The Aeon Chronicles: (Book 1) A Sci-Fi Fantasy Romance Series

by April M. Woodard

SOULMATES ARE DESTINED TO DIE BUT THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNINGDarkness descends upon the Infinite Realm as Aalok prepares to wage war with his creator. A plan of redemption has been set forth, but first, heaven and Earth must be destroyed. Sophie is ready to face death if it means saving her brethren. But when she learns that her suitor, Serus has been exiled, she begins to question her new life without him. That is until, she meets her Guardian, Alexander. The Aeon is shifting into oblivion and Sophie has but a short time to decide. Will she choose her love or die to live again?

What readers are saying about The Aeon Chronicles"I couldn’t put it down!" ★★★★★"The BEST Fallen Angel Speculative Fiction!" ★★★★★"The ending blew my mind!" ★★★★★"I need the next book NOW!" ★★★★★"Will they find one another again?! I have to know!" ★★★★★

"Serus is the NEW Damon Salvator!" ★★★★★"I love this love triangle!" ★★★★★"Space ships, Angels, AND dinosaurs! YES!" ★★★★★"Alexander is my NEW book boyfriend! SWOON!" ★★★★★

"It's like The Princess Bride meets 2012!" ★★★★★

403 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 25, 2018

Reviews

[Maci D · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75! I really enjoyed this book! I listened via audio on audible and the narrator was REALLY really good. The writing was was excellent and the flow of the story was well-paced and entertaining. I also super enjoyed the romance and the sci fi elements which you don't usually find in angel story. This has some Biblical themes/christian symbolism which is to be expected for an Angel/fallen angel story, but I do think it is good to make note of in case that isn't your jam, and some of them I found heavier handed than other Angel books I've read. (Which isn't my personal fave). but overall a very enjoyable read.

[Alegra Sterling · Rating 5 out of 5]

YA Fanatics from near and far. This is a must-read. What happens when you combine celestial beings with a life-changing choice you get Aeon Chronicles. This is a page-turner not wanting the book to end. Once you turn a page in this novel, it will pull you into this world and send you on a whirlwind experience. This author has made me fall back in love with YA and if your not a believer you will be converted too. Please join the challenge would you die to love again. Who else will jump off that cliff into the world of uncertainty join these beings and this author as she explores that question?

[Josh Langlois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when I was 17, I read a book that changed my life. I remember the moment I closed the last page of that book as if it were yesterday, and I will never forget it. Tonight, when I closed the final page of April Woodard's The Aeon Chronicles, I knew that it was a moment I will never forget, because her book has just changed my life. I won't even begin to attempt to give a slight re-telling of the basics of this story because it simply cannot be done. I was moved by this book, and I don't just mean my insides felt raw and I wanted to spend the rest of the night hiding from the world, I mean it picked me up and threw me across the room! The way April brought not just a vibrant world to life with her amazingly woven narrative, but the way she made me feel every single damn emotion of each character she so lovingly crafted was nothing short of astounding. When a writer can make you deeply fall in love with her main character, that is incredible writing! That is certainly the best trait of her writing, her ability to create and drive emotion from her readers in such a way that you want to run out and find that one true love of your life and get down on your knees and proclaim for the world to hear how much you love them because you never know when your last chance to do so will come-maybe it was just me.... I honestly do not think mere words can explain what this book did for me, you simply have to pick up the book and read it for yourself. I absolutely cannot WAIT for Book 2.

[Nicholas Gagnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning

Woodard stuns in her series opener, The Aeon Chronicles. As a lover of fantasy, I could not put this down. As a rare reader of romance, Woodard's writing almost made me forget I was reading one. Her descriptions pop and the dialogue is natural, pulling the reader from one page to the next. Cannot wait for book 2! Well established characters, a thrilling plot and a gorgeously realized universe make this a must-have.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/20/2019)! 🎁

[M.L. Tishner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a chat with author April M. Woodard over her inspiration for this novel and she told me that the idea came to her when she found herself questioning the idea of soul mates. That premise alone was enough for me to buy the book and read it. I find the idea of soul mates finding each other to be so romantic! *starry eyes* I am a huge fan of Sailor Moon precisely because of this premise. 
I thought this was a fresh take on the "fallen angel" stories that saturated the market a number of years ago. How was it different? Add dinosaurs, space ships, and an apocalypse that rivals the Book of Revelations and you have this beautiful story. I will admit, the quick change in character POVs was a little jarring at first, but I got used to it. It's worth seeing inside each character's head as they make their choices. It made them all the more real to me. 
I am very much invested in these characters and can't wait to read book 2!

Favorite Quote: He vowed right then and there he would always search for her, that he would always seek her light.

Why I chose it: It perfectly sums up the very reason why I was drawn to this story - soul mates and whether or not they find each other in the next life. Will they? I need to read book 2 to find out!

[Peggy Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series: The Aeon Chronicles (Book 1)
Paperback: 403 pages
Publisher: Distant World Press; I edition (April 18, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1732249016
ISBN-13: 978-1732249011
Price: 14.99 (Amazon & Barns And Noble)

This book is the first in its series and the first novel by author April Woodard. The cover is beautiful and eye-catching with the young woman appearing to float in the starry sky.
This is a fantastical story, with dinosaurs, flying spaceships, a previous Earth(before the tales of our creation), and a heavenly realm. Good and light, against evil and darkness.
We meet Sophie, a young Truth Keeper in the Seventh Circle who just wants to bring souls back to Aramis, their creator. When the rift between good and evil enters her life personally, Sophie faces the most painful choice (s) of her life at this point.
Serus is a Truth Keeper from the Eighth Circle who ends up falling in love with Sophie. But he is hiding something from her that will tear them apart if she knew.
Alexander is a Guardian, sent to protect Sophie, in the last hours of Earth’s existence, with his own truths to face.
They all have to face their darkest moments, some will triumph, some will not.
My favorite part is naturally the last two chapters, where it all comes to a head, and I’m trying not to give any spoilers here. But those last two chapters-you need a tissue! April wrote it in such a beautifully painful way, plan to not have any distractions when you get to that part.
April has done an amazing job at creating a world that is familiar, realistic, and yet foreign to us. The struggles with hope, pain, grief, anger, wants, and desires will be familiar to any reader because these are our own struggles.
It has Biblical undertones, readers may recognize tales from the Bible in this book. April handles it in a way that takes what is believed into a wonderful world of ‘what if?” I didn’t find the undertones offensive, and they were used to place the plot on a trajectory that pulls the reader with it.
I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series, to see where April is taking these three (and then some) in the new Aeon.

[Sdoster · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW !I could not put this book down! This book is a must read! I can’t wait to read book 2.

[H.A. LYNN · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best speculative romance of the ‘fallen’ angel and creation story I’ve read in a long time! Woodard captured my heart with light and dark, intriguing characters, who must choose between their faith and loyalty to their King or exile from their heaven.

My emotions were all over the place with the multi-POV, which was brilliant. Something shifty about Serus made me wary of him from the start, but I love his passion for Sophie, his need to do whatever it takes to win her over. I immediately fell head-over-heels for Alexander, the patient, strong Guardian. Sophie is irritatingly relatable, fickle and faithful rolled up into a confused little mess. I yelled at the book a few times due to her deals with devils and making choices she was warned against. The ending had me fan-girling hard over the inevitable ‘goodbye’ the reader will expect and dread the entire length of the book.

I read this book for my own enjoyment and look forward to discovering what happens now. Will Sophie and Alexander find each other? What will Serus do after a desperate move to make Sophie his again? I’m itching for the next book and have already recommended it those who may enjoy it (including my mother)! Bravo, April! Thank you for sharing your story with me and thank you for signing my copy!

[Kaylee Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great Premise

The concept of the story is super interesting! It’s an intriguing premise, but this story could stand for additional read throughs. The opening is jarring and difficult to get into. It’s very confusing for people who’ve never been in this world. There are a TON of grammatical or spelling errors. Two of the main characters in the book have very similar names - one is “bad” and the other is “good” and it can be difficult to remember which one is which. There isn’t much explained about some of the world’s settings - like why angels need a space ship to get to the Infinite Realm or “heaven.” It’s difficult to give this book such a low rating because I think it could be a great book but it needs help.

[Grace Ruri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book and being so immersed in the story; I wasn't conversing with anyone, or doing anything else but reading it for almost two days. The story is amazing, the characters are lovable, and it keeps you interested all the way through. I will definitely be reading this again!

[Chelle Cypress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Overall the premise of this story was very interesting. A sci-fi novel with a twist on angels and deities. Throughout the book there were very strong Christian references and metaphors woven through out the story. Which made the novel to some degree predictable, since the tone focused on very precise view on good and evil with very little focus on the “gray areas” of morality.

There were many intriguing and well done scenes throughout the book. Personally I found Ceres to be the most compelling and well written of the characters. His struggle with good vs evil was by far the most intriguing part of the story. The other characters felt a bit hollow. Sophie and Alexander continued to echo the same sentiments over and over. I would have appreciated a bit more internal struggle for both of them.

The author has a very unique writing style leaning toward poetic. However at times in crafting beautiful pros I found myself confused by what was actually happening. The first half of the book felt confusing but the second half of the book was much more clear and a quicker pace.

I am curious about book 2 and I wonder if the future books will be clearer since the backstory has now been set.

Overall the book is a 3.5. I would have given it a higher score but the first half of the book was challenging to get through given the payoff at the end of the book.

[J.J. Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I am yours," Serus smiled.
"And you are mine."
"By this tether, our souls are intertwined, and by this blessing, it will never unwind. We have found the soul we sought to find, and with this binding, we are forever, you and I."
-Aeon Chronicles, book 1, page 218

It's BOOK REVIEW TIME!!!!

Okay guys, so I just finished The Aeon Chronicles book 1 by April M. Woodard.

Deep in a world where things are either good or evil, one would never expect to find a cast of morally grey characters.
In book one we follow Sophie, a truth keeper, lower angel for Aramis [the Creator/God] who finds out that the one she loves has been swept up in darkness.
We experience longing and rage and heartache as Sophie comes to terms with her choices.

Favorite character: Alexander and Serus

Least favorite: Caius

What a great debut for Ms. Woodard! Although, now I feel as if this is a prequel of what is to come, I cannot wait to dive into book two and experience more of this gigantic realm!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐
#aeonchronicles #bookone #angelreads #angelreadathon #fallengrace #fantasyseries #seraphs #indiereads #indiepick #fallenangel #yafantasy #mustread #readinglist2021 #bookstagram #bookish #bookreview

[Jonas Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way Woodard approaches a vast topic such as this. With the rebirth of souls to the angel/demon hierarchy. There were some fabulous elements throughout. The Library of Souls concept was very intriguing in itself. I think my attention started to get a little muddled with the amount of characters and they ways in which this huge world was described. It left it a bit unclear.

A great introductory novel by a rising star. I have zero doubts that her next and future novels will only exceed this one!

[Ilina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No matter the distance, or time, or even dimension, love remains. It is imprinted in the depths of our souls and we carry it wherever we go. If you listen closely, that love will remind you of what was.” - the Aeon Chronicles

This book was a great start to the series and I can’t wait to read the next one! In my opinion, the start was a bit slow and I was very confused, but the ending was amazing and left me mindblown! I loved the author’s writing style. For me, the book had too many religious themes (but that’s just because I’m not religious at all), and it took me a while to understood that Sophie, Alexander, and Serus were angels, and that Aramis was supposed to be god. Also, even though Sophie was supposed to be wise, she was very naive, and that annoyed me sometimes.

From the start, I never shipped Sophie and Serus, since he seemed to be too possessive of Sophie. However, Serus was a really interesting character since everything he did was to try and get back Sophie. I loved the romance between Alexander and Sophie especially at the end (and I was so happy when I found out they were soulmates)! The ending left me hooked and I hope to read the second book soon!

[A.D.S. Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book and I am not one for books that have a heavy religious tone. Sophie's journey and the ending of this book is freaking fantastic, and I can't wait to get book two and continue the series. If you have been debating in purchasing this series and reading it - DO IT!

[Breanna Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing, and I can't wait to start the next one.

[Eric B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story and how it is based on biblical stuff but has a fun twist on it that even a slightly religious guy can enjoy. Looking forward to book to so I can see what happens next.

[LB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aeon Chronicles is a beautiful tale of good vs. evil. A story of fallen angels and the good, bad, and ugly of free-will. I loved the world Woodard conceived—a lovely blend of fantasy and sci-fi. She created a remarkable parallel between the tranquility of the heavenly and the dying world. We are thrown straight into the story on page one. We meet numerous characters right away, so pay attention. The book doesn't maintain a linear timeline; it skips around a bit. Stick with it; once you learn each of the characters and their place in the story, it's well worth the extra focus.
I cared about all the characters—even some of the side characters who held little importance. Woodard did a great job of introducing everyone without info-dumping. The romance was well done and believable. It was another great point of contrast in the story.
I listened on Audible, which was wonderfully done. So, I can only speak to the listening experience. The plot was creative and followed a natural order. There was a great deal of Christian symbolism, which I personally loved.
The pacing was pretty good. I typically lean more towards fast pace, plot-driven stories. I'd say Aeon Chronicles is slightly slower-moving, and focuses a bit more on the characters, but I think it worked well in this story with its beautiful prose and expressive writing.
The ending was unique, and It left me needing to know what happens next. I really liked the arc of all the characters, and I'm anxious to see what happens in the next book.

Thanks for your time,
LB Bromley

[C.L. Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book has an interesting premise and a unique spin on the ideas of angels, souls, freewill with a spin of technology; I love the originality about that in this book along with the incredible scope of world building (the library of souls is soooo cool).

The narrative was very plot driven rather than character driven - nothing wrong with that; My reading tastes skew toward a character driven story which informs my review. There were some technical things that made me feel unsettled as I read: head-hopping in the middle of scenes; missing details or awkward phrasing that took me out of the story because I got confused; I got lost in the expository style dialogue at times; I wanted to understand why the characters were behaving/making decision they were...

I think Woodward has lots of promise! It will be interesting to see how this story progresses as she grows as an author.

[Reshma V · Rating 4 out of 5]

HiiiI just finished this books oh man it was wild run l love it so much. April is first time author but you will never know it. The story about infinite realm and the chaos happening there. Alalok, the villain prepare to wager war with his creator Armis. The plan is to make everything right to make a redemption but first the haven and earth must be destroyed. Sophie our main protagonist has to make crucial decisions on this plan. So what I love about this books the world is so great and it gives you an escape form the real world. As I mentioned before writing style was so great. It was so beautiful. April is born be an author. The plot is the story was really amazing. It happens before human and the reason for its creation. Interesting right?. April really blends some Sci fi elements into this fantasy world. The characters are great. They will make you love them and makes you annoyed back again. They are not perfect people they got flaws which helps the reader to make a great connection with the characters. Another thing is that every persons in the world has Auroa in them. Which changes color according to the their emotions like blue for wisdom and love and white for purity etc. Which helps us to make great understanding of the character situation they are going through and their emotional depth.

What I didn't like in this books that you have to take some time to get into the story. The story starts with some middle of the plot which can be a bit confusing. Also the climax was a bit predictable but I can see that it make a great plot to the next books. Another thing is not negative for everyone there is love triangle in it which I am not a big fan of and the romance between two characters are seems bit forced and instant love. I prefer them as friends. It is only things I can find as negative.

The story was really a fantastic ride. If you are really big fan of fantasy or sci fi you will love it. I can guarantee you that you will not disappointed by having a copy of this book in your shelf.

[Kimberley Salvatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of this book I will say that I wasnt really all that sure about this book and where it was going. I was a little confused so many things are put into place in this fantasy world. But then as I continued to read it bringing more info the characters the more I wanted to dive into it. One thing keeping me intrigued during the time that i was a little confused about everything. The ending had the most beautiful description. The last 100 pages were both epic, heartbreaking, breathtaking, and amazing. I'm so glad to have read this book and cant wait to pick up the next one!

[Adrianna A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE ITI!!!!! I was hooked from the beginning. I think that the characters are very well demonstrated. I fell in love with Serus and THEN Alexander swept me off my feet. Sophie is a very strong character and I loved reading their story. I am both happy and sad with the ending decision Sophie made. The ending KILLED me but also made me even more ready for the next book. I definitely recommend this book!!!!

[Jamie sandvoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read one book this year please please read this book. This by far is on amazing book, the concept behind it is like nothing I have ever read. It will make you question so many different things, about this journey we call life. The characters are so well developed, and you will fall in love with them.