Broken Aether

by S.G. Bacon

For Rena Jones, an invitation to the Society of Aristotelian Pursuits is the most exciting opportunity she’s had in her nineteen years of life. With her boundless optimism, the ambition of others at the Society, and the most sophisticated scientific instruments she’s ever used, nearly anything is possible.

Unfortunately, that turns out to be exactly the problem. When the three most powerful people in the Society invite Rena to join them in creating aether, Aristotle’s unattainable essence, something just doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t take long for her suspicions to be confirmed. Rena, along with Fin, her unlikely ally, soon finds that being against the Society is a dangerous position to be in. Regardless of the danger, Fin and Rena know that they have to do everything they can to prevent the creation of aether and the absolute power it would bring. With aether in their grasp, the Society would be able to conform the world to their idea of what it should be… and a world in which only certain people matter is a cruel world indeed.

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2020

Reviews

[Tuesday Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Although it took me awhile to really get into it, once the plot kicked off I was hooked! Rena is an astounding female character who stays true to herself in the toughest situations that fact alone kept me turning the pages. Fin's character evolves so naturally as he slowly opens up to Rena, his respect for her, and their overall trust in each other was delightful to read. Another thing I loved was the take on how terrible the class system is, that every person deserves respect, this notion really strengthened what the characters were fighting for and had me cheering them on!

[Kaitlyn Legaspi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though short, this book left me feeling really satisfied! I fell in love with the main characters, and I enjoyed the story. Definitely recommend for anyone who wants a short, casual and charming read!

[Erelah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a refreshing read. I’ll come back later when I write a more intelligent review!

[Becca Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Short, sweet, and powerful. I loved the characters and their relationships, and the plot was engaging.

[S.J. Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. An enjoyable read that highlights social issues of class in a thoroughly interesting way. The highlight of this novel, for me, is its characters. Rena is a fantastic heroine, it’s fun and exciting to follow her journey. I love that she is both sweet and assertive, able to hold her ground when she knows what is right but also a kind soul. I think so often authors give us kickass heroines that are determined and powerful but lack kindness, so it was refreshing and awesome to see. I also liked Fin and his very different but also intriguing attitude to life, a distaste of the aristocracy one can relate to. The villains were a tad on the cliche side, but who doesn’t love a good story with a familiar villain every now and again? A great holiday read, in my opinion.

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Broken Aether was an amazing representation of not being able to judge a book its cover. The main character, Rena, has a very hard time focusing on things. So people often underestimated her. But she was able to prove them wrong. I feel like a lot of that goes on in this world and if Rena was able to persevere through it so could everyone else, as long as they chose to. Broken Aether can be very suspenseful and it was an overall amazing read.