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Finding Pandora: Book One
An exciting addition to any YA high fantasy reader's shelf! An #1 Amazon bestselling novel, rated 5* by high fantasy readers on all your favourite online platforms.
Arriette Monroe never expected to be thrust into the heart of supernatural chaos, nor did she deem herself worthy of four incredible gifts.
But when she hears the legendary Pandora's box has been reopened, putting the human race at risk of extinction, Arriette and her friends begin a quest to find and protect it from Haeylo's most powerful Everlast, Falkon Lou.
Although Arriette thinks she's walking pandemonium, the Recruit think she's their saviour...
And they're willing to prove it.
Arriette Monroe never expected to be thrust into the heart of supernatural chaos, nor did she deem herself worthy of four incredible gifts.
But when she hears the legendary Pandora's box has been reopened, putting the human race at risk of extinction, Arriette and her friends begin a quest to find and protect it from Haeylo's most powerful Everlast, Falkon Lou.
Although Arriette thinks she's walking pandemonium, the Recruit think she's their saviour...
And they're willing to prove it.
219 pages, ebook
First published March 7, 2015
17 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
E. Rachael Hardcastle
20 books46 followersE. Rachael Hardcastle is an Amazon international no.1 bestselling author from Bradford, West Yorkshire in the UK. She has diplomas in Successful Self-Publishing and Journal Therapy, alongside a university Business Studies qualification and many other writing-related achievements.
Rachael is also a trained copy-editor and publishing coach, and now runs Curious Cat Books, an indie publishing house designed to help overwhelmed debut authors. She is also now the manager of the upcoming anonymous wellbeing blogger, 'Girlboss.Guru' (1st Sept 2021).
"As a speculative fiction author, I believe in entertaining my readers by offering a temporary escape from reality. Whilst I aspire to write fun, addictive adventures with characters my readers can relate to, I need to write meaningful and emotive stories alongside them to explore the depths of what it is be human—in doing so, I can encourage people to also look within.
I feel through writing we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. Creative writing helps me to understand what my purpose is."
Rachael is also a trained copy-editor and publishing coach, and now runs Curious Cat Books, an indie publishing house designed to help overwhelmed debut authors. She is also now the manager of the upcoming anonymous wellbeing blogger, 'Girlboss.Guru' (1st Sept 2021).
"As a speculative fiction author, I believe in entertaining my readers by offering a temporary escape from reality. Whilst I aspire to write fun, addictive adventures with characters my readers can relate to, I need to write meaningful and emotive stories alongside them to explore the depths of what it is be human—in doing so, I can encourage people to also look within.
I feel through writing we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. Creative writing helps me to understand what my purpose is."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 30, 2016
Pandora has opened that box again, and evil has been unleashed upon the world.
Arriette Monroe is one of the few humans left who inhabit the planet Haeylo, along with a host of supernatural creatures including Vampyrs, Angels, Travelers and Dreamers. When her ex shows up claiming to need her help in healing a mutual friend, Arriette sets off on an adventure that is not at all what she expected, and one that will change her life forever.
I found "Finding Pandora: Book One" to be an engaging read with well written action scenes and a distinctive spin on the genre. At times the pace slowed due to large bits of information being offered at once, but when the action happened, it happened big time and left me wanting more. Hardcastle is an up and coming author with a unique tale to share, and I look forward reading the next book in her series.
Arriette Monroe is one of the few humans left who inhabit the planet Haeylo, along with a host of supernatural creatures including Vampyrs, Angels, Travelers and Dreamers. When her ex shows up claiming to need her help in healing a mutual friend, Arriette sets off on an adventure that is not at all what she expected, and one that will change her life forever.
I found "Finding Pandora: Book One" to be an engaging read with well written action scenes and a distinctive spin on the genre. At times the pace slowed due to large bits of information being offered at once, but when the action happened, it happened big time and left me wanting more. Hardcastle is an up and coming author with a unique tale to share, and I look forward reading the next book in her series.
May 3, 2017
The book begins with the story of the opening of Pandora's Box and evil entering the world. We then go forward in time to the planet Haeylo, where Arriette is one of few humans living there. When her ex-boyfriend turns up asking for her help in assisting his new girlfriend, her best friend, she reluctantly agrees. He soon reveals his true colours and Arriette is severely injured during a battle with Vampyrs. Saved by a group of non-humans with a variety of powers, her life completely changes and she learns just how important her role will be to the future of everyone on the planet.
This is an easy book to read, full of characters with different powers that will be useful as their battle against whoever opened Pandora's Box continues. It does need a little editing, but it will undoubtedly be popular with those who love this genre, as it has a fresh, new take on the YA theme. It will be interesting to see the direction the next books in the series take, as they head towards the conclusion.
This is an easy book to read, full of characters with different powers that will be useful as their battle against whoever opened Pandora's Box continues. It does need a little editing, but it will undoubtedly be popular with those who love this genre, as it has a fresh, new take on the YA theme. It will be interesting to see the direction the next books in the series take, as they head towards the conclusion.
October 11, 2016
Great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Arriette Monroe lives on Haeylo, a planet largely populated by supernaturals. She has led a simple life, until her ex-boyfriend shows up and draws her into a world she never expected. Great characters, great story. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!
Arriette Monroe lives on Haeylo, a planet largely populated by supernaturals. She has led a simple life, until her ex-boyfriend shows up and draws her into a world she never expected. Great characters, great story. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!
February 14, 2020
A beautiful fantasy book about a girl (Ariette) who suddenly learns she's special, when a group of people with magical powers come across her and deem her 'the savior'. The Chosen One.
Ariette doesn't doubt such people exists, after all she's been attacked by Vampyrs before and she's seen the Supes. But what can she do?
I really liked this book! The world building is extraordinary, and really took me by surprise. There's a great mix of learning things through dialogue (things the characters take for granted because they live in this world), and following along as characters learn surprising revelations. It felt really unique to me.
That, coupled with how easy-going and fast-paced this book is made it really enjoyable. You're quickly thrust into the heart of the matter, and it builds fast.
I toward the end, or right before the end, I felt like I fell off a bit. Perhaps it was me not paying attention, but there were a few chapters where I struggled to grasp what was going on, and why it was happening. I had to backtrack a bit to see what I missed.
The end makes it clear this is a series, and I can only expect the same beautiful world building from the next book. If Hardcastle keeps it up, I'm sure this is going to be something great.
A fun, fast-paced, beautifully crafted fantasy!
Ariette doesn't doubt such people exists, after all she's been attacked by Vampyrs before and she's seen the Supes. But what can she do?
I really liked this book! The world building is extraordinary, and really took me by surprise. There's a great mix of learning things through dialogue (things the characters take for granted because they live in this world), and following along as characters learn surprising revelations. It felt really unique to me.
That, coupled with how easy-going and fast-paced this book is made it really enjoyable. You're quickly thrust into the heart of the matter, and it builds fast.
I toward the end, or right before the end, I felt like I fell off a bit. Perhaps it was me not paying attention, but there were a few chapters where I struggled to grasp what was going on, and why it was happening. I had to backtrack a bit to see what I missed.
The end makes it clear this is a series, and I can only expect the same beautiful world building from the next book. If Hardcastle keeps it up, I'm sure this is going to be something great.
A fun, fast-paced, beautifully crafted fantasy!
October 18, 2017
This book has potential, but is lacking in some areas. The storyline was enjoyable and unique, taking place in the future on a different planet. There are a lot of characters with unique 'gifts', but the story was lacking in character development and background. There was a lot of dialogue between the characters, often times too much, and not enough description of setting or emotions. Sometimes it was a bit confusing as to who was talking, and I had to go back to try and figure it out. There were times when the story jumped from one scene to the other without explanation of how or why. I found myself going back to see if I had missed anything.
This author clearly has writing skills, but a good rewrite would do this book good.
This author clearly has writing skills, but a good rewrite would do this book good.
December 27, 2018
An adventure set far in the future... it took a while to connect with the characters, but it happened, and once it happened, I couldn’t stop reading until I’d finished it! Love the premise, the characters were great, and I would definitely be interested in following more of the shenanigans!
My only fault would be the fact that it feels so far-flung that it’s hard to connect with “real-world” stuff, but Hardcastle does a good job bringing legend to life, and recreating the ancient myth all over again!
My only fault would be the fact that it feels so far-flung that it’s hard to connect with “real-world” stuff, but Hardcastle does a good job bringing legend to life, and recreating the ancient myth all over again!
October 2, 2017
Great story! Lots going on though in this introduction to Haeylo and the search for Pandora. It was a bit difficult to keep it all straight at first, but the payoff is well worth it. I can't wait to see what Arriette does in book two!
January 6, 2017
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD----READ WITH CAUTION.
Arriete Monroe is living peacefully in a remote village on a different planet than our own, when her ex-boyfriend appears at her door, asking for her help in saving her best friend's life. Despite the fact that the best friend ran off with the boyfriend and became engaged to him, betraying Arriete in the process. Arriete agrees to accompany her former lover because of her forgiveness toward her wayward friend. What follows is a journey fraught with betrayal, rescue, and a sort of re-birth that arms Arriete with new abilities she never had before, along with a small army of new friends that claim that she is the chosen one who will prevent an impending war.
I'll begin with the positive. The story I've summarized above had a great deal of potential with its wide variety of interesting races that all have distinct powers or gifts according to what species they are, and the premise of other planets with great cities to mentally explore was intriguing. However, the potential suffered under the following flaws that were too obvious to ignore:
-As writers, we are told not to info-dump at the beginning of a book to avoid boring the reader into an early grave, but this book explained so little about its setting, people's abilities, and background that I was WISHING for some info-dumping to come my way. Various races and their abilities were mentioned, yet there was little to no description about them or the "gifts" they possessed. This book takes place on another planet, and there was not much of a picture painted of it, no image to build in my mind. The book takes place about 7000 years after our own era...why are people living in thatched-roof cottages like in the Middle Ages? Why do some of them wear old-fashioned homespun dresses, when others wear modern swimsuits and cardigan sweaters? There was a lot of potential for world-building here, but it never sprouted wings.
-Plot was very slow-moving, with action scenes few and far between. When there was any conflict, there was absolutely no buildup of suspense, no sense of urgency or me worrying about the fate of the characters involved. Also, the choppiness of the action scenes (as well as others) often made it difficult to grasp what had just happened, and I often had to turn back a page or two to see if I had missed anything. What I mean by choppy in this circumstance is that it felt like parts of the story were missing or rushed, mostly the former. The flow just wasn't there in a lot of instances, meaning that there was sometimes no smooth transition between scenes. I was often left to wonder how the characters got from one situation from another. One minute they were in a cabin, the next, by a city gate. Where did that come from, and how did they get there? I began to get the feeling that everyone knew the art of Apparition from the Harry Potter Books.
-There was far too much dialogue. I felt like all the characters did was talk, talk, talk, until I just wanted them to stop because it was severely dragging down the pacing of the book. There was page after page of conversation, and what made it particularly difficult to get through was the fact that I wasn't always sure which character was talking, forcing me to backtrack and re-read parts of the dialogue.
-During the narrative (or non-dialogue parts), I found the writing style in the narrative to be completely devoid of emotion, without the author's 'voice,' if you will. There was little indication of what was going on within the characters' heads. To create characters that people will care about (even villains), letting the reader know what they are thinking is essential.
-This is just my opinion, but one of the Vampires (referred to as Vampyrs) in the book is called a vegetarian by the other characters because she drinks animal, not human blood. I'm sorry, but you cannot be a vegetarian if you eat animal blood. A creative word for this deviant vampire could have easily been thought up, rendering her unusual tastes more interesting and amusingly irritating to other Vampyrs who possibly despise her for her more moral choices. Perhaps "Faunatarian," because "fauna" refers to animals?
On a final note, I really wanted to enjoy this book. As I stated above, it had loads of potential. A drastic re-write could elevate this book into the level a five-star novel, but in its current state it is not a particularly entertaining read. I had no desire to read the sequel once I finished it. I'm stating my honest opinions here not to hurt the author's feelings, but to assist her in fixing the mistakes all writers make at the beginning of their career, and I wish to be as kind as possible in saying them. I wish her all the best in her growth as a writer.
Arriete Monroe is living peacefully in a remote village on a different planet than our own, when her ex-boyfriend appears at her door, asking for her help in saving her best friend's life. Despite the fact that the best friend ran off with the boyfriend and became engaged to him, betraying Arriete in the process. Arriete agrees to accompany her former lover because of her forgiveness toward her wayward friend. What follows is a journey fraught with betrayal, rescue, and a sort of re-birth that arms Arriete with new abilities she never had before, along with a small army of new friends that claim that she is the chosen one who will prevent an impending war.
I'll begin with the positive. The story I've summarized above had a great deal of potential with its wide variety of interesting races that all have distinct powers or gifts according to what species they are, and the premise of other planets with great cities to mentally explore was intriguing. However, the potential suffered under the following flaws that were too obvious to ignore:
-As writers, we are told not to info-dump at the beginning of a book to avoid boring the reader into an early grave, but this book explained so little about its setting, people's abilities, and background that I was WISHING for some info-dumping to come my way. Various races and their abilities were mentioned, yet there was little to no description about them or the "gifts" they possessed. This book takes place on another planet, and there was not much of a picture painted of it, no image to build in my mind. The book takes place about 7000 years after our own era...why are people living in thatched-roof cottages like in the Middle Ages? Why do some of them wear old-fashioned homespun dresses, when others wear modern swimsuits and cardigan sweaters? There was a lot of potential for world-building here, but it never sprouted wings.
-Plot was very slow-moving, with action scenes few and far between. When there was any conflict, there was absolutely no buildup of suspense, no sense of urgency or me worrying about the fate of the characters involved. Also, the choppiness of the action scenes (as well as others) often made it difficult to grasp what had just happened, and I often had to turn back a page or two to see if I had missed anything. What I mean by choppy in this circumstance is that it felt like parts of the story were missing or rushed, mostly the former. The flow just wasn't there in a lot of instances, meaning that there was sometimes no smooth transition between scenes. I was often left to wonder how the characters got from one situation from another. One minute they were in a cabin, the next, by a city gate. Where did that come from, and how did they get there? I began to get the feeling that everyone knew the art of Apparition from the Harry Potter Books.
-There was far too much dialogue. I felt like all the characters did was talk, talk, talk, until I just wanted them to stop because it was severely dragging down the pacing of the book. There was page after page of conversation, and what made it particularly difficult to get through was the fact that I wasn't always sure which character was talking, forcing me to backtrack and re-read parts of the dialogue.
-During the narrative (or non-dialogue parts), I found the writing style in the narrative to be completely devoid of emotion, without the author's 'voice,' if you will. There was little indication of what was going on within the characters' heads. To create characters that people will care about (even villains), letting the reader know what they are thinking is essential.
-This is just my opinion, but one of the Vampires (referred to as Vampyrs) in the book is called a vegetarian by the other characters because she drinks animal, not human blood. I'm sorry, but you cannot be a vegetarian if you eat animal blood. A creative word for this deviant vampire could have easily been thought up, rendering her unusual tastes more interesting and amusingly irritating to other Vampyrs who possibly despise her for her more moral choices. Perhaps "Faunatarian," because "fauna" refers to animals?
On a final note, I really wanted to enjoy this book. As I stated above, it had loads of potential. A drastic re-write could elevate this book into the level a five-star novel, but in its current state it is not a particularly entertaining read. I had no desire to read the sequel once I finished it. I'm stating my honest opinions here not to hurt the author's feelings, but to assist her in fixing the mistakes all writers make at the beginning of their career, and I wish to be as kind as possible in saying them. I wish her all the best in her growth as a writer.
December 22, 2016
Finding Pandora: World is a young-adult high fantasy novel based on the planet Haeylo. It follows Arriette, a smart young woman with a love for knowledge, and one of the few human beings remaining on a planet ruled by Everlasts and simmering with demonic forces. It's when her ex-boyfriend Kalvin, having left Arriette for her best friend Susan, reaches out with news that Susan is gravely ill that everything changes forever for Arriette, leading her into a life changing, incredible journey.
The world of Finding Pandora is interesting on its own, comprising a mirroring history and an assortment of creatures that will make for consuming contemplation sessions. A lot has happened in this world and something apocalyptic lurks beyond the horizon, seething and scheming and weaving; you can sense it past the passages and happenings. This is testament to E. Rachael Hardcastle’s ability to choose carefully what to show and what to suggest. It is with this skill that E. Rachael Hardcastle delivers a light-pierced somber story with a compact, multifaceted plot. This makes Finding Pandora: World a book the eyes can’t skim over and forget, it demands the reader be engaged and it challenges the reader.
Finding Pandora: World is tightly knit, restless, violent beneath the calm, snappy and thought-provoking. It is the strong visceral response Finding Pandora: World evokes after reading that makes it a triumph of its own kind. Finding Pandora: World isn’t just about the characters or the story, it is about a fissuring world at the edge of its fate.
Readers Favourite Review
The world of Finding Pandora is interesting on its own, comprising a mirroring history and an assortment of creatures that will make for consuming contemplation sessions. A lot has happened in this world and something apocalyptic lurks beyond the horizon, seething and scheming and weaving; you can sense it past the passages and happenings. This is testament to E. Rachael Hardcastle’s ability to choose carefully what to show and what to suggest. It is with this skill that E. Rachael Hardcastle delivers a light-pierced somber story with a compact, multifaceted plot. This makes Finding Pandora: World a book the eyes can’t skim over and forget, it demands the reader be engaged and it challenges the reader.
Finding Pandora: World is tightly knit, restless, violent beneath the calm, snappy and thought-provoking. It is the strong visceral response Finding Pandora: World evokes after reading that makes it a triumph of its own kind. Finding Pandora: World isn’t just about the characters or the story, it is about a fissuring world at the edge of its fate.
Readers Favourite Review
August 15, 2016
Finding Pandora is the first book in a series written by E. Rachael Hardcastle. I have previously read one of this author’s books, and greatly enjoyed it.
This novel did not disappoint!
The unique look on Pandora and her box makes this a fascinating read. The writing style itself--in terms of a cohesive plot, proper pacing, grammar/spelling, and more complex aspects such as character voice/development and description is amazingly well done. I was drawn into this story and enjoying every scene as Ms. Hardcastle brings the tale to life.
Following Ariette’s journey through this novel, I found myself caring for this character and her struggles--very well done there.
I would highly recommend this novel, and I’m interested in reading the rest of this series!
This novel did not disappoint!
The unique look on Pandora and her box makes this a fascinating read. The writing style itself--in terms of a cohesive plot, proper pacing, grammar/spelling, and more complex aspects such as character voice/development and description is amazingly well done. I was drawn into this story and enjoying every scene as Ms. Hardcastle brings the tale to life.
Following Ariette’s journey through this novel, I found myself caring for this character and her struggles--very well done there.
I would highly recommend this novel, and I’m interested in reading the rest of this series!
September 4, 2016
Search for Pandora is starting on a different planet.
Cute Arriette Monroe, the central character lives a simple life and sudden turn of events changes her life forever.
The story is full of turns and twists and I bet you would remained hooked till the end.
It would be better if author gives a brief introduction of species living on the planet, so that the readers,like me who are not very much aware of this genre, could join the party since beginning.
Emma keep it up! I hope you would certainly be a BIG name in this field.
Best wishes.
Cute Arriette Monroe, the central character lives a simple life and sudden turn of events changes her life forever.
The story is full of turns and twists and I bet you would remained hooked till the end.
It would be better if author gives a brief introduction of species living on the planet, so that the readers,like me who are not very much aware of this genre, could join the party since beginning.
Emma keep it up! I hope you would certainly be a BIG name in this field.
Best wishes.
May 16, 2016
Arriette’s life changes unexpectedly after she is chosen to be be the savior by the Recruit. She must now uses her new found gifts to save the world from the Vampyrs and rescue her friends. Finding Pandora (Book One: World) is an action-packed delightful read. If you love supernatural fantasy romance, you will enjoy reading this book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews