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The Sphere Saga #1
Dream of the Sphere
Three thousand years of tradition torn asunder. When the truth comes out, will a hero emerge to pick up the pieces?
Dashira Eisenheart takes ultimate comfort in her community. So she’s thrilled when her brother ascends to the coveted order chosen to protect the world from safely sealed-away, millennia-old, dangerous magic. But her faith in her beloved parents’ loyalty cracks after she spies her mother sneaking about town to meet with the enemy.
Striving to stay focused on her own academic studies, Dashira becomes caught in family tensions that soon reach a boiling point. And as her father’s Brotherhood and her mother’s rebel group head toward a cataclysmic clash, the young seeker finds herself trapped by conflicting choices.
Will she face her fears and accept her role in a grand destiny?
Dream of the Sphere is the intricate first entry in the expansive The Sphere Saga epic fantasy series. If you like gargantuan conflicts, jaw-dropping twists, and deep explorations of humanity’s beliefs, you’ll love Jay S. Willis’s hard-hitting tale.
Buy Dream of the Sphere to wake a giant today!
Dashira Eisenheart takes ultimate comfort in her community. So she’s thrilled when her brother ascends to the coveted order chosen to protect the world from safely sealed-away, millennia-old, dangerous magic. But her faith in her beloved parents’ loyalty cracks after she spies her mother sneaking about town to meet with the enemy.
Striving to stay focused on her own academic studies, Dashira becomes caught in family tensions that soon reach a boiling point. And as her father’s Brotherhood and her mother’s rebel group head toward a cataclysmic clash, the young seeker finds herself trapped by conflicting choices.
Will she face her fears and accept her role in a grand destiny?
Dream of the Sphere is the intricate first entry in the expansive The Sphere Saga epic fantasy series. If you like gargantuan conflicts, jaw-dropping twists, and deep explorations of humanity’s beliefs, you’ll love Jay S. Willis’s hard-hitting tale.
Buy Dream of the Sphere to wake a giant today!
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
487 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2021
30 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Jay S. Willis
10 books20 followers“My goal as an author is to create an engaging and fun body of work to sustain a generation through their life as readers of Fantasy: from intelligent chapter books to sprawling epics.”
Jay has three articles published on http://dankoboldt.com/science-in-scif..., http://dankoboldt.com/world-building-..., and http://dankoboldt.com/prophets-preach....
From an early age, Jay was fascinated by story-telling and wrote his first books in grade school by hand using typing paper packets stapled together for him by his mother. An avid Dungeons & Dragons role-player, growing up in the 80’s obsessed with Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jay’s reading and writing interests have always skewed toward the fantasy and science-fiction genres.
Jay S. Willis is a graduate of Capital University, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science there. He also graduated Capital University Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor. Jay S. Willis, is a former judge of a family court in southern Ohio, has been a licensed attorney for 20 years, and currently serves as an assistant prosecuting attorney with a focus on juvenile court and appellate work.
When not writing, Jay loves playing tabletop board games and watching movies with his family.
Jay has three articles published on http://dankoboldt.com/science-in-scif..., http://dankoboldt.com/world-building-..., and http://dankoboldt.com/prophets-preach....
From an early age, Jay was fascinated by story-telling and wrote his first books in grade school by hand using typing paper packets stapled together for him by his mother. An avid Dungeons & Dragons role-player, growing up in the 80’s obsessed with Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jay’s reading and writing interests have always skewed toward the fantasy and science-fiction genres.
Jay S. Willis is a graduate of Capital University, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science there. He also graduated Capital University Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor. Jay S. Willis, is a former judge of a family court in southern Ohio, has been a licensed attorney for 20 years, and currently serves as an assistant prosecuting attorney with a focus on juvenile court and appellate work.
When not writing, Jay loves playing tabletop board games and watching movies with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 19, 2021
Dream of the Sphere: The first novel in the Sphere Saga by Jay S Willis. Three thousand years of tradition torn asunder. When the truth comes out, will a hero emerge to pick up the pieces?
Dashira Eisenheart believes in her community. She also believes in her brother and now her brother has been appointed to the coveted order chosen to protect the world from safely sealed-away, millennia-old, dangerous magic. Her brother who she trusts above all will protect her and her community. But now her faith begins to crack when she sees her mother sneaking around meeting with the enemy. Has her world been blown apart?
Not only does she feel her community is falling apart but Dashira finds herself caught in family tensions that are about to explode. She has discover that her parents are at opposite sides of the soon to begin war. Her father’s Brotherhood and her mother’s rebel group head toward a cataclysmic clash, and she finds herself trapped by conflicting choices.
Can Dashira just acceot her role, just say what is to be will be. I have a role and a place that I must serve. Will she face her fears and accept her role in a grand destiny?
Jay S. Willis’s writes a hard-hitting tale. This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
Dashira Eisenheart believes in her community. She also believes in her brother and now her brother has been appointed to the coveted order chosen to protect the world from safely sealed-away, millennia-old, dangerous magic. Her brother who she trusts above all will protect her and her community. But now her faith begins to crack when she sees her mother sneaking around meeting with the enemy. Has her world been blown apart?
Not only does she feel her community is falling apart but Dashira finds herself caught in family tensions that are about to explode. She has discover that her parents are at opposite sides of the soon to begin war. Her father’s Brotherhood and her mother’s rebel group head toward a cataclysmic clash, and she finds herself trapped by conflicting choices.
Can Dashira just acceot her role, just say what is to be will be. I have a role and a place that I must serve. Will she face her fears and accept her role in a grand destiny?
Jay S. Willis’s writes a hard-hitting tale. This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
October 26, 2021
As you follow the Eisenheart family in their twisted, turning plot within a plot of saga around the fate of a massive spinning orb resting in the heart of the weird, that has it's own secrects and innerworkings that is internal in the city of Karhana. It's twisted, turning plots are smoothly flowing story, where the characters are more like normal people and the conversations are like regular people will say.Descriptions are easy to picture with just the right amount of detail to bring you into the plots
October 18, 2021
This book was such an interesting read about different things like family, religion, and rebellion. I was always eager to know what happened next with all the different yet connected plotlines. While it was a great story, the word count could have been cut back.
October 26, 2021
An excellent book, worthwhile and can't wait to continue on with the rest of the series.
November 11, 2021
I really enjoyed this. A light, fast-paced fantasy touching on some deep ideas. This story revolves around a family and the loss of a child to religious sacrifice; a Brotherhood shrouded in mystery; a growing rebellion, and the mythic practice of the Ascension to the Spires. Torn by their differing reactions, the remaining family of three—father, Hansha; mother, Morlas; daughter, Dashira— forge diverging paths in this nicely woven narrative.
December 17, 2022
So this grabbed me from the very beginning. I loved the write up but wasn’t sure what to expect but once I started this I could not put it down! It’s an exciting and fascinating read as we meet Dashira Eisenheart and her family in this fantastic fantasy read. The world building is beautiful, the characters relatable and the storyline is fast paced and the twists and turns will have you spinning pretty much like the massive spinning orb in the heart of the city. I have to say I’m very intrigued to see where the author takes us and look forward to what happens next.
March 2, 2022
Good read
I liked the book, the story progressed at a good pace and the plot was intriguing while also original (at least it was for me) The book did have some dark spots but it moved past them quickly which kept the mood of the book from getting depressing. To be honest I read this book in a day and Im about to start book two. So thats something to look forward for
I liked the book, the story progressed at a good pace and the plot was intriguing while also original (at least it was for me) The book did have some dark spots but it moved past them quickly which kept the mood of the book from getting depressing. To be honest I read this book in a day and Im about to start book two. So thats something to look forward for
July 19, 2022
An Exciting Read
I'm up way too late tonight because I could not stop until I reached the end of this gripping story. Willis crafts complex characters and weaves an engaging and compelling story. This story is fantasy at its best.
I'm up way too late tonight because I could not stop until I reached the end of this gripping story. Willis crafts complex characters and weaves an engaging and compelling story. This story is fantasy at its best.
November 5, 2022
this was interesting. belief and choices, change, and consequences. seen and unseen. this book is one that makes you think about all these things but also allows you to be immersed in a story. I am curious to how it will continue.
January 7, 2023
This was a very good fantasy book. Lots of world building, lots of characters, and lots of information. Many secrets come out, many truths get buried. A good book for anyone interested in a vast fantasy world!
December 25, 2025
Dream of the Sphere is an ambitious and thought-provoking opening to The Sphere Saga, delivering epic fantasy on both a personal and ideological scale. Jay S. Willis weaves together family loyalty, hidden truths, and ancient magic to create a story that feels both intimate and vast.
Dashira Eisenheart is a relatable and well-developed protagonist whose sense of security is shattered when she uncovers secrets within her own family. Her internal struggle torn between the traditions that shaped her upbringing and the unsettling revelations she can no longer ignore adds emotional weight to the narrative. The conflict between her father’s powerful Brotherhood and her mother’s rebellious movement creates a compelling moral tension that goes far beyond a simple good-versus-evil divide.
Willis excels at world-building, slowly revealing a society built on centuries of tradition and tightly controlled magic. The mystery surrounding the sealed-away power and the institutions guarding it keeps the tension high, while the story’s exploration of belief systems, authority, and truth gives the novel intellectual depth. The twists are well-timed and genuinely surprising, rewarding patient readers.
While the pacing is deliberate, it suits the scope of the story, allowing the stakes and characters to develop organically. Fans of epic fantasy who enjoy complex family dynamics, philosophical undertones, and long-arc storytelling will find this series opener especially satisfying.
Overall, Dream of the Sphere is a strong and intriguing start to a larger saga rich in conflict, layered in meaning, and full of promise. It’s an excellent choice for readers who appreciate epic fantasy that challenges both its characters and its audience.
Dashira Eisenheart is a relatable and well-developed protagonist whose sense of security is shattered when she uncovers secrets within her own family. Her internal struggle torn between the traditions that shaped her upbringing and the unsettling revelations she can no longer ignore adds emotional weight to the narrative. The conflict between her father’s powerful Brotherhood and her mother’s rebellious movement creates a compelling moral tension that goes far beyond a simple good-versus-evil divide.
Willis excels at world-building, slowly revealing a society built on centuries of tradition and tightly controlled magic. The mystery surrounding the sealed-away power and the institutions guarding it keeps the tension high, while the story’s exploration of belief systems, authority, and truth gives the novel intellectual depth. The twists are well-timed and genuinely surprising, rewarding patient readers.
While the pacing is deliberate, it suits the scope of the story, allowing the stakes and characters to develop organically. Fans of epic fantasy who enjoy complex family dynamics, philosophical undertones, and long-arc storytelling will find this series opener especially satisfying.
Overall, Dream of the Sphere is a strong and intriguing start to a larger saga rich in conflict, layered in meaning, and full of promise. It’s an excellent choice for readers who appreciate epic fantasy that challenges both its characters and its audience.
June 8, 2025
A story to keep you thinking as you meet a family being torn apart when they lose their son, Gambor, as a sacrifice to the great sphere. Morlas is grief stricken and angry, her husband, Hansa feels blessed by his son's ascension and hopeful that his son being chosen means he will be able to progress through the hierarchy of the Brotherhood of the Spires. Their daughter Dashira believes she failed to protect her brother, but desperately wants to believe in the Sphere.
And so, we enter a brilliantly developed, complex world. A world controlled by the Brotherhood. A world of many secrets, where not all is as it seems. Willis slowly reveals more as the family drifts apart, each hiding their secrets, each with their own objective. Morlas, prepared to do anything to retrieve her son. Hansa, eager to rise higher within the Brotherhood, and Dashira, wishing for her family to be whole again, but drawn into the subterfuge and unable to ignore what she discovers.
A well-written start to the Sphere saga, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. Morlas' journey, for both acceptance and the ability to save her son is long and treacherous. Dashira’s journey is more fraught as all she ever believed in is stripped away. And entwined around them all, Hansa strives for more and more power. Central to this web of deception is what happened to Gambor and all the other Sphere-blessed and will lead to a final confrontation that will change their world forever.
A brilliantly conceived world, with so many political machinations it will keep your mind spinning and questions flowing. A complex story which will keep you riveted to the end.
And so, we enter a brilliantly developed, complex world. A world controlled by the Brotherhood. A world of many secrets, where not all is as it seems. Willis slowly reveals more as the family drifts apart, each hiding their secrets, each with their own objective. Morlas, prepared to do anything to retrieve her son. Hansa, eager to rise higher within the Brotherhood, and Dashira, wishing for her family to be whole again, but drawn into the subterfuge and unable to ignore what she discovers.
A well-written start to the Sphere saga, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. Morlas' journey, for both acceptance and the ability to save her son is long and treacherous. Dashira’s journey is more fraught as all she ever believed in is stripped away. And entwined around them all, Hansa strives for more and more power. Central to this web of deception is what happened to Gambor and all the other Sphere-blessed and will lead to a final confrontation that will change their world forever.
A brilliantly conceived world, with so many political machinations it will keep your mind spinning and questions flowing. A complex story which will keep you riveted to the end.
Want to read
February 3, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
Transfiguration Day, the day when all must touch the blessed Sphere that sustains the realm. But Morlas has never been as devout as her husband, & her son is scared to touch the sphere for the first time.
The setting is what has gained my attention in this novel, and the hint at conflict Morlas lack of faith (is she the protagonist? From the desc. it sounds like her daughter is.)
The opening of this is dense with setting information, and tho some of it could have been arranged better, it is made more engaging by being delivered largely through dialogue and the characters’ internality.
I am not exactly charmed by the blubbering of a chubby 5-yr old with “fat tears,” especially if the boy isn’t going to be important except as a setting delivery device, but the prose here is good, the dialogue is believable, and the story is building to something.
This is the first book in a series of 4 (so far), and I’m intrigued by the slow but focused opening on a family and potential conflicts of faith. I’m not sure where the story is going to go, & I’m interested to discover it. I’m in.
Transfiguration Day, the day when all must touch the blessed Sphere that sustains the realm. But Morlas has never been as devout as her husband, & her son is scared to touch the sphere for the first time.
The setting is what has gained my attention in this novel, and the hint at conflict Morlas lack of faith (is she the protagonist? From the desc. it sounds like her daughter is.)
The opening of this is dense with setting information, and tho some of it could have been arranged better, it is made more engaging by being delivered largely through dialogue and the characters’ internality.
I am not exactly charmed by the blubbering of a chubby 5-yr old with “fat tears,” especially if the boy isn’t going to be important except as a setting delivery device, but the prose here is good, the dialogue is believable, and the story is building to something.
This is the first book in a series of 4 (so far), and I’m intrigued by the slow but focused opening on a family and potential conflicts of faith. I’m not sure where the story is going to go, & I’m interested to discover it. I’m in.
December 11, 2025
I ran across the author’s booth at GalaxyCon Columbus. I was immediately drawn by the cover art, which is excellent, and he did a nice job of introducing the story, so I bought the book.
When I began the read, I wasn’t disappointed. There are maps! Although, this part of the story only takes place in the city of Kaharna, I’m eager to see how the world will expand to the edges in the following installments. In an interesting switch-up, the main protagonist to start with is not who’s on the cover, Dashira, whose destiny has been prefaced on the back flap, but her mother, Morlas.
As the story unfolds, Dashira is then caught in the middle of a power struggle and must come of age, continue her studies, make friends, and ultimately choose a side while trying to keep her family together. The other main characters and how they all connect is intriguing, as well.
I recommend Dream of the Sphere for its easily flowing prose ( no super technical jargon or jibber jabber that gets in the way of itself) and the quality of the story building. I found myself getting vested in the characters more and more, especially Valistra and the Vrom family. Read it today and you’ll buy the rest of the series just like I did!
When I began the read, I wasn’t disappointed. There are maps! Although, this part of the story only takes place in the city of Kaharna, I’m eager to see how the world will expand to the edges in the following installments. In an interesting switch-up, the main protagonist to start with is not who’s on the cover, Dashira, whose destiny has been prefaced on the back flap, but her mother, Morlas.
As the story unfolds, Dashira is then caught in the middle of a power struggle and must come of age, continue her studies, make friends, and ultimately choose a side while trying to keep her family together. The other main characters and how they all connect is intriguing, as well.
I recommend Dream of the Sphere for its easily flowing prose ( no super technical jargon or jibber jabber that gets in the way of itself) and the quality of the story building. I found myself getting vested in the characters more and more, especially Valistra and the Vrom family. Read it today and you’ll buy the rest of the series just like I did!
May 13, 2024
What a very fascinating read this book was for me. Different than I was anticipating but in a good way. Dashira is a young woman who wants her family to return to how it was before the Transfiguration, but that is not possible. The author does a good job bringing you into this world and this town, to understand this family and why they choose what they choose. Multiple POV's give you answers to questions you were waiting for and more tension as those questions mount. Wonderfully done.
September 20, 2024
This book seats itself well with fantasy and family dynamic in such a rich and wonderful way. It's a dark tale in the sense of sacrifice in the sake of a religious standpoint, complex in how the family deals with it individually and the opposing sides they all seem to fall in. It's a nicely paced novel delving into a community wound around an interesting plot and characters and how decisions and faith can change so much of what goes on around us. All in all this was gripping and original.
July 3, 2023
I enjoyed this book. The way the story progressed was interesting in how sometimes multiple chapters only covered a matter of days and then the next would cover a year or more. It sets you up to want to continue with the next book right away which is great.
I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 26, 2023
Received as a review copy from Story Origin, this an honest review. A very interesting adventure to be sure, very colorful and visually complex for Dashira Eisenheart as dark, nasty magic is about upend the world she thought she truly knew, where nothing will be the same. Recommended.
April 20, 2023
Good read, the story was well written and the grammar was on point. Dashira Is very relatable and the struggle she goes through trying to keep her from falling to pieces is realistic and attention keeping.
February 27, 2025
sci fi fantasy
Four young adults meet as friends and become instrumental to saving their world. My favorite thing about the story was the friendships of the young. Overall, a good read.
Four young adults meet as friends and become instrumental to saving their world. My favorite thing about the story was the friendships of the young. Overall, a good read.
November 26, 2022
Dashira and her friends have to work together to found out the truth about the Brotherhood and what the Sphere-blessed really does. Lots of intense moments and friendships built but lives lost. Knowing things are not what they seem and that some people are willing to take chances to put things right. Releasing the Three can be a good thing or maybe a bad thing. Only time will tell.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews