Imperious Realm

Reign of the North Forest #1

by Athene Z. Adam

2023 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD Recipient - Distinguished Favourite in the category of Science Fiction. Reign of the North Forest is a sharp, genre-bending series about the lengths one boy will go to liberate a society of children on the brink of extinction.

Adults are slowly dying off and children are becoming “Antisenent”—not aging, confined to their young bodies. Unable to reproduce, the population will soon reach a standstill.

This is the dismal fate of the people of the planet Eiyesa.

For Sergen, his inability to age holds a darker reality. He and his mother are restricted from leaving their home by his father, Erek.

A powerful political figure, Erek may be combating a harsh political regime and its misguided ideologies but he is the opposite at home, secretly violent with his family. Sergen’s only visitor is his healer, who mends their wounds but is otherwise powerless to help them.

Surely, there must be a way out of Sergen’s tragic circumstances?


“A highly inventive work of topical science fiction, the novel balances well the hero’s quest with timely themes. Adam excels at building tension, which is effectively sustained throughout, setting an eerie tone from the start. Imperious Realm is a strong opening installment to the Reign of the North Forest series, with a wholly original premise that opens up a number of enticing threads for further books.” — Self-Publishing Review

*Content warning: Major theme of domestic violence and child abuse (chronic, aftereffects); major theme of discrimination (political, verbal, genocide); plague; mental health (depression, anxiety, grief, post-traumatic stress order); attempted murder; murder; suicide; death due to natural causes; drowning; fire; missing persons; chronic illness; maternal death during childbirth; animal cruelty; animal attacks; implied pedophile; substance use/substance use disorder; violence (adult-adult, adult-child, adult-Antisenent, Antisenent-Antisenent).

Genres: Science Fiction

505 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2022

About the author

Athene (pronounced Azeen) had always wanted to write a novel. When she's not living in the imaginary world of Eiyesa, she's baking confections for her friends and family or enjoying action, comic book, or fantasy movies.

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperious Realm is like no other book I have ever read. It takes you on a fast paced imaginative journey of a world where the adults are quickly dying and the young are not aging. Packed with emotions and surprises in every chapter, Adam tells this story with a lot of passion . It is a definite page turner that I can see someday become a motion picture.

[TheCrayonKing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't like the beginning that much but now that I'm done, I can't wait for the sequel! It has an almost eerie undertone but the reader feels safe reading it. It's familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. (Also, it gave foreign ideas/concepts in a very familiar way, writing wise) This books can be read through many lenses, all with intereting dynamics: sociologically, politically, and in the main character's own emotional lens/journey. Even lore-wise it's pretty solid. It astonishes me that Adam can write about so much while it still being relatively easy to understand and keep up with! The pacing at the beginning kind of threw me off (a few time skips at the beginning) and at times the emotions are a bit spoon-fed. Though, even with all that it's a memorable book- at least, for me. The characters were developed nicely. It's, honestly, stunning for a debut novel! So refreshing compared to all the trash fiction out there! Recommended if you enjoy good scifi and interesting (sociological/political) dynamics.

[Ginger Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! This book is set in the future on a distant planet that people from Earth colonized with their unwanted prisoners. Over time, the colonies separated from Earth as they created their own culture and technology. More than 400 years after the arrival of humans, a virus begins sweeping through the population. This virus kills off all of the adults and freezes the children in time so that they do not age. The "Antisentient" population of this planet keep things running as they search for a cure, but the origin of the virus remains a mystery.

The protagonist of this story is called Sergen, and his life starts out very difficult. *Trigger warnings for domestic violence and child abuse/neglect* But despite everything he's been through, Sergen still works to try to find the good in everyone. Not everyone is enamored with Sergen and his philanthropic views, and he makes himself a very dangerous enemy. One with a lot of power and no good sense.

This book features societal and political drama with themes of a hero's quest and found family in a dystopian setting. The story concept was unique and well written. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I definitely recommend this one!