The Shadow Fractures of the void will be penetrated, and worlds will collide bringing hope and horror and oblivion.
Tall and tenacious, seventeen-year-old Kelsey Denner can run faster, kick further and jump higher than anyone else at her Australian high school. Why then, if she’s such a winner, does she feel like anything but? With her friends acting weird and her father dating, Kelsey thought she had troubles, until a sparkling light mysteriously sends her to the strange world of Aracron. Suddenly lost in a forest of giant, gnarled trees submerged in a blanket of suffocating silence and heavy green mist, Kelsey’s troubles just got real. Here, strange customs rule, wild beasts roam, people with special abilities wear tattoos on their faces, and societies are united by a deep reverence for Ara-rima, the soul of the land. Kelsey’s arrival uncovers dangerous secrets, and the terrifying myth of ancient invaders re-emerges. Now she must believe the inhabitants can help her return home and trust that Kamen, Protector of Pardok, can teach her the skills she needs. But lowering her guard might also mean surrendering her heart. There is one hope - the Ostiron gem. It opens a portal to other worlds once every thirty-three years and is due to activate. With time running out, Kelsey embarks on a high stakes journey across the land to make it to the Ostiron Altar in time. Failure will mean she is stuck here forever, but success could destroy her and, if the prophecy is true… the whole of Aracron.
Author of the Shadow Fractures Trilogy, Bethany is an enthusiastic nerd with an unwavering passion for all things fantasy and sci-fi.
Nestled amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the Otway Ranges in Australia she rules over her kingdom alongside her trusty sidekicks: a dashing husband, a dynamic duo of furry canines, and a feathery flock of chickens who are surprisingly well-versed in intergalactic politics..
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I loved reading Kelsey's story it was a lovely adventure which i enjoyed alot. I am looking forward to reading Sanda to find out where her journey takes her
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Hmmmm….this is a hard one for me to review. Overall, I liked it.
Modern living mixing with another world/fantasy world is not a fantasy spin that thrills me. THANKFULLY, this was fast-paced enough to keep me reading. Because it kept my interest and it’s no fault of the authors that the modern living experiences mixed with a different kind of living are not my jam.
I would’ve preferred older characters. Being in high school had very little baring on the storyline, I thought. The whole virginity thing that came up at the beginning and the end was odd. Odd.
The timeline of her Kelsey’s healing and training also seemed that it didn’t track.
I enjoyed how included the horses were in this story, more than just a means of transportation, treated like family almost - it was fun and sweet.
I liked Kelsey’s growth in the book and her shifting perspectives.
Overall, a high speed YA fantasy with an array of characters and creatures. Solid writing with good flow.
It seems like this could be a duology so I’m interested to see what Bethany has in store to make this a trilogy.
Kelsey is a very damaged 17 year old. Hurt by the rejection of her parents, she’s turned her heart into a stone. She’s aggressive, arrogant, uncaring and thoughtless towards others. She’s full of flaws.
This is a very character focused book, so if you prefer plot focused stories (as I do), you might find it a bit unsatisfying. However, it’s very well written and Kelsey is a realistic character. The reasons for her being the way she is are shown, and of course her experience in the delightful fantasy world she travels to does thaw her somewhat, and teaches her to be more considerate of others. However, the changes are slow, which is also realistic.
The characters who take her in and look after her are wonderful. I loved Kamen and his warm, loving family. I liked how their society worked, and it’s clearly shown why and how the people of Partok behave and believe the way they do.
Aracron, the world Kelsey goes to, shines in the first 70-80% of the book. The descriptions of the flora and fauna are wonderful, and the way the world works is believable. Certain new introductions near the end of the book stretched my suspension of disbelief and made me question how they could exist in the world as described.
For most of the book the plot focuses on Kelsey and her desire to return home, and then descends into more traditional young adult fantasy territory near the end. From a pacing point of view, I would have preferred that a lot of these elements had happened earlier in the book.
This is an interesting and well written book, with a great cover, an intriguing world, and some lovely characters. Unfortunately, I didn’t like spending so much time in Kelsey’s head. I applaud the author for realistically portraying such a character, but I found her hard going.
I love this book so much! It ticks all the boxes for me with amazing characters, a vivid setting I wanted to jump into and live in, and a story that kept me up late at night not wanting to stop.
Aracron is a YA fantasy where a modern day Australian teenager is thrown into a strange fantasy world. It starts out in the Australian bush, but before long Kelsey is thrust into a new and mysterious land. This gave me vibes from Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. The forest she lands in is amazing, and is a great contrast between the Australian bush and this verdant green landscape. It is everything I want a fantasy forest to be. It has beautifully, vivid descriptions of this strange new land. But alongside the beauty and wonder, are terrifying creatures and unknown paths. I love it so much!
Kelsey is a great main character. She is super tough and proactive, which I really liked, but she is also stubborn and makes some bad decisions that get her into more trouble, which makes for a great story! Kamen is a Protector tasked with getting Kelsey trained up for the journey. I love how their relationship has its ups and downs, this makes them a very shippable couple! Kamen is a complicated character and we see many sides of him though the book as he is torn between his duty and his heart.
I can’t wait for book two! I want to go back to Aracron now and continue the journey. If you like books like A Blade so Black, Graceling, and A Curse so Dark and Lonely, you will love this!
I got this on a 99p kindle deal not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did! The story is a good YA and there is beautiful original world building. The inserting of chapters from another viewpoint every now and again is also great, I don’t want to give anything away and say too much. I think it’s great how each chapter starts with a small piece of information that relates to world building. At about 60% the pace build up and I couldn’t put it down after that! What I thought was a low stakes story became high stakes quite quickly. Looking forward to the next instalment…
YA fantasy is not a genre I'm naturally drawn to (though I was a sucker for isekai back in the day) but OMG Aracron completely shifted the paradigm for me! I was invested in Kelsey's plight from page 1 - she is such a breath of fresh air in the realm of YA female protagonists; she's smart and resourceful and although she makes a few face-palming mistakes along the way, it never feels like it's out of character or simply for plot convenience.
I love how seamlessly the author balances the high fantasy elements with Kelsey's contemporary speech / her background. Also, Kamen is love <3 - more of him in the second book, pretty please with a cherry on top, and if we can get an entire book just about him, I'm all for it.
At first, I really disliked Kelsey she was definitely a brat, but she definitely stepped up in the end. I like that there's the whole Chosen One trope going on, I hope we learn more about Kelsey in the second book about her past and her parents. Kamen seems like a really nice guy. I would let him save me.
*Thank you to Bethany Arliss for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.*
As a modern-day Australian teenager, Kelsey finds herself in a new world. When she arrives in this new, yet beautiful land, she firsts finds herself upon a lush and green forest. Arliss describes this fantasy world beautifully, reminding me of similar worlds. Kelsey's arrival into this world causes ancient invaders to reemerge.
A small blurb: She must believe the inhabitants can help her return home and trust that Kamen, Protector of Pardok, can teach her the skills she needs. But lowering her guard might also mean surrendering her heart. There is one hope - the Ostiron gem. It opens a portal to other worlds once every thirty-three years and is due to activate. With time running out, Kelsey embarks on a high-stakes journey across the land to make it to the Ostiron Altar in time. Failure will mean she is stuck here forever, but success could destroy her and if the prophecy is true… the whole of Aracron.
Review: This novel is one of a kind, with amazing characters and excellent details. Aracron is a new and exciting fantasy world where Kelsey's character comes alive. She is a strong, yet stubborn main character. She is a very likable character as are the others!
It is so exciting to discover a new YA Fantasy series that makes a fantasy world come to life. I have a feeling that this novel is the next big thing for fantasy and I am so happy to have the chance to review it before it is published!
Kelsey Denner is not where she’s supposed to be. In fact, she’s somehow ended up in what seems to be an entirely different world, and that’s just the start of things. All she wants is to get home, but that’s proving more difficult than she thought.
I loved this book so much. I’ve been dying for a new fantasy to really sink my teeth into, and this one definitely fit the bill. The characters felt tangible, the world building was lovely, and the plot was engaging. Overall, it was a great read and I’m really excited to jump into the next book.
First, the characters. We first meet our FMC, Kelsey, as she’s out riding bikes with her two best friends. Unfortunately, Kelsey comes across as…well, kind of a total bitch. She’s self absorbed, distrustful, and short tempered. But the character growth throughout the story! We get to really see her develop into someone enjoyable to be around (and to read about). The other characters all feel really 3-dimensional and we get to see down into some of their personalities. It goes hand in hand with the world-building and descriptions that make the story pop off the pages.
The story itself was marvelously paced and I had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed. I kept wanting one more chapter before I could sleep, just to see what was going to happen. Rinse and repeat until the end. There’s action, adventure, a hint of a romance, and a smidge of mystery, all wrapped up in a delightful fantasy world. Book 2, “Sanda,” is already calling my name…
Aracron is the first book in the Shadow Fractures series and the first book I have read by Bethany Arliss. It is a great start to a YA series, which I can see turning into a full blown Fantasy epic due to the length of this book. I would say it does fall into the Fantasy genre just on length alone.
The story starts off in a very standard sort of way, with the main character Kelsey trying to navigate her life in a coming of age setup. This quicker develops into a call to action as she is forced into the strange world of Aracron and all its weird and wonderful inhabitants. The wilds of Aracron are vibrant and treacherous at the same time, and it is a testament to the author that she can craft such a place with such eloquent descriptions and word choices.
I liked Kelsey as a main character. She is strong-willed to the point where it is a flaw, and I think that is endearing as we can see the consequences of her actions. I also enjoyed how she was guided by Kamen, but also how their story developed to the point where she was not reliant on him, rather they were reliant on each other. There are a host of other characters which were super in their design and presence, and I look forward to seeing more of them in book two.
If you've ever been disappointed by a self-published author, then never fear! Because this book will restore your faith in all non-traditionally published authors!
Of course, that doesn't mean the book doesn't have flaws. I found it difficult to connect with Kelsey, the MC, there were definitely times that the storytelling lost me, and Kelsey's thoughts and modern speech threw off my rhythm, but Arliss did an EXCELLENT job with her world building and she laid a wonderful foundation for the next book. I also thought the book had great momentum, as it was always driving home Kelsey's desire to go home and there was rarely a moment when we sat still. While I wish the latter half of the novel had connected me with Kelsey the way the first chapter did, I'm super interested in finding out how different characters tie together and what ultimately happens to Kelsey.
Aracron by Bethany Arliss is the first book in a YA fantasy series. Kelsey Denner, a typical Australian teenager is transported to a new world when taking a bike ride through the bush. Aracron is a world filled with new beasts, people with special abilities, and only one way home. Venture with Kelsey as she learns about this new world, and has to go on an epic journey to try to find a way home.
I really liked this new world that Bethany Arliss has written. I want to have an Ingenium! The world building is fantastic, and I really like the storyline. I really disliked Kelsey at first, but grew to really like her. I think the pacing may be slow for some readers, but all in all, it's a fun read.
I'd recommend this if you like YA fantasy and new worlds.
Teen Kelsey cycles away from her friends in a fit of pique, crashes and wakes up in a different world. Rescued by the villagers of Pardok, she learns a variety of skills from a colourful family. But the way home will require more than bravery as the land teeters on the edge of long awaited prophecy.
The plot is the archetypal coming of age narrative, coupled with an iconic quest, and as such has little new to offer. Except that the journey is wonderfully entertaining, gathering pace with every page turned. The characters stand out and are eminently likeable, with our heroine growing from brat with attitude to feisty battle broad.
This one took me a little bit to get into, but I was soon pulled into the story and didn't want to put it down.
Kelsey is separated from her friends one day, and finds herself in a completely different world. Aracronians, while similar to people on Earth, have abilities that ordinary humans don't have, and the world is also a bit like going back in time.
Kelsey, with help from some new friends, has to travel quite a distance, encountering vicious creatures and some battles, in order to find the way home.
I enjoyed this story. The world building was great, the characters were likeable and relatable, and the story kept you engaged. Now, I'm onto book 2!
Wow. Just wow! You know when you get part way through a book and you start to feel a bit worried because you know you’re going to neeeeeed to read the next one as soon as you finish this one? Me. With this. The main character is flawed and complex and I love her! The storyline is satisfying with a few “I knew it”’s And even more “no way!!”’s. I cried, I shook, I shushed my 5yo while I powered through the intense moments! I genuinely loved this book and can’t wait for the next instalment!
The story started off slow and I didn't like the heroine, Kelsey, very much. But then as the story progressed, Kelsey grew as a person. Her character became more likeable and the world she found herself in was fascinating. I got sucked in and read this book over a two day span esger to find out if Kelsey would make it home. I will be purchasing the next book in the series in order to see what happens next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I don’t often give a 5 star review, and to be honest, the first half of the book to me was about a 3.5. However, past then the book picks up speed and was a great, original, exciting, and “can’t put the book down” read. I read the ebook version and while there were some minor editing issues, it did not impact the story, and I found myself reading voraciously, wanting to see what happens next. I look forward to the next one!
Aracron is about a teenage girl named Kelsey, who ends up in another world. To return home, she has to find a specific (highly protected) stone. While in this other world, she becomes close to the citizens and learns more of their culture.
Kelsey is such a relatable character and my teenaged self would have been obsessed with her and this series. Her inner dialogue was so funny and realistic. What I really liked about her is that she’s different but the way it’s presented isn’t annoying or in your face. It’s not “not like other girls”, which is ALWAYS much appreciated.
Bethany did a great job of making each character so realistic. None of them are all good or all evil. They each have amazing qualities as well as their flaws. There were some characters that I really didn’t want to like but was shown a different side and did.
The world building in this book is incredible. The plot, characters, and magic systems are so unique. With fantasy, it’s easy to get stuck in a reading rut where all the plots and worlds start to blend together and feel very similar. That was not the case here. Its effortless originality made reading this such a breath of fresh air. There were some plot twists that I did NOT see coming. Be warned that the creatures of Aracron are nothing short of absolutely horrifying though.
This is a great read if you’re looking for YA fantasy adventure with a sprinkle of a blooming love interest
I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book in this trilogy.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.