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Sambeth Primordial #1
Rise of the Earthborn
Rise of the Earthborn
The race of men are called to be Earth's Keepers but in the great breaking away, Fallen Ones usurp their place and rule as gods.
Left alone by her mother's death, Sambeth escapes the corrupt city of Arca only to land straight in the middle of a Sacrifice held deep in the forest. Saving a highborn girl from the designs of angelic hybrid, Altor, Sambeth also falls afoul of Proximus himself - the Fallen One of Arca.
The peril of mankind fades in importance as Sambeth struggles with the horrifying possibility that she is of the evil angelic bloodline herself, keeping her from the heart of Sem forever.
The prophecy of salvation and doom rests upon one hidden family but will they accept Sambeth or will she once again be alone?
The race of men are called to be Earth's Keepers but in the great breaking away, Fallen Ones usurp their place and rule as gods.
Left alone by her mother's death, Sambeth escapes the corrupt city of Arca only to land straight in the middle of a Sacrifice held deep in the forest. Saving a highborn girl from the designs of angelic hybrid, Altor, Sambeth also falls afoul of Proximus himself - the Fallen One of Arca.
The peril of mankind fades in importance as Sambeth struggles with the horrifying possibility that she is of the evil angelic bloodline herself, keeping her from the heart of Sem forever.
The prophecy of salvation and doom rests upon one hidden family but will they accept Sambeth or will she once again be alone?
- GenresFantasy
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2021
14 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Emma C. Buenen
7 books42 followersEmma C Buenen enjoys writing young adult adventure fiction, filled with deeds of high daring and raw courage, set in wild landscapes.
She's an Australian who has travelled to different parts of the world to start schools and to study, has built houses and explored the rugged Australian Outback in an orange Kombi.
As well as writing, she navigates the twisting, turning road of homeschooling children.
She's an Australian who has travelled to different parts of the world to start schools and to study, has built houses and explored the rugged Australian Outback in an orange Kombi.
As well as writing, she navigates the twisting, turning road of homeschooling children.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 1, 2025
Read the first book in this exciting adventure, fantasy series. I wrote the book to be full of action, adventure and the hint of a future romance. There are fallen angels and strange animals including a flying shimerith. This creature is bonded with our heroine but has his own mind.
I love old texts and ancient literature and thought it would be fun to include quotes from the Bible to help set the scene for each chapter. This is as preachy as it gets as this is a story full of drama and tension that is loosely based on a hint in Genesis 6 that angelic beings saw the daughters of men, that they were very beautiful and they came and took whoever they chose. Their hybrid offspring were the ancient mighty men of whom we have echoes of in old Greek and Roman myths and legends - of demigods, Titans, and other stories of Nephilim.
It was so much fun to write and I am putting the final touches on the third book in the series. Book two, Fear of the Earthborn, is available now.
https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Earthborn...
I love old texts and ancient literature and thought it would be fun to include quotes from the Bible to help set the scene for each chapter. This is as preachy as it gets as this is a story full of drama and tension that is loosely based on a hint in Genesis 6 that angelic beings saw the daughters of men, that they were very beautiful and they came and took whoever they chose. Their hybrid offspring were the ancient mighty men of whom we have echoes of in old Greek and Roman myths and legends - of demigods, Titans, and other stories of Nephilim.
It was so much fun to write and I am putting the final touches on the third book in the series. Book two, Fear of the Earthborn, is available now.
https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Earthborn...
June 7, 2021
An amazing tale with characters so vivid and deep that you feel they may walk right out of the pages. A story of danger, adventure and triumph. Sambeth is alone in a world ruled by The Fallen and their Earthborn prodigy. Trying to escape the eye of Proximus a fallen one would be hard enough in itself..but if he may be your father then things get so much more difficult. Sambeth manages to forge a great friendship and possibly love but if she is an Earthborn herself...what mortal man will love her?
July 20, 2021
Great series starter.
The author spins a great tale that is well written. In addition, this author has the special gift of being able to virtually transport the reader to the location where the action takes place. This book has everything. Good, Evil, Action, Blossoming love, and dark rituals. It is hard usually to review without giving the story away, but not in this case. I look forward to reading the next in this series. Definitively a 5 STARS only because we are limited to 5-star ratings.
The author spins a great tale that is well written. In addition, this author has the special gift of being able to virtually transport the reader to the location where the action takes place. This book has everything. Good, Evil, Action, Blossoming love, and dark rituals. It is hard usually to review without giving the story away, but not in this case. I look forward to reading the next in this series. Definitively a 5 STARS only because we are limited to 5-star ratings.
August 23, 2021
I loved this book. From start to finish it held my attention and very quickly I formed my opinion on which characters I would love and which I would not. The mix of human and animal/fantasy beasts was great and the scenery described to well I could imagine every tree line.
August 3, 2021
Great storyline! Highly recommended! Clean read, interesting characters, full of action and suspense, and a bit of romance. What more could a reader want. Can't wait for the next book to come out!
July 29, 2021
This story is set in the days before the Great Flood of the Bible. It has Fallen Angels, their evil earthborn offspring, and a man named Noesh who worships a God that the rest of the wicked world has forgotten, and is building a vessel to save himself and his family when that God destroys the evil. However, the focus of the story is not on Noesh.
Instead it is on two young women, Sambeth and Rija. Sambeth is hiding in the forest, running away from her home after seeing her mother slaughtered in front of her. While hiding under a bush she happens to be in the place where a sacrifice is being made to one of the earthborn sons of the first Fallen One. Of the three young women brought to be sacrificed, two are torn to pieces by the cruel, evil Altor, but the third, Rija, shows no fear of him, so he decides he wants to have her for his wife. When his father, Proximus, shows up and they begin arguing, Sambeth is able to slip away and takes Rija with her. So begins a hunt for the girls that leads through the Great Forest, to the stronghold inhabited by Noesh and his family and people, and to betrayal as secrets are revealed and lives are threatened.
I was caught up in this book, intrigued by the ideas of what things may have been like at the time of Noah. A few historical things were mentioned, like when the people became so evil they sacrificed their children to Molech. I was also happy to see strong young women as heroes -- young women who could take care of themselves and others in the forest and stand up for themselves to men who did not approve of them. The storyline was good and left me wanting to read the next book. However, I thought that there could have been a bit more character development. This book really focuses on Sambeth, and her character was adequately developed, but I would have liked to see more in the supporting cast.
Instead it is on two young women, Sambeth and Rija. Sambeth is hiding in the forest, running away from her home after seeing her mother slaughtered in front of her. While hiding under a bush she happens to be in the place where a sacrifice is being made to one of the earthborn sons of the first Fallen One. Of the three young women brought to be sacrificed, two are torn to pieces by the cruel, evil Altor, but the third, Rija, shows no fear of him, so he decides he wants to have her for his wife. When his father, Proximus, shows up and they begin arguing, Sambeth is able to slip away and takes Rija with her. So begins a hunt for the girls that leads through the Great Forest, to the stronghold inhabited by Noesh and his family and people, and to betrayal as secrets are revealed and lives are threatened.
I was caught up in this book, intrigued by the ideas of what things may have been like at the time of Noah. A few historical things were mentioned, like when the people became so evil they sacrificed their children to Molech. I was also happy to see strong young women as heroes -- young women who could take care of themselves and others in the forest and stand up for themselves to men who did not approve of them. The storyline was good and left me wanting to read the next book. However, I thought that there could have been a bit more character development. This book really focuses on Sambeth, and her character was adequately developed, but I would have liked to see more in the supporting cast.
May 1, 2022
I received this book as a free gift from the author in exchange for an honest review. This fast paced fantasy had all the elements a reader might expect - half human hybrids, mystical beasts, empathetic domestic animals, a burgeoning romance, and a family betrayal. I engaged well with the story and read it in two sessions and it was a perfect choice for a lazy weekend read - easy to follow, plenty of action etc. The story continues in further books if you have more time than a weekend. I must however say that I didnt feel a complete engagement with the characters, Sambeth started well but her story was shrouded in too much mystery so I couldn't really follow her, Sem fluctuated too much between loyalty to his family and belief in Sambeth... little bit disappointing and so only 4*.
April 18, 2021
If you like adventure, mystery, and a little romance--this book is for you. If you enjoy clean reading--this book is for you. Each "chapter" does open with a Bible verse, but this book is not a Christian book. However, the storyline could be picked up by believers in Jesus. It is not preachy in any way but is just an exciting read.
I encourage anyone to read this book. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
I encourage anyone to read this book. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
June 19, 2021
Sambeth is on the run from the people who murdered her mother as well as the Fallen One and his son. She encounters a sacrifice to one of the sons in the forest and decides to save the last girl from being used for breeding. They escape on a shimrith that sounds like a dragon to me. Anyway they are rescued by a people who it has been prophecied to end the Fallen One's reign on Earth. The stakes are high and the adventure is abundant in this first in series book. A definite page turner.
July 7, 2021
The author has painted an entirely different earth for the reader. This is an earth from the past with evil falling from heaven to take over the earth. The reader is introduced to a completely unholy and debased religion, setup to honor the evil. Our heroine scrambles for her life, saving an unknown friend. The world has mystical creatures that she can connect to.
This is a read which will pull you in ask leave you asking for more.
This is a read which will pull you in ask leave you asking for more.
April 1, 2021
Love the story, going to suggest it to my daughter. For someone who doesn't read a lot I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next book to see what happens.
March 10, 2022
This novel brings the reader on a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs following the adventures of the characters. An exciting read from beginning to end.
February 1, 2022
I received a complimentary copy from Voracious Readers Only.
I honestly loved this book! The adventure, the heartfelt moments, it all captivated me. The way the first chapter was had me immediately going, “okay, what happens next?” I could hardly put it down! I’ve already saved the second book and will also be getting the 3rd because it’s that good! I really fell in to the character of Sambeth and started kind of resonating with her story. The way the author describes things could be a bit more detailed because I had to re-read a couple pages and got confused. But, nonetheless I 10/10 recommend reading this book if you like fantasy and adventure novels. I can’t wait to start the next book.
I honestly loved this book! The adventure, the heartfelt moments, it all captivated me. The way the first chapter was had me immediately going, “okay, what happens next?” I could hardly put it down! I’ve already saved the second book and will also be getting the 3rd because it’s that good! I really fell in to the character of Sambeth and started kind of resonating with her story. The way the author describes things could be a bit more detailed because I had to re-read a couple pages and got confused. But, nonetheless I 10/10 recommend reading this book if you like fantasy and adventure novels. I can’t wait to start the next book.
May 14, 2023
Action-packed adventure with an interesting twist on Genesis (Parashat B'reishit)
There was just enough name-dropping/literary references for this to be a sort of “retelling”, yet plenty enough fictionalization to make sure that it was far enough from the Tanakh’s version of events. I appreciate how the author left a review on Goodreads to explain her “angle”. Job well done in avoiding religious appropriation.
“I love old texts and ancient literature and thought it would be fun to include quotes from the Bible to help set the scene for each chapter. This is as preachy as it gets … loosely based on a hint in Genesis 6 that angelic beings saw the daughters of men, that they were very beautiful and they came and took whoever they chose. Their hybrid offspring were the ancient mighty men of whom we have echoes of in old Greek and Roman myths and legends - of demigods, Titans, and other stories of Nephilim.”
The commentary in my Tanakh (Artscroll) explains that “the sons of the rulers” were offspring of princes & judges and that the “daughters of man” were of the common folk. Hence, this section of Torah “begins the narrative of the tragedy by speaking of the subjugation of the weak by the powerful”.
The author certainly nailed that aspect.
Fave quote:
‘There are times in this life that if you want something to happen you have to make it happen.’
Will Sambeth overcome the mighty? Let’s find out in ‘Fear of the Earthborn’ then continue with ‘Rule of the Earthborn’.
I previously read the author’s ‘Agata, Princess of Iberia’ and have the sequel ‘Daughter of the Wolfhead’.
There was just enough name-dropping/literary references for this to be a sort of “retelling”, yet plenty enough fictionalization to make sure that it was far enough from the Tanakh’s version of events. I appreciate how the author left a review on Goodreads to explain her “angle”. Job well done in avoiding religious appropriation.
“I love old texts and ancient literature and thought it would be fun to include quotes from the Bible to help set the scene for each chapter. This is as preachy as it gets … loosely based on a hint in Genesis 6 that angelic beings saw the daughters of men, that they were very beautiful and they came and took whoever they chose. Their hybrid offspring were the ancient mighty men of whom we have echoes of in old Greek and Roman myths and legends - of demigods, Titans, and other stories of Nephilim.”
The commentary in my Tanakh (Artscroll) explains that “the sons of the rulers” were offspring of princes & judges and that the “daughters of man” were of the common folk. Hence, this section of Torah “begins the narrative of the tragedy by speaking of the subjugation of the weak by the powerful”.
The author certainly nailed that aspect.
Fave quote:
‘There are times in this life that if you want something to happen you have to make it happen.’
Will Sambeth overcome the mighty? Let’s find out in ‘Fear of the Earthborn’ then continue with ‘Rule of the Earthborn’.
I previously read the author’s ‘Agata, Princess of Iberia’ and have the sequel ‘Daughter of the Wolfhead’.
October 27, 2021
This story is set in the days before the Great Flood of the Bible. It has Fallen Angels, their evil earthborn offspring, and a man named Noesh who worships a God that the rest of the wicked world has forgotten, and is building a vessel to save himself and his family when that God destroys the evil. However, the focus of the story is not on Noesh. But here is the difference the focus of he story is on the woman. And now you have got to read the rest! I really enjoyed this story!
October 13, 2021
Fantasy with Biblical history
I fell in love with Riga and Sambeth and all of Noeshs sons with lots of adventure and twists in action!
A wonderful tale told with great character development and astonishing detail!
Can hardly wait to finish the series
I fell in love with Riga and Sambeth and all of Noeshs sons with lots of adventure and twists in action!
A wonderful tale told with great character development and astonishing detail!
Can hardly wait to finish the series
January 4, 2022
wow
I'm pleasantly surprised by how good Rise of the Earthborn was. I have next to nothing bad to say about it other than it ended too soon.
Fast-paced, awesome world, great plot, and well written. I liked the main characters and grew attached to them throughout the book, but I wish I could have gotten to know the other characters more too.
Definitely reading the next book in the series!
I'm pleasantly surprised by how good Rise of the Earthborn was. I have next to nothing bad to say about it other than it ended too soon.
Fast-paced, awesome world, great plot, and well written. I liked the main characters and grew attached to them throughout the book, but I wish I could have gotten to know the other characters more too.
Definitely reading the next book in the series!
September 2, 2021
The only bad thing about this book is that it ends. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
March 19, 2022
This is a story I want to love. I WANT to love it because I see the groundwork, the attention to detail, and the pace, but in getting me invested in the story and characters, I was disappointed.
For the characters, I think I would have been more invested in Sambeth if the narrative didn’t take a massive break from her to explore what was going on with Altor, a character I was not at all invested in. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know a lot ABOUT these characters, that Sambeth, for example, is an Earthborn and was trying to hide her identity to escape her captors (although that doesn’t stop her from flying a dragon right towards their leader near the end of the book), but I’m not sure I really empathized with her, and that’s because of the central issue I encountered.
The stakes.
What’s in it for Sambeth if she escapes? She isn’t forced to be the wife of an Earthborn. I guess that’s a good goal, but I never figured out why being an Earthborn’s wife is so bad.
Altor is pretty awful, yes. But what about his brothers? Or Proximus himself? I later learned that the wives of the fallen angels and Earthborn have a political status not unlike that of a queen, which only makes less sense why Sambeth doesn’t want that, especially since (getting back to the characterization issue) there’s nothing about her that indicates she WOULDN’T like that, apart from the fact that Altor scared her at the beginning.
I’m harping on Sambeth quite a bit, but, as per my observation, this is a central issue of the narrative. Why does it matter if Proximus respects Altor or not? He has power and prestige regardless.
Why does it matter if Rija stays hidden or not? No one looks for her.
The only thing that has a stake is Sem and Sambeth’s romance since Noesh wants to keep his pure blood human line free of Earthborn polllution, but even his conviction gets undermined when he learns that Sambeth receives prophetic dreams like he does.
Perhaps this was supposed to function more as an introduction to the characters and the world, so I’ll see if I feel the same way moving forward through the series, but the main driver of the characters actions seems to be “it’s the right thing to do.”
Despite that, a lot of interesting things happen, like flying on dragons and even a full-on battle, I just wish I had connected more to the story to enjoy those things more.
For the characters, I think I would have been more invested in Sambeth if the narrative didn’t take a massive break from her to explore what was going on with Altor, a character I was not at all invested in. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know a lot ABOUT these characters, that Sambeth, for example, is an Earthborn and was trying to hide her identity to escape her captors (although that doesn’t stop her from flying a dragon right towards their leader near the end of the book), but I’m not sure I really empathized with her, and that’s because of the central issue I encountered.
The stakes.
What’s in it for Sambeth if she escapes? She isn’t forced to be the wife of an Earthborn. I guess that’s a good goal, but I never figured out why being an Earthborn’s wife is so bad.
Altor is pretty awful, yes. But what about his brothers? Or Proximus himself? I later learned that the wives of the fallen angels and Earthborn have a political status not unlike that of a queen, which only makes less sense why Sambeth doesn’t want that, especially since (getting back to the characterization issue) there’s nothing about her that indicates she WOULDN’T like that, apart from the fact that Altor scared her at the beginning.
I’m harping on Sambeth quite a bit, but, as per my observation, this is a central issue of the narrative. Why does it matter if Proximus respects Altor or not? He has power and prestige regardless.
Why does it matter if Rija stays hidden or not? No one looks for her.
The only thing that has a stake is Sem and Sambeth’s romance since Noesh wants to keep his pure blood human line free of Earthborn polllution, but even his conviction gets undermined when he learns that Sambeth receives prophetic dreams like he does.
Perhaps this was supposed to function more as an introduction to the characters and the world, so I’ll see if I feel the same way moving forward through the series, but the main driver of the characters actions seems to be “it’s the right thing to do.”
Despite that, a lot of interesting things happen, like flying on dragons and even a full-on battle, I just wish I had connected more to the story to enjoy those things more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2022
The good: Rise of the Earthborn has the makings of a good story. I really appreciate fiction based around the antediluvian period. It gets people thinking about the hybridization of humanity and the possibilities of the time period, which have large implications today. The author was creative in her world-building and use of historical inspiration. I would have enjoyed this story even if I wasn’t a Gen 6 nerd, so I think that speaks volumes about her story-telling. I especially enjoyed her development of the character Noesh, the most believable and enjoyable in my opinion.
The downfalls: The book could use another layer of editing as is often the case with indie projects. In addition to style errors, I often found the I dialogue lacking clarity. (Who is saying this to whom? Why? Unclear antecedents etc.) I also think a good editor/beta reader might have helped Buenen polish several places where she said one thing but her narrative showed something else or failed to show it adequately. (I.e. “he’s angry” but no one appears to be acting angrily.
Even as a book in a series, a reader needs the satisfaction of SOME resolution. There needs me to be some clear growth in the main character arc and/or an amount of plot resolution that gives the reader (even a small) sense of satisfaction, even with a cliffhanger ending. Literally everything is unresolved at the end of this book. It felt like it ended half way through or that I’d gotten to the end of my sample and I needed to download the rest of the book. Its frustrating enough that I’m debating whether or not to download the sequel, even though I enjoyed reading it and really want to know what happened.
The downfalls: The book could use another layer of editing as is often the case with indie projects. In addition to style errors, I often found the I dialogue lacking clarity. (Who is saying this to whom? Why? Unclear antecedents etc.) I also think a good editor/beta reader might have helped Buenen polish several places where she said one thing but her narrative showed something else or failed to show it adequately. (I.e. “he’s angry” but no one appears to be acting angrily.
Even as a book in a series, a reader needs the satisfaction of SOME resolution. There needs me to be some clear growth in the main character arc and/or an amount of plot resolution that gives the reader (even a small) sense of satisfaction, even with a cliffhanger ending. Literally everything is unresolved at the end of this book. It felt like it ended half way through or that I’d gotten to the end of my sample and I needed to download the rest of the book. Its frustrating enough that I’m debating whether or not to download the sequel, even though I enjoyed reading it and really want to know what happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2025
Hi Emma C. Buenen
I've read this book so many times over, and it never gets old. Once you pick this book up it’s impossible to put down. Definitely a five star read! The story follows Sambeth, a courageous young woman who helps Rija escape a terrible fate at the hands of an earthborn. I also loved Noesh and his three sons, Their characters add so much depth to the story. The plot is full of twists, daring escapes from Earthborns and panther people, and unexpected turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The way the flood is woven into the story is really cool, This is an incredible book written by a very skilled writer. I highly recommend it!
I've read this book so many times over, and it never gets old. Once you pick this book up it’s impossible to put down. Definitely a five star read! The story follows Sambeth, a courageous young woman who helps Rija escape a terrible fate at the hands of an earthborn. I also loved Noesh and his three sons, Their characters add so much depth to the story. The plot is full of twists, daring escapes from Earthborns and panther people, and unexpected turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The way the flood is woven into the story is really cool, This is an incredible book written by a very skilled writer. I highly recommend it!
April 29, 2022
I really teetered on giving this 2 stars or 3. The story is good but the writing… my god could that have used more editing. Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, shifts in perspective that weren’t consistent with the rest of the story, characters knowing things they shouldn’t (like the name of a character they just met and haven’t been introduced to yet), descriptions flipping (i.e. two characters introduced at the same time and their physical descriptions flip flopping). If this had been properly edited, I could give it 3 stars, but the lack of editing really kills this book.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest review*
*I received a complimentary copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest review*
April 14, 2021
A relatively short of fantasy novel with religious themes throughout. The story is interesting enough, I liked the main characters of Sambeth and Rija.
Personal preference, I found the bible verses at the beginning of the chapters quite distracting.
Good for those looking for clean ya fantasy without romance.
I received a copy from StoryOrigin. All opinions are my own.
Personal preference, I found the bible verses at the beginning of the chapters quite distracting.
Good for those looking for clean ya fantasy without romance.
I received a copy from StoryOrigin. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews