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ANAX: The Order Series
Walking a fine line between conspiracy theories and the unimaginable truth, a young environmental journalist, Naya Tellus, investigates unexplained natural disasters.
Stepping onto a path of secret societies, mythical creatures and fate, she discovers the truth about herself and her place in the world she would never have believed existed.
What is the connection between Naya and the higher force that sets everything in motion? Who can she trust? And what
if the reality is more unbelievable than any fiction?
Anax, the first book in The Order series, is your key to mystery, fantasy and myth. Will you accept your destiny?
“Don’t you think that if something like that was true, everyone would have known it by now?”
Joshua taps his fingers against the mug, seemingly somewhat impatient yet curious.
“Well, your world leaders do not care about anything that does not involve money.”
Naya scoffs. “My world leaders? Need I remind you that we live on the same planet?”
The man straightens himself, takes a twenty pound note out of his blazer pocket and stands up, handing it to her rather than putting it on the table. Naya doesn’t miss the fact that he hadn’t touched his food or drank his tea.
“We may live on the same planet, but that does not mean we live in the same world. My world, Miss Tellus, has its own rules.”
Stepping onto a path of secret societies, mythical creatures and fate, she discovers the truth about herself and her place in the world she would never have believed existed.
What is the connection between Naya and the higher force that sets everything in motion? Who can she trust? And what
if the reality is more unbelievable than any fiction?
Anax, the first book in The Order series, is your key to mystery, fantasy and myth. Will you accept your destiny?
“Don’t you think that if something like that was true, everyone would have known it by now?”
Joshua taps his fingers against the mug, seemingly somewhat impatient yet curious.
“Well, your world leaders do not care about anything that does not involve money.”
Naya scoffs. “My world leaders? Need I remind you that we live on the same planet?”
The man straightens himself, takes a twenty pound note out of his blazer pocket and stands up, handing it to her rather than putting it on the table. Naya doesn’t miss the fact that he hadn’t touched his food or drank his tea.
“We may live on the same planet, but that does not mean we live in the same world. My world, Miss Tellus, has its own rules.”
- GenresFantasy
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
26 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 29, 2021
This is not a finished novel; this is a rough draft that needed to be sent back for significant work. Reading it was less like enjoying a story and more like grading a rushed, unprepared student paper.
- Throughout, the grammar is sloppy. While it seems that English is not the author's first language, this manuscript shows no critical proofreading. Singular/plural agreements, verb tenses, sentence structures: so many small problems that could have been fixed but were not (i.e., p. 73: "She won't add to his overly self-confidence..."). Very unprofessional.
- The text frequently reads like stage directions, not fiction: "First she did blah, then she went to blah and did blah. Cup of tea. Blah. Surprised and alarmed! Then she did blah." (See second half of p. 82.) The reader is NOT shown what's up or what else going on around the main figure's locus, but rather told a minimum of what should occur; this really does not allow the reader to get invested at all.
- The characters of Joshua and Aidan just happen, without any development or apparent rhyme or reason; worse, Naya's reactions to them make no sense except to the author's need for her to do what she does. We quickly enter and remain in "WTF?" territory that doesn't work.
-Oh, another deep-conspiracy story. Great. With so many on the market, a new one should be fresh, original, and engaging. ANAX is not.
This could, and should be, remanded to the author for completion. It is not ready for the stage.
- Throughout, the grammar is sloppy. While it seems that English is not the author's first language, this manuscript shows no critical proofreading. Singular/plural agreements, verb tenses, sentence structures: so many small problems that could have been fixed but were not (i.e., p. 73: "She won't add to his overly self-confidence..."). Very unprofessional.
- The text frequently reads like stage directions, not fiction: "First she did blah, then she went to blah and did blah. Cup of tea. Blah. Surprised and alarmed! Then she did blah." (See second half of p. 82.) The reader is NOT shown what's up or what else going on around the main figure's locus, but rather told a minimum of what should occur; this really does not allow the reader to get invested at all.
- The characters of Joshua and Aidan just happen, without any development or apparent rhyme or reason; worse, Naya's reactions to them make no sense except to the author's need for her to do what she does. We quickly enter and remain in "WTF?" territory that doesn't work.
-Oh, another deep-conspiracy story. Great. With so many on the market, a new one should be fresh, original, and engaging. ANAX is not.
This could, and should be, remanded to the author for completion. It is not ready for the stage.
August 22, 2024
There’s more to the world than the eye can see.
This is a story set in London, but there’s so much more than just the going abouts of daily life. A fantastical mystery that brings to life the origins of Greek Mythology hidden behind the lens of what one would perceive as normal.
The lore that we discover is just enough to entice, alluding to a greater mystery that will soon be revealed in all due time. Plot-wise, it’s slow, which is perfectly paced for a book such as this. It’s setting up for a greater revelation, to be covered in the next books of the series. But it is definitely interesting. It may be slow, but it isn’t boring. There’s a lot of action and tension that goes on among all the parties of the book, and it keeps you hooked. Of course, I was left with a cliffhanger. I need to know more.
We don’t find the use of our normal past tense books, instead we’re going through this using the present tense. If that’s not for you, then that’s more than valid. It’s new to me but not at all unwelcome.
Naya, our ever-so curious environmental journalist. I liked her as a character. I know the feeling of anxiety causing heavy paranoia, and what she goes through, I have gone through myself. She grew up in a certain way, was raised in a certain way, so some of her actions may feel off- but she’s only human. That’s all she knew.
There’s so many other characters I would love to special mention, but that's spoiling, in a way. I had a moment of doubt for some of these characters, but major things may have happened and I don’t really think I need to doubt them anymore. How they act towards and how they treat Naya makes for some ride. And how Naya grows in response to them is amazing. I love the twins, no lie.
This is a story set in London, but there’s so much more than just the going abouts of daily life. A fantastical mystery that brings to life the origins of Greek Mythology hidden behind the lens of what one would perceive as normal.
The lore that we discover is just enough to entice, alluding to a greater mystery that will soon be revealed in all due time. Plot-wise, it’s slow, which is perfectly paced for a book such as this. It’s setting up for a greater revelation, to be covered in the next books of the series. But it is definitely interesting. It may be slow, but it isn’t boring. There’s a lot of action and tension that goes on among all the parties of the book, and it keeps you hooked. Of course, I was left with a cliffhanger. I need to know more.
We don’t find the use of our normal past tense books, instead we’re going through this using the present tense. If that’s not for you, then that’s more than valid. It’s new to me but not at all unwelcome.
Naya, our ever-so curious environmental journalist. I liked her as a character. I know the feeling of anxiety causing heavy paranoia, and what she goes through, I have gone through myself. She grew up in a certain way, was raised in a certain way, so some of her actions may feel off- but she’s only human. That’s all she knew.
There’s so many other characters I would love to special mention, but that's spoiling, in a way. I had a moment of doubt for some of these characters, but major things may have happened and I don’t really think I need to doubt them anymore. How they act towards and how they treat Naya makes for some ride. And how Naya grows in response to them is amazing. I love the twins, no lie.
February 24, 2022
I won this book from LibraryThing and the opinions are my own.
The main character is Naya Tellus, a young environmental journalist. her best friend is Julie and her two flatmates (English) are twin brothers. Aidan comes into the picture as well as Joshua.
The book has some fantasy in it and many twists and turns. It left me confused at times and I was not sure who was helping her or hurting her. The book is based in London.
There is a mystery that has to do with Naya that clicked to me it was similar to another book I have read.
I have given it a 4 star rating because it was a different read and the author has an imagination. It is hard to describe the book without the review becoming a spoiler.
Thís was a fast read and so far, the first of the series, if there is another one.
The main character is Naya Tellus, a young environmental journalist. her best friend is Julie and her two flatmates (English) are twin brothers. Aidan comes into the picture as well as Joshua.
The book has some fantasy in it and many twists and turns. It left me confused at times and I was not sure who was helping her or hurting her. The book is based in London.
There is a mystery that has to do with Naya that clicked to me it was similar to another book I have read.
I have given it a 4 star rating because it was a different read and the author has an imagination. It is hard to describe the book without the review becoming a spoiler.
Thís was a fast read and so far, the first of the series, if there is another one.
September 16, 2024
A fantastic story with a really unique concept, and it’ll leave you guessing the whole way through! Full of plot twists that have you hooked, a fantastically fast paced plot with a writing style that’s very easy to read so you will storm through in no time. The single pov really allows you to put yourself in the shoes of the main character, and keeps you guessing as to what’s going on the whole way through as you discover the truth about Naya’s life along side her.
October 3, 2021
WOW. The book has so many twists and turns that you aren't always sure where the book is going to go next. Naya has a great adventure for sure, and I really hope the author continues with the series.
If you like fiction or science fiction then read this book. Unlike most books you can get hooked into this story fairly quickly. It is sometimes a little bit hard to remember the characters if you only read a portion of the book at a time.
There are points where I held my breath, laughed, cried, and many other emotions.
I do have some favourite quotes from the book (which shouldn't give any spoilers but may... so potential spoilers warning)
"Naya likes to think that there are a few unwritten rules when it comes to riding in public transport — one of which is not staring"
“All I can hope is that you make the correct decision and not the easy one.”
"People talk more freely when they’re not feeling watched over, and it also gives her a chance to continue looking"
“I should have known you would find out the truth, but [....] made me swear not to tell you anything until you were old enough… and I guess you never were, not for me, not for the truth. I wanted to keep you in the dark for as long as I could. I wanted you to have the perfect life I was never able to have.”
“There’s nothing cowardly about dealing with anxiety and moving on despite it.”
If you like fiction or science fiction then read this book. Unlike most books you can get hooked into this story fairly quickly. It is sometimes a little bit hard to remember the characters if you only read a portion of the book at a time.
There are points where I held my breath, laughed, cried, and many other emotions.
I do have some favourite quotes from the book (which shouldn't give any spoilers but may... so potential spoilers warning)
"Naya likes to think that there are a few unwritten rules when it comes to riding in public transport — one of which is not staring"
“All I can hope is that you make the correct decision and not the easy one.”
"People talk more freely when they’re not feeling watched over, and it also gives her a chance to continue looking"
“I should have known you would find out the truth, but [....] made me swear not to tell you anything until you were old enough… and I guess you never were, not for me, not for the truth. I wanted to keep you in the dark for as long as I could. I wanted you to have the perfect life I was never able to have.”
“There’s nothing cowardly about dealing with anxiety and moving on despite it.”
January 8, 2022
"If you had the opportunity to reshape this world, would you take it?"
Naya works as a part-time waitress and is an aspiring environmental journalist, documenting oddities in various natural disasters. When a man shows up saying he believes Naya's writing and invites her to come work for him to further pursue her theories, suddenly everything Naya thought she knew changes. Nothing is as it seems and Naya is forced to pick sides between two different secret societies and confront her destiny.
This book turned out to be so much more than I was expecting based solely on the summary blurb. I am very interested to learn more about The Order and Naya's bloodline and destiny in the next book(s).
~ARC received through LibraryThing Early Reviewers~
Naya works as a part-time waitress and is an aspiring environmental journalist, documenting oddities in various natural disasters. When a man shows up saying he believes Naya's writing and invites her to come work for him to further pursue her theories, suddenly everything Naya thought she knew changes. Nothing is as it seems and Naya is forced to pick sides between two different secret societies and confront her destiny.
This book turned out to be so much more than I was expecting based solely on the summary blurb. I am very interested to learn more about The Order and Naya's bloodline and destiny in the next book(s).
~ARC received through LibraryThing Early Reviewers~
January 19, 2022
As a young adult reader, I found this book very interesting! The plot is light, easy to follow even though I don’t know most of it, but since this is a mystery it makes sense. I love Naya, she’s a strong female lead, diverse (has Moroccan roots) and extremely logical. Once she understands there’s danger to her or her loved ones, she decides to do what she can to protect them, but still in a way that makes her believable. What I liked about her was that she doesn’t thrust herself into danger for no good reason, but takes advantage of her friends, family and those she trusts.
All in all, I loved the themes of the book (family, trust and love) and the characters!
All in all, I loved the themes of the book (family, trust and love) and the characters!
January 13, 2022
I`ve tried to love this book. Really. But it`s simply bad. The story not the most original but still ok but everything else is just bad. The using of present tense all the time is annoying and distracting, the characters ate one dimensional and uninteresting, most of the dialogues are totally unrealistic, the main character, who was described as a very down to earth woman accepts that she`s a descendant of a goddess basically any further thinking or questions..... I`m really sorry but as I said it`s a bad book.
January 27, 2023
This is amazing book to read after heavy fantasy (yes I'm talking about you Malazan!) i really loved it was light yet not predictably at all, and i can't wait for the next book.
February 20, 2024
Has amazing twist and turns three out the story. And I fell in love with the strong female lead she is amazing and the more you read the more you adore her. I can not wait for the next instalment
October 27, 2024
I bought this novel at Icon this year. I love to support local, budding authors, so I went in with the expectation that, well, I'm buying a self-published novel with all the risks that that entails. I WANT these authors to succeed.
This book is, unfortunately, hilariously bad.
The main problem is that it desperately needs an editor. It's clear that English is not the author's first language, and the sentence structure reflects this profoundly. Sentences are extremely wordy, often containing a number of sub-articles, then stopping without having made the point the start of the sentence wanted to make. The author mixes up present tense and past tense in the same sentence. Expressions and idioms are sometimes written with weird mistakes (a character once makes a comment about being a "knight in *shiny* armor", which in any other book could be interpreted as a character quirk. Not in this one). While it's not "indian guy on fiverr" level bad, the grammar comes across as amateur at best.
The actual plot is... bleh. I'm only about 2/3 through the novel, but here's the plot so far:
Our protagonist is Naya, a waitress who blogs about her "theories" on the environment. She meets a man named Joshua who also has "theories" about the environment, and offers her a job. What is the job that he wants Naya to do for four hours a day, six days a week? I don't know. Its never really explained. What are these theories? These tantalizing and scandalous secrets that people are willing to murder each other for digging into? Well, it takes about 230 pages to find out. Joshua believes... that the EARTH IS REVOLTING AGAINST MANKIND. What does that mean? I have no idea. He keeps refusing to explain himself.
Naya also runs into a guy named Aiden, who, in their first encounter, assaults Naya for sneaking up on him when she was... walking down a public street. He then stalks her for the next couple hundred pages, turning up at her place of work, her home, etc, while refusing to explain himself. I guess it's okay though, because he's hot.
This is my personal taste, but I found Naya herself to be extremely unlikeable as a person. She comes across as constantly cross, with the self-preservation instincts of a Koala (as in- she doesn't have any). She blindly trusts random weirdo strangers she's just met, seems likely to fall in love with Aiden despite his stalker behavior, and keeps acting like a c*nt to the only people who have any common sense in this story, her roommates Lucas and Logan.
SPOILER ZONE:
Eventually, Naya gets Aiden to explain that he's part of a secret order called Anax, whose job is to guard Naya because she carries the blood of the goddess Gaia in her veins.
I would like to point out that the back of the novel promises "secret societies" and "mythical creatures". To get to the point of Aiden explaining this is about 250 pages into the novel. There have been no mythical creatures, and, like three dudes. That is not a "society". If their job is to protect Naya, where the hell is everyone else?
If the bad guys believe getting Naya to sacrifice herself will fix the weather, why do they act so weird? And why does nobody explain themselves properly? Even Naya withholds information when talking to the police, for some reason. She also just accepts that she has goddess blood immediately, despite the aforementioned lack of anything magical or mystical in the story.
For comparison, in Percy Jackson, in like, 100 pages Percy has encountered a Cyclops, a Satyr, a Centaur, a Minotaur, Neirids, a God, and a Fury, and also gets told that he's secretly been carrying the blood of a God in his veins. He ALSO has multiple characters explain what the hell is going on to him directly and clearly as they can. Characters only hold back information because they don't want to hurt Percy, which makes sense because he's *eleven*.
Naya is not.
Anyway, I think I've made my point. While I wish Keren luck in her future novels, THIS novel needed some more time in the oven.
This book is, unfortunately, hilariously bad.
The main problem is that it desperately needs an editor. It's clear that English is not the author's first language, and the sentence structure reflects this profoundly. Sentences are extremely wordy, often containing a number of sub-articles, then stopping without having made the point the start of the sentence wanted to make. The author mixes up present tense and past tense in the same sentence. Expressions and idioms are sometimes written with weird mistakes (a character once makes a comment about being a "knight in *shiny* armor", which in any other book could be interpreted as a character quirk. Not in this one). While it's not "indian guy on fiverr" level bad, the grammar comes across as amateur at best.
The actual plot is... bleh. I'm only about 2/3 through the novel, but here's the plot so far:
Our protagonist is Naya, a waitress who blogs about her "theories" on the environment. She meets a man named Joshua who also has "theories" about the environment, and offers her a job. What is the job that he wants Naya to do for four hours a day, six days a week? I don't know. Its never really explained. What are these theories? These tantalizing and scandalous secrets that people are willing to murder each other for digging into? Well, it takes about 230 pages to find out. Joshua believes... that the EARTH IS REVOLTING AGAINST MANKIND. What does that mean? I have no idea. He keeps refusing to explain himself.
Naya also runs into a guy named Aiden, who, in their first encounter, assaults Naya for sneaking up on him when she was... walking down a public street. He then stalks her for the next couple hundred pages, turning up at her place of work, her home, etc, while refusing to explain himself. I guess it's okay though, because he's hot.
This is my personal taste, but I found Naya herself to be extremely unlikeable as a person. She comes across as constantly cross, with the self-preservation instincts of a Koala (as in- she doesn't have any). She blindly trusts random weirdo strangers she's just met, seems likely to fall in love with Aiden despite his stalker behavior, and keeps acting like a c*nt to the only people who have any common sense in this story, her roommates Lucas and Logan.
SPOILER ZONE:
Eventually, Naya gets Aiden to explain that he's part of a secret order called Anax, whose job is to guard Naya because she carries the blood of the goddess Gaia in her veins.
I would like to point out that the back of the novel promises "secret societies" and "mythical creatures". To get to the point of Aiden explaining this is about 250 pages into the novel. There have been no mythical creatures, and, like three dudes. That is not a "society". If their job is to protect Naya, where the hell is everyone else?
If the bad guys believe getting Naya to sacrifice herself will fix the weather, why do they act so weird? And why does nobody explain themselves properly? Even Naya withholds information when talking to the police, for some reason. She also just accepts that she has goddess blood immediately, despite the aforementioned lack of anything magical or mystical in the story.
For comparison, in Percy Jackson, in like, 100 pages Percy has encountered a Cyclops, a Satyr, a Centaur, a Minotaur, Neirids, a God, and a Fury, and also gets told that he's secretly been carrying the blood of a God in his veins. He ALSO has multiple characters explain what the hell is going on to him directly and clearly as they can. Characters only hold back information because they don't want to hurt Percy, which makes sense because he's *eleven*.
Naya is not.
Anyway, I think I've made my point. While I wish Keren luck in her future novels, THIS novel needed some more time in the oven.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞."
I feel this quote from our FMC's father is so fitting for this book and it's overall vibes that when I stumbled across it towards the end, I had to highlight it so I had a way to best describe reading Anax. Perhaps it has taken me all day to write a review because I hopped into work as soon I finished-- perhaps it's because I still am not exactly sure what I read. As always, I do spoiler-free reviews, but coming up with the words to keep it spoiler-free is difficult.
Anax follows our FMC, Naya, who is a part-time journalist covering strange enviormental happenings while working as a waitress (also part-time). At the beginning, she goes through some strangeness that tilt her life off kilter. Suddenly, Naya has a hot "stalker", a job offer from a creep, anxiety attacks that seem like they may actually be visions, and strange natural disasters occuring.
Other than listing those handful of things, there's not much else to say about the story. About half-way through, I looked up and realized I was on page 147, and Naya was still going back and forth on who to trust, who to work with, what's real and what's not, whether her friends were being overprotective,-- it was unfortunately painful to witness the indecisiveness... and therefore made her character slightly unlikeable for me. Yes, the people in her life are obviously withholding information. Yes, this creep is being really sketchy trying to get her to work for/with him. Yes, there are secrets unfolding.
But it's not quite the pacing I'm looking for in a mystery that is occuring within a fantasy novel. At one point I found myself asking, "how is it I want more, but also less?"
Because the first 200 pages maybe could have been condensed and more of the lore introduced.
I did, however, enjoy the overall *start* to this series. I think the concept is really unique and interesting. The characters and lore with likely be fleshed out in the following installments. I could go on and on about how Naya's character flaw of indecisiveness while being more of a "reactive" presense in the story is supposed to frustrate me and that we'll likely see that growth in the future -- for now though, I'm not quite "with it" yet. Like the quote I added to the beginning of this review, I think Anax is a piece of the puzzle, but we don't quite yet have the full picture.
Likely, I will finish the series before the end of the year and do a final review after the final installment. Something in my gut says to not judge it yet--but only time will tell.
I would say this is a good read for someone with patience who wants to watch the inner struggle and mental tourmoil characters may need to go through to arrive to a rational decision. (With some contridictions to that apparently when convenient).
My final rating is a 3.75/5.00
I feel this quote from our FMC's father is so fitting for this book and it's overall vibes that when I stumbled across it towards the end, I had to highlight it so I had a way to best describe reading Anax. Perhaps it has taken me all day to write a review because I hopped into work as soon I finished-- perhaps it's because I still am not exactly sure what I read. As always, I do spoiler-free reviews, but coming up with the words to keep it spoiler-free is difficult.
Anax follows our FMC, Naya, who is a part-time journalist covering strange enviormental happenings while working as a waitress (also part-time). At the beginning, she goes through some strangeness that tilt her life off kilter. Suddenly, Naya has a hot "stalker", a job offer from a creep, anxiety attacks that seem like they may actually be visions, and strange natural disasters occuring.
Other than listing those handful of things, there's not much else to say about the story. About half-way through, I looked up and realized I was on page 147, and Naya was still going back and forth on who to trust, who to work with, what's real and what's not, whether her friends were being overprotective,-- it was unfortunately painful to witness the indecisiveness... and therefore made her character slightly unlikeable for me. Yes, the people in her life are obviously withholding information. Yes, this creep is being really sketchy trying to get her to work for/with him. Yes, there are secrets unfolding.
But it's not quite the pacing I'm looking for in a mystery that is occuring within a fantasy novel. At one point I found myself asking, "how is it I want more, but also less?"
Because the first 200 pages maybe could have been condensed and more of the lore introduced.
I did, however, enjoy the overall *start* to this series. I think the concept is really unique and interesting. The characters and lore with likely be fleshed out in the following installments. I could go on and on about how Naya's character flaw of indecisiveness while being more of a "reactive" presense in the story is supposed to frustrate me and that we'll likely see that growth in the future -- for now though, I'm not quite "with it" yet. Like the quote I added to the beginning of this review, I think Anax is a piece of the puzzle, but we don't quite yet have the full picture.
Likely, I will finish the series before the end of the year and do a final review after the final installment. Something in my gut says to not judge it yet--but only time will tell.
I would say this is a good read for someone with patience who wants to watch the inner struggle and mental tourmoil characters may need to go through to arrive to a rational decision. (With some contridictions to that apparently when convenient).
My final rating is a 3.75/5.00
February 22, 2025
ANAX by Keren Ouliel is a mature young adult, mystery science fiction book that follows a freelance journalist who finds herself smack-dab in the center of a hidden world. Naya Tellus has always had bigger than life dreams and out-there theories, yet that was all they were until a stranger shifts her entire word on its head by telling her she’s been right all along. Naya’s time as an ordinary person begins to shift after her father reluctantly gives her a necklace from her mother, claiming it be her inheritance and that he is only giving it to her because it was her mother’s last wish, as he’d prefer to have it at the bottom of the Thames. As Naya begins to come into her inheritance as a descendant of the Greek Goddess Gaia, she learns that she has a dangerous destiny ahead of her. Does Naya have what it takes to master her heritage and the power she is connected to, or will she be consumed by it?
Opinion:
ANAX by Keren Ouliel was a well-written, mystery science fiction book that dove deep into secret societies and Greek mythology. However, I did find it difficult to get into the book at first as I found the beginning to be too slowly paced for me. It was more near the middle of the book that I really felt myself being pulled into the story. I found myself really liking Naya as a character. The author did a great job in making her feel real with how she was not always strong and how she had her own doubts and weaknesses. I enjoyed the diverse set of characters and mythological elements that the author wove together into a true web of mystery that had both myself and Naya never knowing what would happen next. Overall, I found that I enjoyed reading this book, and the I look forward to the next book in the series.
Opinion:
ANAX by Keren Ouliel was a well-written, mystery science fiction book that dove deep into secret societies and Greek mythology. However, I did find it difficult to get into the book at first as I found the beginning to be too slowly paced for me. It was more near the middle of the book that I really felt myself being pulled into the story. I found myself really liking Naya as a character. The author did a great job in making her feel real with how she was not always strong and how she had her own doubts and weaknesses. I enjoyed the diverse set of characters and mythological elements that the author wove together into a true web of mystery that had both myself and Naya never knowing what would happen next. Overall, I found that I enjoyed reading this book, and the I look forward to the next book in the series.
October 24, 2024
If you’re into ancient gods, powerful heroines, and a storyline that’ll have you glued to the page, Anax is the perfect start to a fantastical new saga. Be prepared to fall into a world of myth, mystery, and major plot twists!
Greek mythology, secret societies, and a heroine caught between saving the world or wrecking it? Oh yeah, Anax by Keren Ouliel is here to bring the drama, with a side of natural disasters!
Meet Naya Tellus, who starts out as your typical girl-next-door (well, if your next door neighbour was suddenly caught in a centuries-old tug-of-war between two secret societies, NBD). But when she discovers that she’s a direct descendant of Gaia—yes, the Greek Goddess of the Earth—things get messy fast. Cue the earthquakes, floods, and a dash of world-shattering secrets.
This book is a rollercoaster ride of mythology and mystery, where every new twist leaves you gasping and asking yourself: “Is Naya destined to save the world… or be the ultimate villain?” (Yeah, it’s that intense).
Ouliel crafts a great blend of ancient lore and modern-day action that pulls you in right from the start.
The world building is rich, the stakes are high, and the tension between two secret societies makes you question who’s really pulling the strings. Plus, Naya is an absolute boss, watching her grow into her power while trying to juggle her slightly catastrophic family heritage is all kinds of awesome.
And if this is just the beginning of The Order Series, we’re in for a saga that promises to deliver even more mythology, magic, and mayhem. Bring on the next book because I need answers, and I need them yesterday.
Greek mythology, secret societies, and a heroine caught between saving the world or wrecking it? Oh yeah, Anax by Keren Ouliel is here to bring the drama, with a side of natural disasters!
Meet Naya Tellus, who starts out as your typical girl-next-door (well, if your next door neighbour was suddenly caught in a centuries-old tug-of-war between two secret societies, NBD). But when she discovers that she’s a direct descendant of Gaia—yes, the Greek Goddess of the Earth—things get messy fast. Cue the earthquakes, floods, and a dash of world-shattering secrets.
This book is a rollercoaster ride of mythology and mystery, where every new twist leaves you gasping and asking yourself: “Is Naya destined to save the world… or be the ultimate villain?” (Yeah, it’s that intense).
Ouliel crafts a great blend of ancient lore and modern-day action that pulls you in right from the start.
The world building is rich, the stakes are high, and the tension between two secret societies makes you question who’s really pulling the strings. Plus, Naya is an absolute boss, watching her grow into her power while trying to juggle her slightly catastrophic family heritage is all kinds of awesome.
And if this is just the beginning of The Order Series, we’re in for a saga that promises to deliver even more mythology, magic, and mayhem. Bring on the next book because I need answers, and I need them yesterday.
September 22, 2024
💫 Finished 💫
▫️Anax By @kerenouliel ▫️
▫️Book 1 of The Order Series ▫️
📖 Pub date ~ November 12, 2023 📖
📖 Pages ~ 343 📖
🎶 Read or listened ~ listened on ReadEra app
▫️My thoughts ▫️
Lies, betrayal, secrets, action... this book is packed with it all. You will follow Naya, our main character, as she uncovers the truth about everything that has been hidden from her. I will admit, it did take me a bit to get into Anax. It felt more of a slower paced book for the first couple chapters. When I did get into it, you guys, this book was such a fun read. I enjoyed seeing how the plot twists played out towards the end. Book 2 , Mavro, is coming out soon, and I can't wait to see how things play out.
▫️favorite qoute ▫️
✨️ "Isn't it funny, Naya, how monsters wear the same faces as humans."
✨️"...you deserved the truth, and you deserve a better than this life. I would give it all to you - all of my secrets are yours to keep from now on."
▫️Tropes ▫️
✨️ Secret societies
✨️ Betrayal
✨️ Greek mythology
✨️ Hidden Identity
✨️ Friendship
▫️Anax By @kerenouliel ▫️
▫️Book 1 of The Order Series ▫️
📖 Pub date ~ November 12, 2023 📖
📖 Pages ~ 343 📖
🎶 Read or listened ~ listened on ReadEra app
▫️My thoughts ▫️
Lies, betrayal, secrets, action... this book is packed with it all. You will follow Naya, our main character, as she uncovers the truth about everything that has been hidden from her. I will admit, it did take me a bit to get into Anax. It felt more of a slower paced book for the first couple chapters. When I did get into it, you guys, this book was such a fun read. I enjoyed seeing how the plot twists played out towards the end. Book 2 , Mavro, is coming out soon, and I can't wait to see how things play out.
▫️favorite qoute ▫️
✨️ "Isn't it funny, Naya, how monsters wear the same faces as humans."
✨️"...you deserved the truth, and you deserve a better than this life. I would give it all to you - all of my secrets are yours to keep from now on."
▫️Tropes ▫️
✨️ Secret societies
✨️ Betrayal
✨️ Greek mythology
✨️ Hidden Identity
✨️ Friendship
December 18, 2024
3.5 stars here I’m rounding to 4 on the rating.. The premise of this book really intrigued me; Naya Tellus, an eco-journalist, uncovers a world where mythology and modern eco-crises collide. Her journey from skeptic to potential savior (or destroyer) is packed with twists, sharp dialogue, and themes of family, trust, and love.
Naya’s Moroccan roots and logical approach make her a standout, and her clashes with secret societies and divine heritage keep the stakes high. It’s an easy read, seems def more on the YA side and full of mythology. The reason for the 3.5 stars: I will say it felt like you had to get through a slower start before it picks up, and I did have a bit of a hard time keeping the characters straight, would have liked a bit more development there. Overall though I like the premise and where it might be going :)
Naya’s Moroccan roots and logical approach make her a standout, and her clashes with secret societies and divine heritage keep the stakes high. It’s an easy read, seems def more on the YA side and full of mythology. The reason for the 3.5 stars: I will say it felt like you had to get through a slower start before it picks up, and I did have a bit of a hard time keeping the characters straight, would have liked a bit more development there. Overall though I like the premise and where it might be going :)
November 18, 2021
No words to describe how wonderful the journey of reading was.
This book is one of the best I've ever read, unlike most books- you fall in love with Naya on the first few pages.
Her relationships with her friends (and enemies) are so important for her, you can really see how she grows and learn from them.
The bonding she have with Aidan is truly the best.
Do yourself a favor and get a copy, you wont regret!! (And read it like 10 times, cause with each read you learn so much about the all story)
This book is one of the best I've ever read, unlike most books- you fall in love with Naya on the first few pages.
Her relationships with her friends (and enemies) are so important for her, you can really see how she grows and learn from them.
The bonding she have with Aidan is truly the best.
Do yourself a favor and get a copy, you wont regret!! (And read it like 10 times, cause with each read you learn so much about the all story)
March 5, 2022
This was an absolute chore to read. The dialogue feels stilted and forced. The characters are flat and severely underdeveloped. The narration is circuitous and overly wordy. As a result, we have a novel of over 400 pages that is really just the introduction to a story. It drags on and on, and I had to honestly work hard to get through it in order to be able to provide a review of any kind. With a good edit, this could be a solid start to a series. Alas.
(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
March 16, 2024
Anax was a bit of a sci-fi fantasy, which is out of my normal range, but I thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue that Keren Ouliel built into her work. There was good character development in the FMC and a mysterious air surrounding who I suspect will be her love interest and MMC in coming books. I did feel as though the book was a bit slow paced at points and the world building, I suspect has more to come but left me feeling a little dissapointed at the end. While I do not think I would re-read Anax, I will watch for its follow up works.
April 2, 2022
**Won via LibraryThing Early Reviewers**
This is the first in a series called The Order.
This follows a young woman named Nora who works at a restaurant and is a part-time environmental journalist. She is thrust into a strange situation one day and from there, the story goes on a bit of a ramble. There are stalkers, strange natural disasters, and a creepy dude.
There's a lot of time spent with Nora going back and forth internally and vacillating about a job offer the creepy dude gives her with her roomies. Honestly, I got bored with her constant inability to make decisions.
There's a moment when "A" secret society is introduced and you think it's the one you're supposed to root for and then there's a bit of a twist to it? I'm still slightly confused. Perhaps I misread a scene or something.
There are a few random things thrown in too, don't want to spoil too much, especially with knowing this is supposed to be the first of a series and may in fact be setting up everything.
Only a few minor errors here and there. I'm not so interested that I have to keep reading this series; it'll be more of an "if I happen upon it" read.
**All thoughts and opinions are my own. The publisher asked for an honest review in exchange for a copy of this book.**
This is the first in a series called The Order.
This follows a young woman named Nora who works at a restaurant and is a part-time environmental journalist. She is thrust into a strange situation one day and from there, the story goes on a bit of a ramble. There are stalkers, strange natural disasters, and a creepy dude.
There's a lot of time spent with Nora going back and forth internally and vacillating about a job offer the creepy dude gives her with her roomies. Honestly, I got bored with her constant inability to make decisions.
There's a moment when "A" secret society is introduced and you think it's the one you're supposed to root for and then there's a bit of a twist to it? I'm still slightly confused. Perhaps I misread a scene or something.
There are a few random things thrown in too, don't want to spoil too much, especially with knowing this is supposed to be the first of a series and may in fact be setting up everything.
Only a few minor errors here and there. I'm not so interested that I have to keep reading this series; it'll be more of an "if I happen upon it" read.
**All thoughts and opinions are my own. The publisher asked for an honest review in exchange for a copy of this book.**
November 28, 2023
The author really surprised me with a compelling and well written story
The story line is coherent and the protagonists are well fleshed
Is clear that the writer took the time to edit and polish instead of letting a cookie cuter editor do the job
Definitely a very enjoyable read , looking forward to the rest of the series.
The story line is coherent and the protagonists are well fleshed
Is clear that the writer took the time to edit and polish instead of letting a cookie cuter editor do the job
Definitely a very enjoyable read , looking forward to the rest of the series.
April 18, 2025
ok i was very skeptical at first because the first few pages doesn't rly hook me, but the more i read, the more it gets good
some stuff doesn't make any sense n that only makes the next books even more enticing because I'd definitely like to know more ab Naya's journey and all the mysteries that'll be unravelled
some stuff doesn't make any sense n that only makes the next books even more enticing because I'd definitely like to know more ab Naya's journey and all the mysteries that'll be unravelled
February 6, 2022
A fantasy novel that has an original and exciting idea but with poor execution. There is a mystery to find out with twists and turns, so it kept me thinking something entertaining was going to happen. Overall the story just falls flat.
October 4, 2025
Mystically Compelling
A fantastical journey that slowly builds, allowing for deep character development while paving the way for the plot to unfold, the author weaves her story with verbose aplomb!
A fantastical journey that slowly builds, allowing for deep character development while paving the way for the plot to unfold, the author weaves her story with verbose aplomb!
December 12, 2021
The most fascinating book I have read lately
December 15, 2021
Such a great book! Finally a strong female lead!
I loved going to this adventure with naya and can't wait for the next book! I highly recomend this book!
I loved going to this adventure with naya and can't wait for the next book! I highly recomend this book!
January 4, 2022
A suspenseful read with some fantasy elements, but that also explores modern themes, family interactions (both blood and assumed) and the challenges of trusting yourself and others.
January 5, 2022
I personally am very attracted to stories of this kind, it pretty much met all my expectations, highly recommend :)
January 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Such fun read, full of twists that make it very compelling. Love the characters and can't wait to see what's next for them!
January 19, 2022
I loved it! The plot is compelling, and keeps you guessing for more.
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