initially almost a deal breaker.
Writing quality aside, the story as a whole certainly has its moments. The character building is very good, though the world building is lacking. Many of events and decisions that involve the world at large (outside of main characters) often feel not quite grounded in reality, but it doesn't get in a way of the story too much, at least until the ending of book 4. It's a fun read.
The ending of book 4 felt really rushed, unfortunately, as both the quality of writing has declined in the last quarter again (editing was not done?) and the plot has ended in a way that I've found at odds with the... tone of the storytelling until that point. I am a bit disappointed with that, but I did enjoy the books overall. Certainly recommend to xenofiction enthusiasts of gryphonic persuasion.
December 28, 2021
Not very good
This book has very little, if anything to offer from a literary point of view. It contains many spelling mistakes and has a very bland and uninteresting plot line. The premise itself is okay- gryphons being genetically engineered into existence could make for an interesting story. But there needs to be a good explanation to justify this. Furthermore, the story completely lacks a compelling antagonist. Gryphon vs society only really works when there is a reason for the gryphons to exist in the first place. They were genetically engineered, sure. But why? Were they created out of necessity, or because a bunch of geneticists got bored, and decided to create another life form with human intelligence and spread it everywhere? One of these makes for a better story than another, but it is unfortunately not the route that Alexander Bizzell went down. On top of that, the protagonists are uncompelling, which is an even greater sin. The most important quality that a character must have is to be compelling and goal-oriented. If the character has no set in stone goal, there is no story. And if the character is uninteresting, the story is terrible. There are hints of goals throughout the book, we see Thyra want to become a gryphball champion despite her lack of experience or practice before trying out; furthermore, she wants to not be discriminated against. These are realistic goals, but realism does not equate to good. If we went back to the genetic creation of the gryphons, would it not be a more interesting story if we started with the gryphon being raised in the lab? Then the goal would be escape and survival in a hostile world, which are much more compelling and interesting goals. Plus, it would force Thyra to do all in her power to achieve those goals. The scientists who created her could be antagonists, or it could be their bosses and the scientists could aid her escape. And the reason for the creation could be something along the lines of people wanting to keep pet gryphons, and they could be created by a genetics company set somewhere in the 2000s. Or it could be people need an animal that can fly and have a human level of intelligence- or a near human level of intelligence- for the purpose of delivering messages in a war. Just anything like that. Instead, this book tries to be a black lives matter anti KKK book, but with gryphons as the primarily oppressed group. And it just doesn't work. That being said, I appreciate this book because I like gryphons and there is essentially no literature involving them as major players, which is why this gets 2 stars from me.
This book has very little, if anything to offer from a literary point of view. It contains many spelling mistakes and has a very bland and uninteresting plot line. The premise itself is okay- gryphons being genetically engineered into existence could make for an interesting story. But there needs to be a good explanation to justify this. Furthermore, the story completely lacks a compelling antagonist. Gryphon vs society only really works when there is a reason for the gryphons to exist in the first place. They were genetically engineered, sure. But why? Were they created out of necessity, or because a bunch of geneticists got bored, and decided to create another life form with human intelligence and spread it everywhere? One of these makes for a better story than another, but it is unfortunately not the route that Alexander Bizzell went down. On top of that, the protagonists are uncompelling, which is an even greater sin. The most important quality that a character must have is to be compelling and goal-oriented. If the character has no set in stone goal, there is no story. And if the character is uninteresting, the story is terrible. There are hints of goals throughout the book, we see Thyra want to become a gryphball champion despite her lack of experience or practice before trying out; furthermore, she wants to not be discriminated against. These are realistic goals, but realism does not equate to good. If we went back to the genetic creation of the gryphons, would it not be a more interesting story if we started with the gryphon being raised in the lab? Then the goal would be escape and survival in a hostile world, which are much more compelling and interesting goals. Plus, it would force Thyra to do all in her power to achieve those goals. The scientists who created her could be antagonists, or it could be their bosses and the scientists could aid her escape. And the reason for the creation could be something along the lines of people wanting to keep pet gryphons, and they could be created by a genetics company set somewhere in the 2000s. Or it could be people need an animal that can fly and have a human level of intelligence- or a near human level of intelligence- for the purpose of delivering messages in a war. Just anything like that. Instead, this book tries to be a black lives matter anti KKK book, but with gryphons as the primarily oppressed group. And it just doesn't work. That being said, I appreciate this book because I like gryphons and there is essentially no literature involving them as major players, which is why this gets 2 stars from me.
September 1, 2024
Whilst I read Alexander Bizzell’s “The Gryphon Generation”, I found it frequently slipping out of my claws as I would pause to imagine how it could be better - how the themes on display could be developed into something with a little more gritsle to chew on and a blunter mirror held to the society it portrays.
I found myself, in the scene after the book’s instigating incident of a fight at a bar wondering why this allegorically queer couple did not smoulder over more, and broke so quickly into mechanical, practical resolutions. It did get there in the end, with deutagonist Thyra our “Gryphoness” - internalising her treatment as a beast and ruminating upon it - all too briefly for my tastes, but perhaps that’s just my thirst for angst speaking. It is explained also, why she felt the need to be so agreeable about her situation - her fragile place between worlds and her need to prove that she is no beast, even to her husband - to whom this is presumably a charming quality. However by the time this is run around, 6 chapters have passed and the narrative tension has already quelled.
Whilst the book no doubt has passages that spark the imagination and a heart there to see, one is left with the impression that there’s a lot that the editors were not able to wrangle away from Bizzell.
There is much room given to the arrangement of things and the minutae of actions and not enough room given to the inner voice of the characters. I found myself trying to provide Jonathen with a sufficiently silly voice to offset his otherwise blank slate of features.
Whilst none of the prose is particularly deft, there are moments of lyricism, and if there is one matter with which I can credit Bizzell, it is that he knows how to keep the reader wanting more - the drip feed of Thyra’s origins and why gryphons even exist in this otherwise mundane world is not thrown upon the reader with mountains of exposition, but rather spread throughout the narrative in a bread crumb trail of intrigue. However, I felt this lede was burried a little too deep underneath the thick and bland slice of life. I picked up this book for Gryphons, and it was clearly the part the author was most excited about. They're surely the reason he wrote this book. Whilst I understand the need to keep that trail of intrigue, by the end of it, I didn't really know that that drip of lore had sufficently whet my appetite to roll me onto the next installment. He ought to have served a full glass.
I found myself, in the scene after the book’s instigating incident of a fight at a bar wondering why this allegorically queer couple did not smoulder over more, and broke so quickly into mechanical, practical resolutions. It did get there in the end, with deutagonist Thyra our “Gryphoness” - internalising her treatment as a beast and ruminating upon it - all too briefly for my tastes, but perhaps that’s just my thirst for angst speaking. It is explained also, why she felt the need to be so agreeable about her situation - her fragile place between worlds and her need to prove that she is no beast, even to her husband - to whom this is presumably a charming quality. However by the time this is run around, 6 chapters have passed and the narrative tension has already quelled.
Whilst the book no doubt has passages that spark the imagination and a heart there to see, one is left with the impression that there’s a lot that the editors were not able to wrangle away from Bizzell.
There is much room given to the arrangement of things and the minutae of actions and not enough room given to the inner voice of the characters. I found myself trying to provide Jonathen with a sufficiently silly voice to offset his otherwise blank slate of features.
Whilst none of the prose is particularly deft, there are moments of lyricism, and if there is one matter with which I can credit Bizzell, it is that he knows how to keep the reader wanting more - the drip feed of Thyra’s origins and why gryphons even exist in this otherwise mundane world is not thrown upon the reader with mountains of exposition, but rather spread throughout the narrative in a bread crumb trail of intrigue. However, I felt this lede was burried a little too deep underneath the thick and bland slice of life. I picked up this book for Gryphons, and it was clearly the part the author was most excited about. They're surely the reason he wrote this book. Whilst I understand the need to keep that trail of intrigue, by the end of it, I didn't really know that that drip of lore had sufficently whet my appetite to roll me onto the next installment. He ought to have served a full glass.
January 9, 2020
This is an interesting book, because you can read it in at least two different ways: as a love story, or as a metaphor for the hardships people face because of discrimination. As a love story it starts after the titular characters have already met, which diminishes the tension and emotional drama (in fact the protagonists seem to have no problems in their relationship aside from being descriminated against). In this regard it is like a slice of life for an unusual couple. Which brings us to the discrimination part - the heroes face a lot of it, from very one-dimensional villians (but then again, bigotry in real life is hardly inflicted by sophisticated, brilliant supervillians), and it escalates to protests and violence. There is a long subplot about a sport that's gryphon-specific, around which Thyra's storyline centers, and to sports fans (or imaginary sports fans) this may be good as worldbuilding. This sport gives gryphons visibility and thus acceptance. (which is interesting). The questions of how and why gryphons were created (it is even unclear how long their lifespans can be) is not addressed, and little of the immense technological advances needed to create them are seen; at the least, a genetic engineering method that can grant sentience would usher in a completely different medicine from the one we see in the book. Still, the story is unique, and that earns it full praise.
February 20, 2026
6.7/10
Okay, allow me to preface this by saying Rein/The author is an old friend of mine. we chatted a lot before this book was even a glint in his eyes, and ironically I see a lot of our old interactions coming out in the early chapters but that is neither here nor there. So know that I'm trying to balance my duty as a friend to support my bud while also being as honest and fair as I can, applying the same logic and critique I would to any other book.
That said, I loved so many parts of The Gryphon Generation, but it feels like it's a prologue to a bigger story or the skeleton of a story. IT's missing the meat. the connective tissue. Now, I know this is book one of five (so far) so I do know that there is more coming and that the overall structure improves a LOT, but this is very clearly part 1 of a series where the author was still learning along the way.
As I've said before I LOVE Gryphon books. I love burds. Birbs. Berds. You name it. I'll read anything if a gryphon or some avian race is heavily featured. And as a result I do love the world that was built here. I love the idea that gryphons were 'made' and are becoming a part of human society. I love the ways the humans and gryphons interacted, I loved every gryphon character in this story, and it's clear Rein did too.
However...the problem was that it still took place on earth. I get that's sort of the POINT (To have gryphons show up on earth because the idea of having a fluffy, downy lover is definitely one I can get behind), but it kind of made a lot of the social commentary way too blunt and hit way too close to home. ESPECIALLY in 2025/2026. I know this book was written a long time before our current dumpster fire of a DSA (Divided States of America), but honestly the bigotry and clear racism is...well if we didn't live in 2025/2026 it'd be cartoonishly over the top. Add PDF Files to the list and you'd have a pretty accurate representation of the current political landscape.
That is neither here nor there. I don't intend to turn my reviews of what I wish was a cute, cozy gryphon book.
Because I think there's an excellent story here. Jonathan and Thyra are cute as hell. The story of struggling to be accepted in a world full of bigots is one most people can relate to. The conflict that comes with cultures clashing and how they resolve the issue is one that is always worth exploring. But it feels like there were a dozen great ideas thrown at the wall and none of them got enough muster to stick. I think all of these issues could have easily been resolved with a longer run time. Like I said, this is an excellent prologue or the skeleton of a story but with it being so short it doesn't have much room to flesh out the world or plot so a lot of the messages needed to be blunt with CLEARLY cartoonishly evil villains, and the story suffers for that.
It's a story about acceptance in a world of intolerance but it really only comes up with brazen speeches and bold hate speech. An early plot point involved a court case about assault borne of bigotry that is solved off screen. There's an in-world sport introduced that only gives the most basic explanation of how it works or how it's played. There's commentary about fake news and media manipulation. There's a brief subplot about a gryphon accidentally hunting the wrong thing and feeling terrible about it. And very briefly, we get hints as to the backstory about how the gryphons were made, and how they came into this world.
All of these things on their own are excellent stories I'm certain had room to be their own book. every single element of this book is a hint of an idea I'd LOVE to see explored (And I know some are in the later books). I want to see a story about a gryphon who delivers groceries (So much so I'm actually writing a vaguely similar concept of a hybrid gal who delivers potions and enchanted items). I want to see a story about a gryphon involved in an avian sport. I want to see a legal procedural about how human courts would adapt to dealing with gryphon situations. I want to see the civil rights movements of humans gaining the right to marry a gryphon. I want to hear about how the gryphons came to be. ALL of these are excellent ideas for a novel.
And none of them are properly explored (yet). Which is a shame. Because reading this has definitely made me want to read more. Heck, I'd be down for a cozy story about Jonathan and Thyra. Heck, I wanna see a HEated Rivalry styled smutty romance with Thyra and Aadhya (Spelling is probably wrong, I listened via audiobook, which was excellent by the way). I love the world that we're plopped into here and would love to explore it more. I just feel like, strictly on what we see here, in this first book of what is so far a 5 book series, none of those ideas are explored enough to really sink its claws into me.
I am so glad books 2-4 are already available on audible and book 5 is also out there, so I don't have to wait long to see where this goes, because I have to admit if I read this when there was no guarantee of sequels, it'd be a tough sell to keep my attention. As it stands, I see SO much passion and love and a world I want to visit with characters I want to meet, wrapped in a story that is missing a lot of the meat needed to fill it out.
If I had to sum it up, The Gryphon Generation is a hollow skeleton of an excellent story that REALLY needs to get some meat on those bones. (Get it? Because avians have hollow bones!)
6.7/10
Okay, allow me to preface this by saying Rein/The author is an old friend of mine. we chatted a lot before this book was even a glint in his eyes, and ironically I see a lot of our old interactions coming out in the early chapters but that is neither here nor there. So know that I'm trying to balance my duty as a friend to support my bud while also being as honest and fair as I can, applying the same logic and critique I would to any other book.
That said, I loved so many parts of The Gryphon Generation, but it feels like it's a prologue to a bigger story or the skeleton of a story. IT's missing the meat. the connective tissue. Now, I know this is book one of five (so far) so I do know that there is more coming and that the overall structure improves a LOT, but this is very clearly part 1 of a series where the author was still learning along the way.
As I've said before I LOVE Gryphon books. I love burds. Birbs. Berds. You name it. I'll read anything if a gryphon or some avian race is heavily featured. And as a result I do love the world that was built here. I love the idea that gryphons were 'made' and are becoming a part of human society. I love the ways the humans and gryphons interacted, I loved every gryphon character in this story, and it's clear Rein did too.
However...the problem was that it still took place on earth. I get that's sort of the POINT (To have gryphons show up on earth because the idea of having a fluffy, downy lover is definitely one I can get behind), but it kind of made a lot of the social commentary way too blunt and hit way too close to home. ESPECIALLY in 2025/2026. I know this book was written a long time before our current dumpster fire of a DSA (Divided States of America), but honestly the bigotry and clear racism is...well if we didn't live in 2025/2026 it'd be cartoonishly over the top. Add PDF Files to the list and you'd have a pretty accurate representation of the current political landscape.
That is neither here nor there. I don't intend to turn my reviews of what I wish was a cute, cozy gryphon book.
Because I think there's an excellent story here. Jonathan and Thyra are cute as hell. The story of struggling to be accepted in a world full of bigots is one most people can relate to. The conflict that comes with cultures clashing and how they resolve the issue is one that is always worth exploring. But it feels like there were a dozen great ideas thrown at the wall and none of them got enough muster to stick. I think all of these issues could have easily been resolved with a longer run time. Like I said, this is an excellent prologue or the skeleton of a story but with it being so short it doesn't have much room to flesh out the world or plot so a lot of the messages needed to be blunt with CLEARLY cartoonishly evil villains, and the story suffers for that.
It's a story about acceptance in a world of intolerance but it really only comes up with brazen speeches and bold hate speech. An early plot point involved a court case about assault borne of bigotry that is solved off screen. There's an in-world sport introduced that only gives the most basic explanation of how it works or how it's played. There's commentary about fake news and media manipulation. There's a brief subplot about a gryphon accidentally hunting the wrong thing and feeling terrible about it. And very briefly, we get hints as to the backstory about how the gryphons were made, and how they came into this world.
All of these things on their own are excellent stories I'm certain had room to be their own book. every single element of this book is a hint of an idea I'd LOVE to see explored (And I know some are in the later books). I want to see a story about a gryphon who delivers groceries (So much so I'm actually writing a vaguely similar concept of a hybrid gal who delivers potions and enchanted items). I want to see a story about a gryphon involved in an avian sport. I want to see a legal procedural about how human courts would adapt to dealing with gryphon situations. I want to see the civil rights movements of humans gaining the right to marry a gryphon. I want to hear about how the gryphons came to be. ALL of these are excellent ideas for a novel.
And none of them are properly explored (yet). Which is a shame. Because reading this has definitely made me want to read more. Heck, I'd be down for a cozy story about Jonathan and Thyra. Heck, I wanna see a HEated Rivalry styled smutty romance with Thyra and Aadhya (Spelling is probably wrong, I listened via audiobook, which was excellent by the way). I love the world that we're plopped into here and would love to explore it more. I just feel like, strictly on what we see here, in this first book of what is so far a 5 book series, none of those ideas are explored enough to really sink its claws into me.
I am so glad books 2-4 are already available on audible and book 5 is also out there, so I don't have to wait long to see where this goes, because I have to admit if I read this when there was no guarantee of sequels, it'd be a tough sell to keep my attention. As it stands, I see SO much passion and love and a world I want to visit with characters I want to meet, wrapped in a story that is missing a lot of the meat needed to fill it out.
If I had to sum it up, The Gryphon Generation is a hollow skeleton of an excellent story that REALLY needs to get some meat on those bones. (Get it? Because avians have hollow bones!)
6.7/10
June 5, 2025
Although it's been a few years since I read it, and apparently it was before I kept my written notes on the subject, here is my video review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEs3Z...
That being said, while I don't recall exactly what I wrote, I do remember that there was a large amount of things that pointed to incomplete world building. It was not made clear to me until very late in the book that the gryphons were genetically engineered, which would have made a significant difference in the whys and hows of the universe. I thought that given the small population size it would not make sense for their medical care to be all that common, and I was bothered by their plan to effectively instigate a fight to get footage of the antagonist and his group causing trouble. It would have been one thing if they were minding their own business and something happened, but given that they went to where the antagonists were knowing a fight was likely, the first question out of any prosecutor's mouth would have been 'why were you there'.
I also recall at the end of the book, one of the characters lands in the middle of the chaos for no apparent reason, and is consequently injured.
All in all I wanted to really like this book, but it was not a good entry into a new universe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEs3Z...
That being said, while I don't recall exactly what I wrote, I do remember that there was a large amount of things that pointed to incomplete world building. It was not made clear to me until very late in the book that the gryphons were genetically engineered, which would have made a significant difference in the whys and hows of the universe. I thought that given the small population size it would not make sense for their medical care to be all that common, and I was bothered by their plan to effectively instigate a fight to get footage of the antagonist and his group causing trouble. It would have been one thing if they were minding their own business and something happened, but given that they went to where the antagonists were knowing a fight was likely, the first question out of any prosecutor's mouth would have been 'why were you there'.
I also recall at the end of the book, one of the characters lands in the middle of the chaos for no apparent reason, and is consequently injured.
All in all I wanted to really like this book, but it was not a good entry into a new universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2022
A good introduction to a new series
The Gryphon Generation is a novel with interesting ideas of a society cohabited by humans and gryphons. It was a quick and enjoyable read, but this first entry definitely feels like it could be polished just a little bit more. For instance, there are a few points where the novel sets up an interesting situation, only for it to happen off-page between chapters. These situations admittedly aren’t relevant to the larger plot, but it definitely feels a bit underwhelming. There are also a few typos in the latter half of the novel, but not enough to detract from the experience. With that said, while it had these few faults, it was still a fun read. Overall, looking forward to continuing the series.
The Gryphon Generation is a novel with interesting ideas of a society cohabited by humans and gryphons. It was a quick and enjoyable read, but this first entry definitely feels like it could be polished just a little bit more. For instance, there are a few points where the novel sets up an interesting situation, only for it to happen off-page between chapters. These situations admittedly aren’t relevant to the larger plot, but it definitely feels a bit underwhelming. There are also a few typos in the latter half of the novel, but not enough to detract from the experience. With that said, while it had these few faults, it was still a fun read. Overall, looking forward to continuing the series.
April 23, 2023
A pretty good start, while the world building is not great but their is potential their and I wished they would have gone more into the history of gryphons in this world as I think they briefly state that Gryphons were created in a lab but with no real explanation. The characters are well rounded and I do like that Jonathan and Thyra are a pretty good couple but my big problem is that the main villain seems to flat as I find it hard that anyone would want to follow them. I do like the idea of the main villain being an anti-gryphon cult but they seem a bit to over the top. But the other characters are nice and I do like seeing our main leads interact.
May 28, 2023
Creative world with some flaws but excellent messages
I find the premise of this story fascinating. I don’t often see gryphons very often in fantasy and the author crafts a very fun version. They maintain the wildness but have a humanity about them.
The message of prejudice and racism is delivered excellently, woven into the plot without a lot of preaching. It seems a natural part of the world.
There are some awkward phrases here and there but overall, I enjoyed the prose. The characters have strong voices and I enjoyed how they interacted and loved how their conversations went.
Absolutely a fun story especially if you like a fun twist in your fantasy.
I find the premise of this story fascinating. I don’t often see gryphons very often in fantasy and the author crafts a very fun version. They maintain the wildness but have a humanity about them.
The message of prejudice and racism is delivered excellently, woven into the plot without a lot of preaching. It seems a natural part of the world.
There are some awkward phrases here and there but overall, I enjoyed the prose. The characters have strong voices and I enjoyed how they interacted and loved how their conversations went.
Absolutely a fun story especially if you like a fun twist in your fantasy.
February 1, 2019
The best part of this book are definitely the gryphons themselves. It's nice seeing so many different types (rather than all gryphons being the same, which is common in fantasy) and also how they differ in abilities. They're also beautifully described.
It's also interesting seeing gryphons introduced into modern society.
The pace of the book is a bit slow for my liking (it might not be for someone else), but it picked up energy towards the end.
It's also interesting seeing gryphons introduced into modern society.
The pace of the book is a bit slow for my liking (it might not be for someone else), but it picked up energy towards the end.
July 25, 2021
The author knows how to paint scenes and characters to make the reader care about them.
That will keep you on your toes when good and bad things happen!
I simply love the story about their daily life and how they go about their tasks and problems. Hopes and accomplishments. And how the story progresses through this and the next books.
February 8, 2020
I love stories with gryphons, but I couldn't make it past chapter 2. Tried paging a bit further in, but though the idea is there, it's all tell and not show. :(
January 14, 2025
This is an absolutely amazing series for any gryphon lover!
June 11, 2025
when I started to read this book, I got a sense of wanting to read a few pages ahead, wanting to know where the person is going to get whats coming to them. I am now on book three
June 11, 2025
This book is a lil' weird for me. The writing style is exceptionally slow, cozy, wholesome, and slice-of-life. But the content is about systematic oppression, bigotry, and hate crime violence.
It...clashes a bit.
That being said, the characters are lovely and developed, the relationships feel genuine, the message is important.
It...clashes a bit.
That being said, the characters are lovely and developed, the relationships feel genuine, the message is important.
February 26, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! It's refreshing to read gryphons in a contemporary setting rather than just fantasy for once.
Some points:
- Thyra and Jonathen's relationship is so cute, I love the way they comfort each other
- Keith and Jonathen's friendship is so precious, I love it when they interact
- the new characters in the gryphon league are all great, even Victor and Nathaniel! I find it so heartwarming the way Thyra now has a friendship group.
- I like Isabell and the biker guys!
Only a few cons:
- Matthew and his cult are average, but they're not very complex, just the typical black and white villains. Hopefully they'll become more morally grey next book.
- not really a con, but it only began to have an actual plot near the end when Thyra joins the league. Before that, it seemed like they were just wandering around doing random things. Maybe book 2 will have a more solid plot.
Overall, very enjoyable and refreshing! Now I'll have to wait until Christmas for the next one. *groan*
Some points:
- Thyra and Jonathen's relationship is so cute, I love the way they comfort each other
- Keith and Jonathen's friendship is so precious, I love it when they interact
- the new characters in the gryphon league are all great, even Victor and Nathaniel! I find it so heartwarming the way Thyra now has a friendship group.
- I like Isabell and the biker guys!
Only a few cons:
- Matthew and his cult are average, but they're not very complex, just the typical black and white villains. Hopefully they'll become more morally grey next book.
- not really a con, but it only began to have an actual plot near the end when Thyra joins the league. Before that, it seemed like they were just wandering around doing random things. Maybe book 2 will have a more solid plot.
Overall, very enjoyable and refreshing! Now I'll have to wait until Christmas for the next one. *groan*
September 3, 2025
I love stories about positive relationships between humans and fantasy creatures, and this one really delivered. The relationship between Johnathen and Thyra is absolutely adorable, and all of the characters are really lovable in their own special ways (Isabell is my favorite). It does feel a little bit too short and some of the more plot heavy parts of the book feel a little rushed, but I anticipate that that will improve with its sequels, both of which are longer. As it stands now, this is a really adorable and heartwarming book that really connected with me and helped me through a rough time. I don't really have much in depth to say about it because it hit me in a place where I don't really care to dissect it for flaws, I just feel really comforted by it.
February 15, 2021
I've always loved gryphons, but there are so few books about them out there. This was an enjoyable story. I liked the mellow pace and feel of the story. I also really liked the characters and the prominent role gryphons played in it. I look forward to reading more stories about this world.
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