What do you think?
Rate this book
Alt-World Chronicles #0.5
The Eighth
“I’m going to die tonight.”
Esme, the Order’s current alterni, wields magic she barely understands. This is not her world. These are not her people. Whenever she closes her eyes, she relives battles with a thousand malevolenci demons. And tonight, she knows this could be the end.
King Owen Lord is responsible for summoning Esme to this nightmare. It’s up to him to keep her alive. But deep down, he fears Esme is in over her head. They all are. The Order is losing this war, no matter how many cavali soldiers Owen leads against the demons.
When a malevolenci rift opens right on top of a treasured historic site, it triggers the worst battle of Owen and Esme’s partnership. Can Esme close the rift and stop the demons’ invasion? Or will Owen lose yet another alterni friend?
Esme, the Order’s current alterni, wields magic she barely understands. This is not her world. These are not her people. Whenever she closes her eyes, she relives battles with a thousand malevolenci demons. And tonight, she knows this could be the end.
King Owen Lord is responsible for summoning Esme to this nightmare. It’s up to him to keep her alive. But deep down, he fears Esme is in over her head. They all are. The Order is losing this war, no matter how many cavali soldiers Owen leads against the demons.
When a malevolenci rift opens right on top of a treasured historic site, it triggers the worst battle of Owen and Esme’s partnership. Can Esme close the rift and stop the demons’ invasion? Or will Owen lose yet another alterni friend?
33 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2019
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Sunshine Somerville
16 books111 followersSunshine Somerville is a Science Fantasy author who loves blending genres. She has a degree in English Literature and self-published her first book at the ripe old age of nine. She currently lives on the beachy side of Michigan with her husband, daughters, and rescued dogs.
The Kota Series is a Science Fantasy epic based on youthful obsessions with X-Men, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dark Angel, and A Wrinkle in Time.
The Alt-World Chronicles is an Urban Fantasy series inspired by weird recurring dreams, a brainstorming session in the shower, and one ridiculously hot summer lived in Kansas City.
A Fairly Fairy Tale is Sunshine’s first Middle Grade Fantasy book. She got the idea from her family’s crest, which portrays a dragon shooting flames from both ends, and from a niece whose second favorite word is farts.
FACEBOOK
TIKTOK
The Kota Series is a Science Fantasy epic based on youthful obsessions with X-Men, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dark Angel, and A Wrinkle in Time.
The Alt-World Chronicles is an Urban Fantasy series inspired by weird recurring dreams, a brainstorming session in the shower, and one ridiculously hot summer lived in Kansas City.
A Fairly Fairy Tale is Sunshine’s first Middle Grade Fantasy book. She got the idea from her family’s crest, which portrays a dragon shooting flames from both ends, and from a niece whose second favorite word is farts.
TIKTOK
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 20, 2019
The Eighth is a compact taste of The Alt-World Chronicles by Sunshine Somerville. Esme Kuchis is called upon to train as a magical alterni on an alternate earth to close rifts that threatens their livelihood. King Owen grieves that he must push his warriors and magicians hard, but what choice does he have of saving his planet from these evil creatures that enters these portals? Esme predicts her own death just earlier that day, she can feel the darkness rising and fears she is not enough to stop these attacks. Her only dread is that she will fail the people who depend on her, not that any are close friends. Friendship is a rare commodity when so few come back after an attack.
This preview of the series The Alt-World Chronicles illustrates the staggering scenario Sunshine Somerville creates for Esme Kuchis. The Eighth is a short read full of the action and combat Esme faces as a magical alterni. This story introduces the main characters, though the author only writes about one of the Esme’s, number eight. Her loyalty is commendable as she faces what so many has failed at. The combat is descriptive and swift as the warriors bond together, if only for survival. Ending this short read, I instantly desire to read the first book, Alterni. King Owen doubts their traditions and what they need to fight these creatures. The author artfully produces questions within the plot that makes the reader crave the answers in Esme’s life. Highly recommend for whose enjoy intense and powerful fantasy.
Written by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite.
This preview of the series The Alt-World Chronicles illustrates the staggering scenario Sunshine Somerville creates for Esme Kuchis. The Eighth is a short read full of the action and combat Esme faces as a magical alterni. This story introduces the main characters, though the author only writes about one of the Esme’s, number eight. Her loyalty is commendable as she faces what so many has failed at. The combat is descriptive and swift as the warriors bond together, if only for survival. Ending this short read, I instantly desire to read the first book, Alterni. King Owen doubts their traditions and what they need to fight these creatures. The author artfully produces questions within the plot that makes the reader crave the answers in Esme’s life. Highly recommend for whose enjoy intense and powerful fantasy.
Written by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite.
September 18, 2020
The Eighth is a very short prequel/introduction into The Alt-World Chronicles. The story starts with Esme, the Order's current alterni drinking in a bar and telling a stranger that she is going to die tonight. From what little we find out about her, an alterni is someone who wields magic and uses it to close "rifts" where demons enter to destroy the world she is in. We also learn that this is not her world, or her people and she is viewed as a bit of an outsider.
The next character we meet is King Owen Lord who is essentially Esme's keeper. Somehow he is responsible for her being in this world and using this magic. Esme and King Owen are thrust into an epic battle when a rift opens and the demons swarm them. In this super short story we get a glimpse of what to expect from the full series.
I think this was a well written introduction and I really like that we are given a peak into this world. Yes, you won't understand what an alterni is or what/where these demons are or come from, but I would consider it a longer synopsis then more of a prequel. It did interest me enough to want to look into the series.
I received a review copy from Hidden Gems, in exchange for an honest review.
The next character we meet is King Owen Lord who is essentially Esme's keeper. Somehow he is responsible for her being in this world and using this magic. Esme and King Owen are thrust into an epic battle when a rift opens and the demons swarm them. In this super short story we get a glimpse of what to expect from the full series.
I think this was a well written introduction and I really like that we are given a peak into this world. Yes, you won't understand what an alterni is or what/where these demons are or come from, but I would consider it a longer synopsis then more of a prequel. It did interest me enough to want to look into the series.
I received a review copy from Hidden Gems, in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2019
I'm really not sure this was a great starting point for a newbie to The Alt-World Chronicles, as I spent most of the time wondering what on earth a malevolenti/spindlox/insert-evil-thing-name-here was.
The first chapter from Esme's POV was intriguing without relying on knowing exactly what an alterni was and could have worked, but the big bang action sequence which dropped her POV for some guy called Owen just got bogged down in a sea of names of probably-magical-in-some-way people/monsters. Elves, jinn, demony-animal things... Too many people in too short a time to take in.
I didn't know who/what Owen was or why I should care, and the intro didn't give me anything much to go on about his character or what he was doing.
I think the story world sounds promising, and the writing is pretty high quality. I'd just hope that the actual series spent time explaining the who/what/why, otherwise I wouldn't have a clue.
The first chapter from Esme's POV was intriguing without relying on knowing exactly what an alterni was and could have worked, but the big bang action sequence which dropped her POV for some guy called Owen just got bogged down in a sea of names of probably-magical-in-some-way people/monsters. Elves, jinn, demony-animal things... Too many people in too short a time to take in.
I didn't know who/what Owen was or why I should care, and the intro didn't give me anything much to go on about his character or what he was doing.
I think the story world sounds promising, and the writing is pretty high quality. I'd just hope that the actual series spent time explaining the who/what/why, otherwise I wouldn't have a clue.
June 10, 2025
EDITORIAL REVIEW:
“Fantastic intro to the Alt-World Chronicles. I might warn that this is not a pre-bedtime read since the author has vividly described a battle that I know will restore my long forgotten nightmares. That being said, I can’t wait to read more!!!” — Marnie Cate, author of The Protectors of The Elemental Magic Series
“a short and violent introduction to a three-part series that will leave you breathless as you await the final outcome.” — Bruce Arrington for Readers’ Favorite
“Fantastic intro to the Alt-World Chronicles. I might warn that this is not a pre-bedtime read since the author has vividly described a battle that I know will restore my long forgotten nightmares. That being said, I can’t wait to read more!!!” — Marnie Cate, author of The Protectors of The Elemental Magic Series
“a short and violent introduction to a three-part series that will leave you breathless as you await the final outcome.” — Bruce Arrington for Readers’ Favorite
April 26, 2020
Interesting intro into series
So this is a prequel and it was interesting. Esme is an alterni, someone who can close rifts. She knows she is going to die, she can feel it like she can sense rifts. This book gives a view of what she has risk to seal a rift and those that try to protect her.
I found it intriguing enough that I would like to read more from the series.
So this is a prequel and it was interesting. Esme is an alterni, someone who can close rifts. She knows she is going to die, she can feel it like she can sense rifts. This book gives a view of what she has risk to seal a rift and those that try to protect her.
I found it intriguing enough that I would like to read more from the series.
April 23, 2020
2.75 stars
Interesting concepts, but I didn't feel invested at all.
Interesting concepts, but I didn't feel invested at all.
April 25, 2020
Short,but violent. Not gory though
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews