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The Etherea Cycle #1
Trials of the Innermost
A cataclysm in Etherea’s past stopped its rotation, leaving three distinct realms: one of light, one of dark, and one of twilight. Years of war followed until the establishment of the Trials of the Innermost.
A new set of six Truthseekers is chosen for this quest of learning and cooperation, but the fragile peace created by the Trials is crumbling even as they begin their first task. The group consists of each realm’s best and brightest, and their talents range from magic channeled through music to explosive crystals. They will need all their unique abilities to survive the Trials, which take them through scorched wastes, a wall of storms, and the shadowed Fellwood.
Along their journey, a shared lost past is rediscovered, forcing the Truthseekers to question all they believed. As they grapple with their new reality, a deadly secret is unveiled. A fragment of an alien force called the Penumbra has possessed one of their own, granting him preternatural abilities. One realm seeks to control the entity, but the Penumbra has other plans. If it succeeds in reuniting its broken pieces, it will gain the power to consume Etherea’s abundant life force. The Truthseekers must overcome their differences and work together before they lose their friend—and their world—to the Penumbra’s hunger.
A new set of six Truthseekers is chosen for this quest of learning and cooperation, but the fragile peace created by the Trials is crumbling even as they begin their first task. The group consists of each realm’s best and brightest, and their talents range from magic channeled through music to explosive crystals. They will need all their unique abilities to survive the Trials, which take them through scorched wastes, a wall of storms, and the shadowed Fellwood.
Along their journey, a shared lost past is rediscovered, forcing the Truthseekers to question all they believed. As they grapple with their new reality, a deadly secret is unveiled. A fragment of an alien force called the Penumbra has possessed one of their own, granting him preternatural abilities. One realm seeks to control the entity, but the Penumbra has other plans. If it succeeds in reuniting its broken pieces, it will gain the power to consume Etherea’s abundant life force. The Truthseekers must overcome their differences and work together before they lose their friend—and their world—to the Penumbra’s hunger.
787 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2023
7 people are currently reading
3419 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Fuller
5 books15 followersEver since laying his first Lego brick, Jonathan has been fascinated by world-building. This passion grew during his younger years in the Midwest, leading him to study English in college. After graduating, he experienced the usual existential crisis of English majors who don’t want to be teachers, and bounced through several professions including a stint in the military. Throughout this journey he worked closely with his dear friend, Kristina Kelly, on a science fantasy book series that has, after over a decade of labor, finally found a home. The Etherea Cycle represents many things to him, but it is first and foremost a testament to the power of friendship and the beauty of life in all its forms.
An ardent fan of science fiction and fantasy, Jonathan can talk about anime, cars, and RPGs ad infinitem. He is a proud member of the LGBT+ community and currently resides in Texas where he enjoys playing flag football, kickball, and attending all the concerts and festivals he can.
An ardent fan of science fiction and fantasy, Jonathan can talk about anime, cars, and RPGs ad infinitem. He is a proud member of the LGBT+ community and currently resides in Texas where he enjoys playing flag football, kickball, and attending all the concerts and festivals he can.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 4, 2023
I’m so excited to share my co-authored fantasy and sci-fi fusing novel with you! Here’s reasons why I love it: Written from six points of view, it is a story that is a testament to the powers of friendship. For fans of video games where lost technologies are found, like Horizon Zero Dawn and Mass Effect, and epic fantasy books with multiple POVs, like Malazan Book of the Fallen and The Stormlight Archive. Heroes that are older than teenagers, nature magic, societal prejudices, and lost histories like The Surviving Sky. Other elements I think you’ll like:
LGBTQ+ main characters
Animal companions
Enemies to lovers subplot
Musical magic
Epic journey
Good dog
LGBTQ+ main characters
Animal companions
Enemies to lovers subplot
Musical magic
Epic journey
Good dog
December 30, 2024
Some patience required, but well worth it in the end.
This book is set in a world divided into 3 main areas: 1 in perpetual light, 1 forever shrouded in darkness and the third always in twilight. The plot concerns the Trials of the Innermost - a periodic series of tests/adventures for a group comprising a pair from each of the 3 cultures, designed to challenge them both physically and psychologically. The stated aim is to foster trust, peace and understanding between the realms, but of course for some, their true purpose may be somewhat different.
The worldbuilding in this book is detailed and complex, yet presented in a way that is clear and easy to understand. Once the characters start to open up and share their beliefs, the writer begin to paint a picture that suggests many of their differences may only be surface deep.
However, there is such thing as too much world building. For the first 20-25%, I must admit I was struggling with the slow pace, which might lose some readers. For me, some careful cutting and editing would have improved the flow.
Still, I persevered with the book because I suspected things would pick up once the 6 main characters left their homes and began their journey, and I was definitely right about that. From that point on, I found it much easier to get to know the characters through their interactions with each other.
As the story progressed, I felt the writers did a good job in shuffling those characters into different combinations in a natural way, balancing the action with quieter character moments.
In summary: For me, this story was a grower. The kind of book I accelerate through as the more I read, the more I wanted to read, and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the second book in the series.
This book is set in a world divided into 3 main areas: 1 in perpetual light, 1 forever shrouded in darkness and the third always in twilight. The plot concerns the Trials of the Innermost - a periodic series of tests/adventures for a group comprising a pair from each of the 3 cultures, designed to challenge them both physically and psychologically. The stated aim is to foster trust, peace and understanding between the realms, but of course for some, their true purpose may be somewhat different.
The worldbuilding in this book is detailed and complex, yet presented in a way that is clear and easy to understand. Once the characters start to open up and share their beliefs, the writer begin to paint a picture that suggests many of their differences may only be surface deep.
However, there is such thing as too much world building. For the first 20-25%, I must admit I was struggling with the slow pace, which might lose some readers. For me, some careful cutting and editing would have improved the flow.
Still, I persevered with the book because I suspected things would pick up once the 6 main characters left their homes and began their journey, and I was definitely right about that. From that point on, I found it much easier to get to know the characters through their interactions with each other.
As the story progressed, I felt the writers did a good job in shuffling those characters into different combinations in a natural way, balancing the action with quieter character moments.
In summary: For me, this story was a grower. The kind of book I accelerate through as the more I read, the more I wanted to read, and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the second book in the series.
April 25, 2024
An engaging and thought-provoking saga
I’m a big fan of science fiction/fantasy adventures, and when I started reading this book, I thought that’s exactly what this was, a tale about a diverse band of characters on a quest of utmost importance. But as I got into it, I found that this book had much more to offer.
The authors have done a great job creating a world in total stasis, one that is physically unmoving. It’s a novel idea and allows them to explore what would happen to societies whose viewpoints are fixed, literally. Without the evidence of normal cycles and seasons that we take for granted, how would the mythos of a people develop? How entrenched and intolerant would their systems of belief become? And how would realms with polar opposite vantages interact with one another?
The details of the world Etherea are meticulously thought out and the characters are well developed. It’s very easy to get invested in them and begin to feel like you understand them and where they come from, and the storyline is delivered with a nice writing style and use of language.
There are several themes threaded through this story, but two that struck me very strongly were: the interplay of politics and religion in governing (and controlling) a society and the personal struggle experienced by anyone who doesn’t fit the mold expected of them or whose views are challenged by a broadening vista. The Truthseekers in this tale come with very different viewpoints and must come to grips with the realization that the sky doesn’t end at the horizon they’ve always known.
At its heart though, this is a tale of adventure. The plot is strong, and I found myself staying up to read later than I probably should have because I wanted to know “what happens next”.
If you’re going to read this book, I would advise that you first familiarize yourself with the terms at the end. The various realms, and even the subsets of people within them, use different vernacular for things, and I think it would be very helpful to have a cursory understanding of the different terms from the start.
My only real criticism is more of a technical one. I don’t know if it’s my version of the Kindle app or the EPUB file (or maybe that I’m not super experienced with eBooks), but the chapter links didn’t work for me, so I had to scroll to the point I left off reading each time. Not a huge deal though.
Trials of the Innermost was a pleasant surprise, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a great start to the series.
I’m a big fan of science fiction/fantasy adventures, and when I started reading this book, I thought that’s exactly what this was, a tale about a diverse band of characters on a quest of utmost importance. But as I got into it, I found that this book had much more to offer.
The authors have done a great job creating a world in total stasis, one that is physically unmoving. It’s a novel idea and allows them to explore what would happen to societies whose viewpoints are fixed, literally. Without the evidence of normal cycles and seasons that we take for granted, how would the mythos of a people develop? How entrenched and intolerant would their systems of belief become? And how would realms with polar opposite vantages interact with one another?
The details of the world Etherea are meticulously thought out and the characters are well developed. It’s very easy to get invested in them and begin to feel like you understand them and where they come from, and the storyline is delivered with a nice writing style and use of language.
There are several themes threaded through this story, but two that struck me very strongly were: the interplay of politics and religion in governing (and controlling) a society and the personal struggle experienced by anyone who doesn’t fit the mold expected of them or whose views are challenged by a broadening vista. The Truthseekers in this tale come with very different viewpoints and must come to grips with the realization that the sky doesn’t end at the horizon they’ve always known.
At its heart though, this is a tale of adventure. The plot is strong, and I found myself staying up to read later than I probably should have because I wanted to know “what happens next”.
If you’re going to read this book, I would advise that you first familiarize yourself with the terms at the end. The various realms, and even the subsets of people within them, use different vernacular for things, and I think it would be very helpful to have a cursory understanding of the different terms from the start.
My only real criticism is more of a technical one. I don’t know if it’s my version of the Kindle app or the EPUB file (or maybe that I’m not super experienced with eBooks), but the chapter links didn’t work for me, so I had to scroll to the point I left off reading each time. Not a huge deal though.
Trials of the Innermost was a pleasant surprise, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a great start to the series.
September 25, 2024
I enjoyed this epic novel - and I mean epic in all senses. The paperback comes in at nearly 800 pages long and with masterful world-building, it's the first in what promises to be an epic series for sci-fi/fantasy lovers.
I'll admit, it took me a few attempts to get into it because the author(s) have crafted an intriguing world for the reader in great detail, which takes time to explain before we get into the nuts and bolts of the story. Possibly a few more pages that I was interested in reading at the times when I was able to sit down, but it was fairly easy reading at least. Personally, I always struggle with made up, fantastical names, so that may be part of the problem (it's me, me, I'm the problem, it's me), and the vernacular which the different tribes/species uses tripped me up for the greater part of the book and slowed me down even when I wanted to gobble through the plot to the end.
When a novel has the dystopian feel to it, which this does in the geopolitical issues and sci fi setting, I'm also slowed in my reading because it makes me think about parallels with our, real world (again, it's me, not the fault of the book). I think this is possibly a style choice by the authors - its very intricacy is thought-provoking and I applaud them for it, although it may not be to everyone's taste. The storyline and character arcs are solid though, and with enough action in the second half of the book to keep it page-turning.
One for fans of complex and interesting world-building definitely!
I'll admit, it took me a few attempts to get into it because the author(s) have crafted an intriguing world for the reader in great detail, which takes time to explain before we get into the nuts and bolts of the story. Possibly a few more pages that I was interested in reading at the times when I was able to sit down, but it was fairly easy reading at least. Personally, I always struggle with made up, fantastical names, so that may be part of the problem (it's me, me, I'm the problem, it's me), and the vernacular which the different tribes/species uses tripped me up for the greater part of the book and slowed me down even when I wanted to gobble through the plot to the end.
When a novel has the dystopian feel to it, which this does in the geopolitical issues and sci fi setting, I'm also slowed in my reading because it makes me think about parallels with our, real world (again, it's me, not the fault of the book). I think this is possibly a style choice by the authors - its very intricacy is thought-provoking and I applaud them for it, although it may not be to everyone's taste. The storyline and character arcs are solid though, and with enough action in the second half of the book to keep it page-turning.
One for fans of complex and interesting world-building definitely!
March 13, 2024
This YA high fantasy had an intriguing plot, so I was happy to give it a try.
A catastrophe has devastated the planet and stopped its rotation. Now, there are three areas/realms on the planet where life exists—one realm is in perpetual daytime, the other night, and the third twilight. The realms have become distrustful of each other, and war has broken out. In a tentative peace, each realm has sent 2 of their best, strongest citizens to join with each other on a quest. This quest, however, is more dangerous than anyone could’ve imagined.
The book was a little slow for me at the beginning, but once the world and characters were introduced and the quest started, the pacing picked up a lot. The world building and character development was great and spot on. Be warned, the page count is huge, around 800 pages. Lots of stuff happen, however, so it keeps you involved.
4 stars
A catastrophe has devastated the planet and stopped its rotation. Now, there are three areas/realms on the planet where life exists—one realm is in perpetual daytime, the other night, and the third twilight. The realms have become distrustful of each other, and war has broken out. In a tentative peace, each realm has sent 2 of their best, strongest citizens to join with each other on a quest. This quest, however, is more dangerous than anyone could’ve imagined.
The book was a little slow for me at the beginning, but once the world and characters were introduced and the quest started, the pacing picked up a lot. The world building and character development was great and spot on. Be warned, the page count is huge, around 800 pages. Lots of stuff happen, however, so it keeps you involved.
4 stars
September 4, 2024
This is a spoiler-free review. The unique title is what really grabbed me at first. And once I started reading I was not disappointed because the story was just as unique. The first part of this tale is filled with interesting world building and character development and by the time it reaches the second act, all the pieces are in place for what turns out to be an exciting adventure! Of particular note is the creative and unusual global crisis that the characters contend with. I truly appreciate the authors' imaginations in this area. The relationships between the characters also feel real and I was actually worried about them when they faced some significant challenges. I won't reveal who does and does not overcome these challenges, but rest assured that this fantastic journey is well worth taking.
February 14, 2024
I found this book via a review request and I am so happy I got to read this and discover these authors!
What I Did Like:
Overall a great story! Once I got into this book the story was so interesting and i was pulled into the world these authors created. It felt like everything was so well thought out and planned, it really made for enjoyable and easier understanding/reading.
I loved the way the authors described both the characters and the world itself. There was just enough detail to make sure I could picture it in my head while not going too far into the small things. With a fantasy book I prefer all the detail, and this one did not disappoint.
Full review can be found at Alltherightreads.com
What I Did Like:
Overall a great story! Once I got into this book the story was so interesting and i was pulled into the world these authors created. It felt like everything was so well thought out and planned, it really made for enjoyable and easier understanding/reading.
I loved the way the authors described both the characters and the world itself. There was just enough detail to make sure I could picture it in my head while not going too far into the small things. With a fantasy book I prefer all the detail, and this one did not disappoint.
Full review can be found at Alltherightreads.com
May 4, 2025
This book began as kind of a slog, with a lot of info dumping, but it ended up being pretty interesting, with a fascinating world.
I liked that the three separate lands were so unique, with their own customs and religions. I also liked the overall story, although I thought some of the details were a little vague and hard to follow at times. I also thought that the pacing of the book was a little weird, with some scenes being unnecessarily descriptive and others just jumped around a lot.
I thought that all the emotional drama was a little unnecessary and detracted from the overall story, although I did enjoy Vayriel and Kilahymn, I thought they were cute.
Overall, I think it was a solid fantasy/sci-fi and I look forward to the rest of the series.
I liked that the three separate lands were so unique, with their own customs and religions. I also liked the overall story, although I thought some of the details were a little vague and hard to follow at times. I also thought that the pacing of the book was a little weird, with some scenes being unnecessarily descriptive and others just jumped around a lot.
I thought that all the emotional drama was a little unnecessary and detracted from the overall story, although I did enjoy Vayriel and Kilahymn, I thought they were cute.
Overall, I think it was a solid fantasy/sci-fi and I look forward to the rest of the series.
January 24, 2025
Intriguing plot.
The author deserves praise for crafting a 500+ page book filled with world building, characters, and action, showcasing a remarkable level of creativity.
From time to time, long narratives slow the pacing. The author could enhance the story's momentum by shortening some of the lengthy descriptions.
The author deserves praise for crafting a 500+ page book filled with world building, characters, and action, showcasing a remarkable level of creativity.
From time to time, long narratives slow the pacing. The author could enhance the story's momentum by shortening some of the lengthy descriptions.
June 4, 2019
Too slow to reach an inciting incident.
November 26, 2023
Great world building, characters, and action. Well written! This is a truly epic fantasy novel in so many ways - give it a try, you wont be disappointed.
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January 23, 2025Vayriel from Trials of the Innermost is asexual!
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
April 11, 2024
On a tidally locked planet, there are no seasons, and the only habitable region is the line between endless night and day. The cultures of light and dark on either side of the median have an uneasy truce with the neutral twilight region. The language of the nations give hints of a post-technological world, while the status quo is effectively sword and sorcery.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Trials of the Innermost. The characters are written with a great deal of care and a good amount of skill. There is one thing I will harp on several times in this review. This book was almost 800 pages on my Kindle. That's more than Moby Dick, thought to be fair, less than A Game of Thrones. Much like the former, it has a fine story... stretched to insubstantiality at times by the florid descriptions of the everyday existence of the characters. Which I enjoyed. These are archetypical, high-fantasy characters, but with fairly realistic personalities. I could tell the authors had fun writing these interactions in various combinations, and this makes them fun to read. All the characters' emotions are very well written, they mostly have believable flaws, and their motivations didn't fumble and drop my disbelief. This was the greatest aspect of the novel, and the reason I don't resent the 20 or so hours of reading. Your mileage may vary, both on the time and the resentment.
The authors throw a lot of alien beasts and vegetation at you, often with rudimentary descriptions, though this fills in with every encounter, and after the first 20% of the book felt more and more natural. The only thing I truly disliked was the four sets of words for things like day and night. It's a long standing trope to rename a few things to grant a certain foreign flair to fictional cultures, and I understand that in this case it was used to demonstrate the differences between the realities of living in endless day and night, underground, or a sort of nature cult that references everything by their goddess. Each should have been used, explained, then dropped for the more readable standard. The authors didn't explain alien currency, for example, or invent new standards of measurement—though a couple of times distance was described in "the bounds of a solen-drake." I'll be honest, it was only the four words for "year" that bugged me. I get why the people who live underground use a sidereal year (astronomical calculation instead of counting days), but would they really call it a "sidereal" instead of a "year?" Or epicycle? Synody? Journey of the Daughter gets a pass because Vayriel is a weirdo and my favorite. Even this was a minor distraction after a few mentions, my brain just filling in "year" the same way it started filling in "two-tailed wolf" for jeroti, and "big humming-scorpion" for pectully.
Lastly, the story is intriguing, and there is action, and revelations enough for the first volume in a series. Looking back, however, there are more reveals than resolutions, so it's not meant as a standalone story. Once again, I have to remind potential readers that the admittedly intriguing story is diluted in a text of something like 200,000 words. I'll read book two when it's published, but I'll probably wait until I have a cyclad of vacation time saved up.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Trials of the Innermost. The characters are written with a great deal of care and a good amount of skill. There is one thing I will harp on several times in this review. This book was almost 800 pages on my Kindle. That's more than Moby Dick, thought to be fair, less than A Game of Thrones. Much like the former, it has a fine story... stretched to insubstantiality at times by the florid descriptions of the everyday existence of the characters. Which I enjoyed. These are archetypical, high-fantasy characters, but with fairly realistic personalities. I could tell the authors had fun writing these interactions in various combinations, and this makes them fun to read. All the characters' emotions are very well written, they mostly have believable flaws, and their motivations didn't fumble and drop my disbelief. This was the greatest aspect of the novel, and the reason I don't resent the 20 or so hours of reading. Your mileage may vary, both on the time and the resentment.
The authors throw a lot of alien beasts and vegetation at you, often with rudimentary descriptions, though this fills in with every encounter, and after the first 20% of the book felt more and more natural. The only thing I truly disliked was the four sets of words for things like day and night. It's a long standing trope to rename a few things to grant a certain foreign flair to fictional cultures, and I understand that in this case it was used to demonstrate the differences between the realities of living in endless day and night, underground, or a sort of nature cult that references everything by their goddess. Each should have been used, explained, then dropped for the more readable standard. The authors didn't explain alien currency, for example, or invent new standards of measurement—though a couple of times distance was described in "the bounds of a solen-drake." I'll be honest, it was only the four words for "year" that bugged me. I get why the people who live underground use a sidereal year (astronomical calculation instead of counting days), but would they really call it a "sidereal" instead of a "year?" Or epicycle? Synody? Journey of the Daughter gets a pass because Vayriel is a weirdo and my favorite. Even this was a minor distraction after a few mentions, my brain just filling in "year" the same way it started filling in "two-tailed wolf" for jeroti, and "big humming-scorpion" for pectully.
Lastly, the story is intriguing, and there is action, and revelations enough for the first volume in a series. Looking back, however, there are more reveals than resolutions, so it's not meant as a standalone story. Once again, I have to remind potential readers that the admittedly intriguing story is diluted in a text of something like 200,000 words. I'll read book two when it's published, but I'll probably wait until I have a cyclad of vacation time saved up.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews