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The Epimetheus Trial #1
Elder Blood
In Berinin, a new Chieftain Heir is born, but only his grandfather and a child from ArcNos know the truth of his birth. In Ferya, a denial of paternity fractures a family. In Ivaria, the plight of an orphan motivates his adoptive father to seek a child of his own blood.
These four children -- MeiLom of ArcNos, Galo of Berinin, Eytea of Ferya, and Vielle of Ivaria -- are part of a long-forgotten line of hominids called Hybrids.
Soon after, an ArcNosian soldier walks into the clutches and care of a shadow group with technology paling all of Ouristihra. Thus begins his rise to power, flanked by The Avatars of Fate as they preach the doctrine of The Epimetheus Trial.
With their hands firmly in the Northland powerhouse, The Avatars' focus is twofold. Topple the rest of the continent. And eradicate the Hybrids.
Derelicts, rebels, and refugees come together to overthrow the new power structure and drive out The Avatars. Nobody knows where they came from or what they're ultimately after. But one thing is certain.
"We need to operate under the assumption that nobody is coming to our rescue."
These four children -- MeiLom of ArcNos, Galo of Berinin, Eytea of Ferya, and Vielle of Ivaria -- are part of a long-forgotten line of hominids called Hybrids.
Soon after, an ArcNosian soldier walks into the clutches and care of a shadow group with technology paling all of Ouristihra. Thus begins his rise to power, flanked by The Avatars of Fate as they preach the doctrine of The Epimetheus Trial.
With their hands firmly in the Northland powerhouse, The Avatars' focus is twofold. Topple the rest of the continent. And eradicate the Hybrids.
Derelicts, rebels, and refugees come together to overthrow the new power structure and drive out The Avatars. Nobody knows where they came from or what they're ultimately after. But one thing is certain.
"We need to operate under the assumption that nobody is coming to our rescue."
Paperback
First published June 11, 2012
About the author
E.A. Setser
4 books9 followersMeticulous to the point of obsession and ambitious to the point of anxiety, E. A. Setser is a career author and publisher trapped in a wage laborer’s body. He holds a degree in accounting, which has nothing to do with any job he’s ever been hired for, but it probably helps with being the founder of Social Detriment Publishing. Maybe.
E. A. lives in Indiana with his wife Celia, their son Tavin, and their cats, Bast and Echo.
E. A. lives in Indiana with his wife Celia, their son Tavin, and their cats, Bast and Echo.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 14, 2012
I received this book via Goodreads First Reads.
This book is amazing. It manages to incorporate most of your classic fantasy elements, and still amaze with its originality. The book features a lot of characters, and maintains a depth for each of them that is abolutely stunning. I look forward to seeing what Setser comes out with next.
This book is amazing. It manages to incorporate most of your classic fantasy elements, and still amaze with its originality. The book features a lot of characters, and maintains a depth for each of them that is abolutely stunning. I look forward to seeing what Setser comes out with next.
December 24, 2012
This book is awesome!! I started reading it and i couldn't put it down.the way the author uses words to paint the story on your brain is amazing. he gives you enough info for you to get a general idea of how people and places look, and the lets the interactions of the characters with each other and with the environment join your mind in fleshing out the full picture. it literally felt like a movie in my head. there is never a dull or slow moment in the book. i can't wait for the next book!!!
December 19, 2021
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: Elder Blood
Subtitle: (The Epimetheus Trial #1)
Author: E.A. Setser
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series?
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book has a rather slow start, and it was difficult to stick with it initially. However, after the first few chapters, it became impossible to put it down.
We meet MeiLom and follow him throughout the book. After he loses his mum and his dad changes into a tyrant, he escapes home and he falls from one adventure into the next. Will he be able to save his friends and loved ones?
What I liked about the book:
After the first few chapters, this book became a page-turner full of action and intrigue.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I really enjoyed the book.
My favourite bits in the book:
The friendship between MeiLom and Galo.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. It appears this is the first in the series.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This is a fantasy novel. It is a real page-turner and action-packed.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like fantasy and fairy tales, this may be the book for you.
I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
Book Description by Author:
In Berinin, a new Chieftain Heir is born, but only his grandfather and a child from ArcNos know the truth of his birth. In Ferya, a denial of paternity fractures a family. In Ivaria, the plight of an orphan motivates his adoptive father to seek a child of his own blood.
These four children -- MeiLom of ArcNos, Galo of Berinin, Eytea of Ferya, and Vielle of Ivaria -- are part of a long-forgotten line of hominids called Hybrids.
Soon after, an ArcNosian soldier walks into the clutches and care of a shadow group with technology paling all of Ouristihra. Thus begins his rise to power, flanked by The Avatars of Fate as they preach the doctrine of The Epimetheus Trial.
With their hands firmly in the Northland powerhouse, The Avatars' focus is twofold. Topple the rest of the continent. And eradicate the Hybrids.
Derelicts, rebels, and refugees come together to overthrow the new power structure and drive out The Avatars. Nobody knows where they came from or what they're ultimately after. But one thing is certain.
"We need to operate under the assumption that nobody is coming to our rescue."
About the Author:
Meticulous to the point of obsession and ambitious to the point of anxiety, E. A. Setser is a career author and publisher trapped in a wage laborer’s body. He holds a degree in accounting, which has nothing to do with any job he’s ever been hired for, but it probably helps with being the founder of Social Detriment Publishing. Maybe.
E. A. lives in Indiana with his wife Celia, their son Tavin, and their cats, Bast and Echo.
Basic Details:
Book Title: Elder Blood
Subtitle: (The Epimetheus Trial #1)
Author: E.A. Setser
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series?
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book has a rather slow start, and it was difficult to stick with it initially. However, after the first few chapters, it became impossible to put it down.
We meet MeiLom and follow him throughout the book. After he loses his mum and his dad changes into a tyrant, he escapes home and he falls from one adventure into the next. Will he be able to save his friends and loved ones?
What I liked about the book:
After the first few chapters, this book became a page-turner full of action and intrigue.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I really enjoyed the book.
My favourite bits in the book:
The friendship between MeiLom and Galo.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. It appears this is the first in the series.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This is a fantasy novel. It is a real page-turner and action-packed.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like fantasy and fairy tales, this may be the book for you.
I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
Book Description by Author:
In Berinin, a new Chieftain Heir is born, but only his grandfather and a child from ArcNos know the truth of his birth. In Ferya, a denial of paternity fractures a family. In Ivaria, the plight of an orphan motivates his adoptive father to seek a child of his own blood.
These four children -- MeiLom of ArcNos, Galo of Berinin, Eytea of Ferya, and Vielle of Ivaria -- are part of a long-forgotten line of hominids called Hybrids.
Soon after, an ArcNosian soldier walks into the clutches and care of a shadow group with technology paling all of Ouristihra. Thus begins his rise to power, flanked by The Avatars of Fate as they preach the doctrine of The Epimetheus Trial.
With their hands firmly in the Northland powerhouse, The Avatars' focus is twofold. Topple the rest of the continent. And eradicate the Hybrids.
Derelicts, rebels, and refugees come together to overthrow the new power structure and drive out The Avatars. Nobody knows where they came from or what they're ultimately after. But one thing is certain.
"We need to operate under the assumption that nobody is coming to our rescue."
About the Author:
Meticulous to the point of obsession and ambitious to the point of anxiety, E. A. Setser is a career author and publisher trapped in a wage laborer’s body. He holds a degree in accounting, which has nothing to do with any job he’s ever been hired for, but it probably helps with being the founder of Social Detriment Publishing. Maybe.
E. A. lives in Indiana with his wife Celia, their son Tavin, and their cats, Bast and Echo.
May 8, 2020
ArcNos is a country with wishes to conquer, with CreSam, their leader, at the head of it. His reign promises to be brutal and cruel; however, many dare not stand against him. Also, in this world are many other countries that have varying ties to one another. Spread across these countries are people called Hybrids. The Hybrids' unique capabilities make them unmatched in the battlefield. Some have superior eyesight, while others can control water, and they have numerous other abilities. Hailing from many different countries, the Hybrids must unite to return ArcNos to its previously peaceful glory. However, each one’s reasons for doing so govern how they act, and some have more noble reasons than others. WIll these Hybrids be able to survive long enough to end CreSam’s reign? Will anyone else join them in their quest, not for glory but for the love of what ArcNos once was?
Opinion:
Elder Blood astounded me. The book is filled with characters who are introduced in such a way and in a sequence that I got to know each one. Even the background characters have thoughts and feelings that come to mean something. This novel takes place over many years and, as a reader, I feel the weight and the change that those years bring upon the cast of characters. Even after reading the whole book, I still remember its beginning days very vividly.
The diction in Elder Blood is strange at times, with words that modern society would not commonly use thrown in there, and it does not make the book feel like a distant world but more like someone pulled words from a dictionary or a thesaurus. Furthermore, the characters occasionally act in extreme ways that do not seem realistic. It is understood that these characters grow up in troubling times, but I find it hard to relate when they overreact. However, the setting is wonderful because different countries are represented by various goods and lifestyles. Each country can be identified by a few traits that are kept the same throughout the book. Overall, this novel is wonderfully detailed despite its transpiring over many years.
Opinion:
Elder Blood astounded me. The book is filled with characters who are introduced in such a way and in a sequence that I got to know each one. Even the background characters have thoughts and feelings that come to mean something. This novel takes place over many years and, as a reader, I feel the weight and the change that those years bring upon the cast of characters. Even after reading the whole book, I still remember its beginning days very vividly.
The diction in Elder Blood is strange at times, with words that modern society would not commonly use thrown in there, and it does not make the book feel like a distant world but more like someone pulled words from a dictionary or a thesaurus. Furthermore, the characters occasionally act in extreme ways that do not seem realistic. It is understood that these characters grow up in troubling times, but I find it hard to relate when they overreact. However, the setting is wonderful because different countries are represented by various goods and lifestyles. Each country can be identified by a few traits that are kept the same throughout the book. Overall, this novel is wonderfully detailed despite its transpiring over many years.
June 15, 2020
The book is pretty interesting. The character arcs were pretty solid and it made it easier to connect and care about them and their journeys, even though I wanted them to be developed more, especially when going against other books in the same genre who do a great job at this. The dialogue was a bit stifled and disrupted the flow of the novel and was also used quite often as a way to info-dump, which I didn't really care for. The pacing was consistent throughout. There were some blocking issues, especially in fight scenes (blocking- where things are, where the characters are in relation to one another/in a room/how they move about the room, etc). Overall, it was an enjoyable story.
June 1, 2020
The writing immediately draws you in. I like that the details are filled in as the story progresses; I will always appreciate when a narrative is crafted through showing and not telling.
Some of the dialogue was a bit awkward and the way that some of the characters interacted at times seemed forced.
There is a lot going on in this book, but the lines of the story are interwoven in such a way that the reader does not lose hold of the plot.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I recommend it, and am looking forward to the next book.
Some of the dialogue was a bit awkward and the way that some of the characters interacted at times seemed forced.
There is a lot going on in this book, but the lines of the story are interwoven in such a way that the reader does not lose hold of the plot.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I recommend it, and am looking forward to the next book.
June 4, 2020
The descriptions and narrative in the book are extremely well-written and you can tell just how much thought has been put into every line. Even though there are many characters featured, the reader is provided with a deep-enough background to each of them that the overall focus is never lost. I particularly loved reading about the four main protagonists in their own individual settings at the beginning of the book, for them to then join together eventually - I particularly enjoyed Eytea's meet up with the boys! Overall, I found this book to be original and captivating!
December 7, 2021
**I received this book free, in exchange for an honest review.**
This was an awesome book! I wasn't sure what to expect when I first read the blurb, but it did not disappoint. The characters were engaging and fleshed out, and had solid arcs that I enjoyed reading. Some of the nuances threw me off a little in the beginning (such as the way names are written), but those details were easily passed over as I grew engrossed in the book. I recommended this book as a great start to an interesting series.
This was an awesome book! I wasn't sure what to expect when I first read the blurb, but it did not disappoint. The characters were engaging and fleshed out, and had solid arcs that I enjoyed reading. Some of the nuances threw me off a little in the beginning (such as the way names are written), but those details were easily passed over as I grew engrossed in the book. I recommended this book as a great start to an interesting series.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews