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Primis Vipris Saga #2
E.D.E.N.
“The Sword and its Shadow are
FREED
from the Loch…
And the world FELL to Vipers”
A new world is born from the ashes of the old. Fifty years have passed in their absence, and the Lockheart twins are stranded with more questions than answers.
Robbed of their first attempt to kill a dragon, Oliver, Roland, and the Sworn Ones wake inside a cold cell on an EDEN compound. Stripped of their armor and all their weapons, the brothers are at the will of their captors with one bargaining chip, the key to ending the apocalypse they started — Excalibur.
But... What is EDEN? Can they be trusted with the secret of Camelot? Or is the truth deeper than what lies are at the surface?
And the world FELL to Vipers”
A new world is born from the ashes of the old. Fifty years have passed in their absence, and the Lockheart twins are stranded with more questions than answers.
Robbed of their first attempt to kill a dragon, Oliver, Roland, and the Sworn Ones wake inside a cold cell on an EDEN compound. Stripped of their armor and all their weapons, the brothers are at the will of their captors with one bargaining chip, the key to ending the apocalypse they started — Excalibur.
But... What is EDEN? Can they be trusted with the secret of Camelot? Or is the truth deeper than what lies are at the surface?
309 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2022
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March 26, 2022
ARC Review of EDEN
WARNING: This review will contain spoilers for EDEN and for Camelot's Reckoning (Book 1 of the Primis Vipris Saga)
*Disclaimer* I received an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I'd like to give my thanks to Caleb N. Kelly for providing me with an ARC copy.
Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed Camelot's Reckoning and the concept that Caleb had created with his story. Based on how CR was left, I was excited to read EDEN. I cannot, however, in all honesty, say that I enjoyed EDEN more than CR. That's not to say I didn't like EDEN, but I felt it wasn't as strong as CR for the reasons I will go into in this review.
Another disclaimer in that I did also partake in a Beta review for one of the earlier editions of EDEN, and while this review is based solely upon the ARC, I can see that changes have been made since that initial copy.
EDEN follows the Lockheart twins as they have to face up to their actions in freeing the swords Excalibur and Rhycalibur and thus allowing the Primis Vipris out into the world. Only, they find out that in the time they were in Camelot training to use the swords, 50 years had passed on Earth and now the world is run by an organisation called EDEN who claim to be trying to destroy the dragons - who have bred, mutated and multiplied throughout those 50 years - and save humanity. As Oliver is the only one who can kill a dragon forever - as he is the one who can wield Excalibur - the twins and EDEN should be best buds... Should being the key word there.
I will start with the positives of this book.
Once again, Caleb demonstrates a mastery when it comes to the relationship between Roland and Oliver. Anyone who has siblings that you love, but also are very different from, can absolutely relate to these twins. There is no question in the story that they love each other but it's also clear there is a massive strain on their relationship - This is reflected well throughout the story, with both brothers dwelling on their actions and the actions of their twin. It's incredibly realistic and for me, one of the best elements of this story. It's what makes me want to keep reading, to see if they punch each other or hug it out - sometimes I want both, not gonna lie.
Flawed characters are another thing that Caleb does well and EDEN is no exception. The story is told from Roland and Oliver's POV - each chapter or break being from one of the brother's viewpoint, as was the case in CR. As in CR, Roland and Oliver each make questionable choices throughout the story - not all the time, or this would make them annoying, but particularly where there is a moral split. I found that the brothers would consider certain actions more of a priority than others when really if they thought about it a little harder they would probably see that they are wrong, but their own personal feelings are clouding their judgement. A fine example of this is I felt that this moment especially demonstrated how perfectly flawed these characters are because they're just human. Human things get in the way.
Although we see these dilemmas and choices more with the twins, the Sworn Ones also get their chance to make morally ambiguous decisions and show that they too, despite being knights to King Arthur himself, are just men and are flawed.
We do see the characters question motives and the concept of right and wrong in a world that has been devastated by dragons. This did raise the opportunity for some truly excellent debates regarding those in power and how they came to be there - and whether they can really be trusted - but sadly the conclusion is drawn very quickly in the story and afterwards this "question" becomes less a question and more a
This does lead me onto the negatives of the story and the reason why I have awarded it 2 stars, compared to the 3 stars that CR received from me.
The first and biggest thing for me was the line editing and copyediting jobs that have been done. I don't know who Caleb used for these two things, but I felt both were done pretty poorly, particularly the copyediting. There were sentences that didn't make sense for what was going on and sentences where the structure could definitely have used some tweaks. But mostly the inconsistency and the typos in the story. I'm not the Grammar Police, I don't care if there's a comma where there shouldn't be or a full stop where there should be a question mark. I don't even care about the odd typo - almost every book I've read has at least one typing error, it's practically impossible to catch them all, even when you pay the big bucks to have a copyeditor and a proof-reader comb your manuscript with a fine toothcomb. But there were so many in this that it actually started pulling me away from the story. Now, perhaps that's because I received an ARC copy and maybe final edits were still being made, but there were a lot of inconsistencies in the story that I felt should have been picked up and corrected before the ARC stage.
The thing I noticed the most was the inconsistency when it came to character names. And I'm not talking about the twins referring to themselves in the third person rather than their actual twin - which happens once or twice but to no great detriment to the story. I'm talking about the other characters. They would be introduced to the reader and then midway through the passage they'd be referred to as someone else. Now I don't mind this when it happens naturally - for example, Adam introduces Stacey to Bill. Stacey then hears Bill's brother, Gerald, refer to Bill was William. Or something like that, that's fine. That's understandable. What's not understandable is if Stacey started referring to Bill as "William" for no apparent reason in her thoughts / internal monologue. This happens several times throughout the script, most notably with Another example is with . I'm sure I'm just being picky but inconsistencies pull me away from the story at hand and take me out of the world.
Linking with this is the continuity problem. Now I know some of these have stemmed from rewrites following a beta review, but there are occasions where - particularly Roland - says that 3 days ago he was a lawyer and now 50 years have passed, yet this is supposed to encompass the entire events of CR as well, and the time they were Yet later they say they've been with EDEN for 10 days but only 4 days seem to pass across the entire of EDEN storyline- if that. The end of the novel is another example of this .
I digress, setting aside copyediting, line editing and inconsistencies, there were other problems I had with this story. EDEN (the organisation) being the first. I just felt they were an ineffective driving force in the story.
Other elements I did not particularly enjoy from this story were the many comparisons to Hitler and the Nazis. Of course, any talk of the atrocities that occurred by the Nazis is never pleasant - but sometimes it is necessary. The amount of times here though felt like it was trying too hard to show the reader that EDEN were the bad guys. It was just too much.
There was also a lot of consideration to America and an obsession of over how it could hand over its freedom. The twins are American so it's natural that they're concern would be with their own country and how it could change so much over such a short period of time. But EDEN takes place in the UK - Scotland and then England and then English Waters. The twins act like America was the only free country left in the world where they're literally in a country that has the same freedoms. It just seemed incredibly self-absorbed to only be considering how their own country could have "fallen so far" when clearly the whole world did the same thing.
I was saddened that we didn't actually get to see a fight between the Primus Vipris and the knights - Delliseria does show up at the end - but Lionel, Leo and Oliver pretty much stand there gormlessly and get thrown into the Ocean. Meanwhile, Roland, Akiva and Caradoc are busy drowning below deck in the sinking ship. But this makes it book 2 now where we haven't seen them actually face the Primis Vipris and I'm not sure how much longer it's going to be before we get to see this.
As with CR, there were lots of jokes at inopportune times - I don't mind jokes in a battle to lighten tension, but there's a time and a place. I felt the same about CR but it was more pronounced in EDEN and it took some of the seriousness away from the story when it should have been serious.
There was also a big overuse of "fuck" in the story. I don't care about swearing, I swear myself, but I believe there eight "fucks" or "fuckings" in one page at one point. Akiva was the worst culprit for this and it just seemed like one of those ways to make her look like a tough woman when there are thousands of other ways to show a woman's strength without her needing to swear like a trucker. (I don't know if that is the intention it's just my inference from the way her character was).
Finally, there's the crassness in this story that I don't remember being in CR. Particularly from Leo. I understand lad's banter and they're all blokes these Sworn Ones and the twins, but god man, get your brain out of your cock. It's all talk because as far as I'm aware the only woman he talks to - Akiva - he's usually rude to her when he does speak to her.
So ultimately, I felt there were a number of issues with this story and things that dragged it down. But it's still an interesting story and I'm still excited to see how it progresses.
WARNING: This review will contain spoilers for EDEN and for Camelot's Reckoning (Book 1 of the Primis Vipris Saga)
*Disclaimer* I received an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I'd like to give my thanks to Caleb N. Kelly for providing me with an ARC copy.
Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed Camelot's Reckoning and the concept that Caleb had created with his story. Based on how CR was left, I was excited to read EDEN. I cannot, however, in all honesty, say that I enjoyed EDEN more than CR. That's not to say I didn't like EDEN, but I felt it wasn't as strong as CR for the reasons I will go into in this review.
Another disclaimer in that I did also partake in a Beta review for one of the earlier editions of EDEN, and while this review is based solely upon the ARC, I can see that changes have been made since that initial copy.
EDEN follows the Lockheart twins as they have to face up to their actions in freeing the swords Excalibur and Rhycalibur and thus allowing the Primis Vipris out into the world. Only, they find out that in the time they were in Camelot training to use the swords, 50 years had passed on Earth and now the world is run by an organisation called EDEN who claim to be trying to destroy the dragons - who have bred, mutated and multiplied throughout those 50 years - and save humanity. As Oliver is the only one who can kill a dragon forever - as he is the one who can wield Excalibur - the twins and EDEN should be best buds... Should being the key word there.
I will start with the positives of this book.
Once again, Caleb demonstrates a mastery when it comes to the relationship between Roland and Oliver. Anyone who has siblings that you love, but also are very different from, can absolutely relate to these twins. There is no question in the story that they love each other but it's also clear there is a massive strain on their relationship - This is reflected well throughout the story, with both brothers dwelling on their actions and the actions of their twin. It's incredibly realistic and for me, one of the best elements of this story. It's what makes me want to keep reading, to see if they punch each other or hug it out - sometimes I want both, not gonna lie.
Flawed characters are another thing that Caleb does well and EDEN is no exception. The story is told from Roland and Oliver's POV - each chapter or break being from one of the brother's viewpoint, as was the case in CR. As in CR, Roland and Oliver each make questionable choices throughout the story - not all the time, or this would make them annoying, but particularly where there is a moral split. I found that the brothers would consider certain actions more of a priority than others when really if they thought about it a little harder they would probably see that they are wrong, but their own personal feelings are clouding their judgement. A fine example of this is I felt that this moment especially demonstrated how perfectly flawed these characters are because they're just human. Human things get in the way.
Although we see these dilemmas and choices more with the twins, the Sworn Ones also get their chance to make morally ambiguous decisions and show that they too, despite being knights to King Arthur himself, are just men and are flawed.
We do see the characters question motives and the concept of right and wrong in a world that has been devastated by dragons. This did raise the opportunity for some truly excellent debates regarding those in power and how they came to be there - and whether they can really be trusted - but sadly the conclusion is drawn very quickly in the story and afterwards this "question" becomes less a question and more a
This does lead me onto the negatives of the story and the reason why I have awarded it 2 stars, compared to the 3 stars that CR received from me.
The first and biggest thing for me was the line editing and copyediting jobs that have been done. I don't know who Caleb used for these two things, but I felt both were done pretty poorly, particularly the copyediting. There were sentences that didn't make sense for what was going on and sentences where the structure could definitely have used some tweaks. But mostly the inconsistency and the typos in the story. I'm not the Grammar Police, I don't care if there's a comma where there shouldn't be or a full stop where there should be a question mark. I don't even care about the odd typo - almost every book I've read has at least one typing error, it's practically impossible to catch them all, even when you pay the big bucks to have a copyeditor and a proof-reader comb your manuscript with a fine toothcomb. But there were so many in this that it actually started pulling me away from the story. Now, perhaps that's because I received an ARC copy and maybe final edits were still being made, but there were a lot of inconsistencies in the story that I felt should have been picked up and corrected before the ARC stage.
The thing I noticed the most was the inconsistency when it came to character names. And I'm not talking about the twins referring to themselves in the third person rather than their actual twin - which happens once or twice but to no great detriment to the story. I'm talking about the other characters. They would be introduced to the reader and then midway through the passage they'd be referred to as someone else. Now I don't mind this when it happens naturally - for example, Adam introduces Stacey to Bill. Stacey then hears Bill's brother, Gerald, refer to Bill was William. Or something like that, that's fine. That's understandable. What's not understandable is if Stacey started referring to Bill as "William" for no apparent reason in her thoughts / internal monologue. This happens several times throughout the script, most notably with Another example is with . I'm sure I'm just being picky but inconsistencies pull me away from the story at hand and take me out of the world.
Linking with this is the continuity problem. Now I know some of these have stemmed from rewrites following a beta review, but there are occasions where - particularly Roland - says that 3 days ago he was a lawyer and now 50 years have passed, yet this is supposed to encompass the entire events of CR as well, and the time they were Yet later they say they've been with EDEN for 10 days but only 4 days seem to pass across the entire of EDEN storyline- if that. The end of the novel is another example of this .
I digress, setting aside copyediting, line editing and inconsistencies, there were other problems I had with this story. EDEN (the organisation) being the first. I just felt they were an ineffective driving force in the story.
Other elements I did not particularly enjoy from this story were the many comparisons to Hitler and the Nazis. Of course, any talk of the atrocities that occurred by the Nazis is never pleasant - but sometimes it is necessary. The amount of times here though felt like it was trying too hard to show the reader that EDEN were the bad guys. It was just too much.
There was also a lot of consideration to America and an obsession of over how it could hand over its freedom. The twins are American so it's natural that they're concern would be with their own country and how it could change so much over such a short period of time. But EDEN takes place in the UK - Scotland and then England and then English Waters. The twins act like America was the only free country left in the world where they're literally in a country that has the same freedoms. It just seemed incredibly self-absorbed to only be considering how their own country could have "fallen so far" when clearly the whole world did the same thing.
I was saddened that we didn't actually get to see a fight between the Primus Vipris and the knights - Delliseria does show up at the end - but Lionel, Leo and Oliver pretty much stand there gormlessly and get thrown into the Ocean. Meanwhile, Roland, Akiva and Caradoc are busy drowning below deck in the sinking ship. But this makes it book 2 now where we haven't seen them actually face the Primis Vipris and I'm not sure how much longer it's going to be before we get to see this.
As with CR, there were lots of jokes at inopportune times - I don't mind jokes in a battle to lighten tension, but there's a time and a place. I felt the same about CR but it was more pronounced in EDEN and it took some of the seriousness away from the story when it should have been serious.
There was also a big overuse of "fuck" in the story. I don't care about swearing, I swear myself, but I believe there eight "fucks" or "fuckings" in one page at one point. Akiva was the worst culprit for this and it just seemed like one of those ways to make her look like a tough woman when there are thousands of other ways to show a woman's strength without her needing to swear like a trucker. (I don't know if that is the intention it's just my inference from the way her character was).
Finally, there's the crassness in this story that I don't remember being in CR. Particularly from Leo. I understand lad's banter and they're all blokes these Sworn Ones and the twins, but god man, get your brain out of your cock. It's all talk because as far as I'm aware the only woman he talks to - Akiva - he's usually rude to her when he does speak to her.
So ultimately, I felt there were a number of issues with this story and things that dragged it down. But it's still an interesting story and I'm still excited to see how it progresses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2022
I was excited to receive this as a pre-release review copy as I really enjoyed the first book in the series (Camelot's Reckoning). The ending of the first novel suggested that thing's wouldn't be quite as simple as Oliver and Roland hoped, and this really doesn't disappoint.
Having made their way back to modern day earth, the brothers are rather shocked to discover that things are not as they once were. Instead of only a short passage of time, they are several decades in the future and the arrival of the dragons has had a catastrophic impact on the world and humanity.
Whilst their initial goal had been to destroy the Primis Vipris dragons before they could breed, they instead find second, third and even forth generation dragons. All with different mixes of abilities and threats as they have interbred through the generations. In order to try and challenge the threat, various groups have sprung up to hunt, destroy and bring order in the wake of the chaos the dragons bring.
The pacing here is brilliant; you are thrown from one disaster to another as the brother's struggle to master the two legendary blades and come to terms with how much the world has changed. The world building is also really strong here, particularly in relation to the dragons and one of the two factions that have set themselves up to challenge the threat; E.D.E.N.
The relationship between the brothers is also built up well here, and I loved the banter between them and the knights. There is more backstory to the knights than we got in the first novel, so they become far more rounded and real characters. They struggle even more than Roland and Oliver to make heads or tails of the new technological advances of the world since Camelot, which makes for some fantastically entertaining dialogue.
The entire cast of characters were strong, although I certainly had a favourite that I can't mention due to spoilers. What did impress me is how well written some of the minor bit player characters were though. There's a couple who made a strong impression on me, despite only having about a chapters worth of page time. That takes some skill.
My only minor niggles were based on language and the unresolved ending, however I received a pre-release copy and some of this may be subject to change and revision. I did find the swearing a little excessive, and if you are sensitive to that then you might struggle here. I'm usually fairly easy going with language though. I'll wait to see the final copy before giving a final judgement on the ending as well as it sounds like there may be some upcoming revisions in the works.
All in all, I really recommend this.
Having made their way back to modern day earth, the brothers are rather shocked to discover that things are not as they once were. Instead of only a short passage of time, they are several decades in the future and the arrival of the dragons has had a catastrophic impact on the world and humanity.
Whilst their initial goal had been to destroy the Primis Vipris dragons before they could breed, they instead find second, third and even forth generation dragons. All with different mixes of abilities and threats as they have interbred through the generations. In order to try and challenge the threat, various groups have sprung up to hunt, destroy and bring order in the wake of the chaos the dragons bring.
The pacing here is brilliant; you are thrown from one disaster to another as the brother's struggle to master the two legendary blades and come to terms with how much the world has changed. The world building is also really strong here, particularly in relation to the dragons and one of the two factions that have set themselves up to challenge the threat; E.D.E.N.
The relationship between the brothers is also built up well here, and I loved the banter between them and the knights. There is more backstory to the knights than we got in the first novel, so they become far more rounded and real characters. They struggle even more than Roland and Oliver to make heads or tails of the new technological advances of the world since Camelot, which makes for some fantastically entertaining dialogue.
The entire cast of characters were strong, although I certainly had a favourite that I can't mention due to spoilers. What did impress me is how well written some of the minor bit player characters were though. There's a couple who made a strong impression on me, despite only having about a chapters worth of page time. That takes some skill.
My only minor niggles were based on language and the unresolved ending, however I received a pre-release copy and some of this may be subject to change and revision. I did find the swearing a little excessive, and if you are sensitive to that then you might struggle here. I'm usually fairly easy going with language though. I'll wait to see the final copy before giving a final judgement on the ending as well as it sounds like there may be some upcoming revisions in the works.
All in all, I really recommend this.
March 28, 2022
Book two of "The Primis Vipris" saga. I totally enjoyed this book. I found the 50 year time difference between Camelot and earth very interesting, especially how the twin brothers, Oliver and Roland Lockheart dealt with it. The brothers love each other, however, at times they definitely have a different outlook on life. I was entertained with the banter and sometimes rivalry between the two of them. I found the story intriguing. What is the true goal of E.D.E.N.? What can the brothers do about it if anything? And what about the dragons? I love the way the author was able to weave it all together! So if you are looking for a unique story with action, courage, loyalty, brotherly love and plenty of surprises, this is it.....
June 29, 2025
The crew are in the Eden facility being shown around but something isn’t right. They eventually figure out the missing pieces and go on a journey to find Mole, who hates Eden. So not only do they have to battle dragons, they have to get through Eden first. Not gonna lie, with everything happening in the world today, this was just so real to me (minus the dragons). The author did a fantastic job at keeping you at the edge of your seat. And the banter between Caradoc and Leo will have you giggling and kicking your feet. You’re probably wondering why I gave it 3.5 stars if it was so great, right? Some information was just repetitive and that’s not my thing but if that’s your thing your rating will be a lot higher than mine. Don’t let that take away from enjoying the story.
June 17, 2022
This next book in the series was as amazing as the first but even better. The story continues in a time travel 50 years ahead. The mythical objects they found were swords that changed the course of the world. The twins have a quest to save man kind and it’s a thrilling adventure. One of my favorite characters is Leo. You’ll have to read the book to know why lol. This fantasy, dystopian, time traveling book series is so worth the read. I highly recommend it.
June 20, 2022
In his Book 2 of the Primis Vipris Saga, Caleb has done an incredible job in continuing the strong storyline and characters while adding so much more! The plot twists continue, the adrenaline rush keeps the reader wanting to read from beginning to end. As a fan of the legend of Excalibur, this saga is like nothing I have ever read, Caleb has done a lot of thorough research and created a storyline so unique and well written!
July 6, 2025
E.D.E.N. grabs you by the collar from the first page and drags you deep into a world where legends become weapons and trust is a rare commodity. Caleb N. Kelly crafts a high-tension sequel filled with cryptic riddles, unexpected allies, and devastating truths. The use of Excalibur as both salvation and curse is genius, and the question “What is EDEN?” lingers long after the book ends. Riveting, layered, and utterly brilliant.
July 6, 2025
From medieval magic to dystopian survival, this sequel masterfully bridges myth and chaos. E.D.E.N. thrusts us into a broken world still haunted by the past, where the line between truth and manipulation is razor thin. The writing is sharp, the world building is rich, and the emotional stakes are high. You can feel the weight of every choice, every secret, and every shadow. A bold and thoughtful addition to the saga.
July 6, 2025
An explosive continuation of the Primis Vipris Saga! E.D.E.N. raises the stakes and deepens the mystery, more intense chapter in the Lockheart twins' journey. The post apocalyptic world is vividly brutal, and the return of Excalibur as a cursed bargaining chip is both poetic and powerful. Caleb N. Kelly writes with cinematic energy every scene crackles with tension. This is how you do a sequel: bigger, bolder, and brilliantly complex.
January 18, 2023
Caleb definitely stepped up the game in this sequel to the first of the series! It literally felt like a Marvel movie with the funny scenes, the suspense scenes, to the 'Oh Crap don't you do it' scenes! The dragons were very interesting and learning more about the biology of each species was a bonus to me (the more details the better for me). Plus... PUFF <3
July 6, 2025
Dark, imaginative, and full of suspense, E.D.E.N. challenges everything you thought you knew about the saga. The Lockhearts are tested like never before, both physically and emotionally. I loved the gritty atmosphere
July 6, 2025
Gripping from page one! Twisting legends into a dystopian nightmare, Kelly delivers sharp dialogue, tense action, and a plot full of surprises.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews