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Magnus Academy #1
The Eidolon
In the epic conclusion to K.D. Edwards' first blockbuster trilogy in The Tarot Sequence series, readers followed Rune on a race against time as an age-old threat rose to threaten the city of New Atlantis. Now, for the first time, The Eidolon tells what really happened to Max, Quinn, and Anna as prisoners in the Hourglass Throne's base of operation.
The Eidolon is a 200-page expansion to the story told in Book 3 of KD Edwards' main series, The Tarot Sequence. It begins to show the younger generation of the Sun Court coming together as a true team, which will lead to future novel-length story arcs set at Magnus Academy, New Atlantis's premier spellcasting school.
The book was printed in partnership with Rainbow Crate, the world's largest queer subscription box service, which produced a limited-edition hardcover. The Audible and Kindle versions are available through Amazon. The eBook will begin appearing on more platforms, along with a paperback version, in Spring 2023.
The Eidolon is a 200-page expansion to the story told in Book 3 of KD Edwards' main series, The Tarot Sequence. It begins to show the younger generation of the Sun Court coming together as a true team, which will lead to future novel-length story arcs set at Magnus Academy, New Atlantis's premier spellcasting school.
The book was printed in partnership with Rainbow Crate, the world's largest queer subscription box service, which produced a limited-edition hardcover. The Audible and Kindle versions are available through Amazon. The eBook will begin appearing on more platforms, along with a paperback version, in Spring 2023.
217 pages, Hardcover
Published February 28, 2023
89 people are currently reading
1806 people want to read
About the author
K.D. Edwards
15 books2,664 followersAuthor of the Tarot Sequence and the Tales from New Atlantis. Published by Pyr. Reader of Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA, Mystery, Graphic Novels, and LGBT+.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 21, 2023
This is a tough one to rate. As a supplement to The Hourglass Throne, 4 stars, for sure. And Josh Hurley gets his usual 5 stars for performance on the narration. But as a first book in a new series, 2 stars.
It does none of the things a first book is supposed to do, like reintroduce the world and characters or establish itself as an independent series that can be read on its own. Because people who aren't familiar with the main series are going to see this, see it's a first book, pick it up, and have no fricking clue what the hell is going on. And it really doesn't have anything to do with Magnus Academy at all, aside from one very brief scene that takes place there. This should have been marketed as The Tarot Sequence 3.1, since that's what it is, and I think it was a serious misstep to market this as the first book in the spinoff series.
I understand from the foreword that Edwards had wanted to include some of this in THT, but due to supply chain issues and limitations, his publisher restricted his page count and that was that. This whole arc had to be chopped off and put in its own novella. I appreciate that he didn't just rehash the events in THT to pad this out, but that also means it cannot stand on its own, and as such it's a terrible intro to a new series.
But that aside, I still really enjoyed seeing the kids' side of the events in THT. That was a huge factor missing from that book and not just because TTS is told from only Rune's POV. I especially enjoyed seeing how tight Quinn and Max have become, how much Max has accepted his position and feels confidence in that position with his new family, and how much the kids have already learned from Rune and Brand. Max is a sweetheart, Quinn is much more courageous than I've previously given him credit for, and Anna is still trying to figure out her place in things. I'm glad the boys take her seriously, and that they've all got each other's backs.
Though we do still need to find out what's causing this Ivory soap shortage. (At least we now know where all the toilet paper went during quarantine.)
And of course, there are a couple of bombshells dropped here. I forget which of my friends first pointed out that It'll be very interesting to see where this is going to go in the next book.
Thanks to Rosa and Gabi for the BR.
It does none of the things a first book is supposed to do, like reintroduce the world and characters or establish itself as an independent series that can be read on its own. Because people who aren't familiar with the main series are going to see this, see it's a first book, pick it up, and have no fricking clue what the hell is going on. And it really doesn't have anything to do with Magnus Academy at all, aside from one very brief scene that takes place there. This should have been marketed as The Tarot Sequence 3.1, since that's what it is, and I think it was a serious misstep to market this as the first book in the spinoff series.
I understand from the foreword that Edwards had wanted to include some of this in THT, but due to supply chain issues and limitations, his publisher restricted his page count and that was that. This whole arc had to be chopped off and put in its own novella. I appreciate that he didn't just rehash the events in THT to pad this out, but that also means it cannot stand on its own, and as such it's a terrible intro to a new series.
But that aside, I still really enjoyed seeing the kids' side of the events in THT. That was a huge factor missing from that book and not just because TTS is told from only Rune's POV. I especially enjoyed seeing how tight Quinn and Max have become, how much Max has accepted his position and feels confidence in that position with his new family, and how much the kids have already learned from Rune and Brand. Max is a sweetheart, Quinn is much more courageous than I've previously given him credit for, and Anna is still trying to figure out her place in things. I'm glad the boys take her seriously, and that they've all got each other's backs.
Though we do still need to find out what's causing this Ivory soap shortage. (At least we now know where all the toilet paper went during quarantine.)
And of course, there are a couple of bombshells dropped here. I forget which of my friends first pointed out that It'll be very interesting to see where this is going to go in the next book.
Thanks to Rosa and Gabi for the BR.
February 28, 2023
*staring into space searching the meaning of my life now that I ended this and have to wait for the sequels*
Btw, why do I find myself reading KD Edwards's books being scared by any suspicious sentence, knowing that anything can be used against the readers in the future?
Moreover, I was not mentally prepared for any of Quinn's chapters.
Btw, why do I find myself reading KD Edwards's books being scared by any suspicious sentence, knowing that anything can be used against the readers in the future?
Moreover, I was not mentally prepared for any of Quinn's chapters.
March 10, 2023
The Eidolon follows Quinn, Max, and Anna during the events of the The Hourglass Throne. So only pick this up after you've read the first trilogy in The Tarot Sequence.
I'm so happy we got this book. A lot happens and it adds so much to not only The Hourglass Throne, but the future of the series.
Getting into the heads of Max, Quinn, and Anna was really interesting. We learn more about them as individuals and their relationships with each other.
The Eidolon as a setting was perfect. It's eerie and has this almost surreal atmosphere. The Eidolon is a subterranean hodgepodge of architecture from around the world. Which is what New Atlantis is as well, but here it's twisted and fitted together in ways it shouldn't. Brilliant execution by K.D. Edwards!
__
I can't wait to get more in this series. And the edition crafted by Rainbowcrate is gorgeous; I'm so happy to have it beside my other editions of the first three Tarot Sequence books.
I'm so happy we got this book. A lot happens and it adds so much to not only The Hourglass Throne, but the future of the series.
Getting into the heads of Max, Quinn, and Anna was really interesting. We learn more about them as individuals and their relationships with each other.
The Eidolon as a setting was perfect. It's eerie and has this almost surreal atmosphere. The Eidolon is a subterranean hodgepodge of architecture from around the world. Which is what New Atlantis is as well, but here it's twisted and fitted together in ways it shouldn't. Brilliant execution by K.D. Edwards!
__
I can't wait to get more in this series. And the edition crafted by Rainbowcrate is gorgeous; I'm so happy to have it beside my other editions of the first three Tarot Sequence books.
March 6, 2023
TL;DR - My critera for 5 stars is do I see myself ever rereading this and the answer is yes, so it gets a 5. But despite its label as "book 1 of" I can not under any circumstances advise trying to read this if you have not read the the first 3 books in the Tarot Sequence, preferably recently.
KD Edwards reminds of something I first noticed in anime series, the most egregious perpetrator of which that comes to mind is Rumiko Takahashi. (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, etc.) The tendency I am referring to is adding a host of new characters in each book/story arc and never letting them go. Virtually every new character becomes a permanent friend or rival in the cast which soon results in an obscenely huge cast of characters that is frankly exhausting to keep track of, and, in my opinion, gets in the way of telling an effective story when the author tries to give all of them page time. It's even more infuriating because generally, they're all really good characters, any of which could carry a story on their own, so it's not easy to pick out a selection and say get rid of all these people. All of which is preparation to say, I was quite happy to hear Edwards was planning to split off the teenagers into their own series despite Quinn being one of my absolute favorites in the main sequence.
But but but but but...
While I enjoyed this book very much, it also very much fails to stand on it's own. The story here is what happened to Quinn, Max, and Anna during book 3 of the main series, and what I can only assume was a misguided attempt to avoid rehashing events shown in that book leaves this one feeling like a lot of parts are missing. Like, the ending, aside from one sneaky reveal, is incredibly lackluster and flat. Because the big climax all took place in The Hourglass Throne without these characters present.
But also, dude. I'm not 5 years old anymore, nor am I one of those superfans who gets so into a story they build their lives around it, reading and rereanding and living in fan spaces until every nook and cranny of a work is deeply and intimately familiar. Dude, I will forget most of the names of the characters in my absolute favorite books five minutes after I've closed them. Hell, I can't remember half of them while I'm actually reading the books. While the story in The Hourglass Throne would come back to me quickly if I started rereading it, outside of that context, I don't remember the details anywhere near well enough to fill in the gaps here. You need to give us some reminders.
Fortunately, I have a lifetime of working around the gaps and not being able to hear a good chunk of all the conversations I'm involved in to get me used to that not 100% sure what's going on here sensation and just rolling with it anyway.
As I mentioned, Quinn is my favoritiest asexual teen prophet and I very much enjoyed getting to focus on him and Max and Anna for a book. POV alternates between the three, though I didn't find Max and Anna's voices distinctive or particularly vibrant. Prose was mostly invisible, which is generally the standard in SFF fiction.
So ultimately, while it's definitely not a starting point, I would recommend it to fans of the main series, but I really recommend this book be read immediately after The Hourglass Throne to get proper satisfaction out of it, and I think I will reread the whole sequence before I tackle the next one in the main series, whenever that comes out.
KD Edwards reminds of something I first noticed in anime series, the most egregious perpetrator of which that comes to mind is Rumiko Takahashi. (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, etc.) The tendency I am referring to is adding a host of new characters in each book/story arc and never letting them go. Virtually every new character becomes a permanent friend or rival in the cast which soon results in an obscenely huge cast of characters that is frankly exhausting to keep track of, and, in my opinion, gets in the way of telling an effective story when the author tries to give all of them page time. It's even more infuriating because generally, they're all really good characters, any of which could carry a story on their own, so it's not easy to pick out a selection and say get rid of all these people. All of which is preparation to say, I was quite happy to hear Edwards was planning to split off the teenagers into their own series despite Quinn being one of my absolute favorites in the main sequence.
But but but but but...
While I enjoyed this book very much, it also very much fails to stand on it's own. The story here is what happened to Quinn, Max, and Anna during book 3 of the main series, and what I can only assume was a misguided attempt to avoid rehashing events shown in that book leaves this one feeling like a lot of parts are missing. Like, the ending, aside from one sneaky reveal, is incredibly lackluster and flat. Because the big climax all took place in The Hourglass Throne without these characters present.
But also, dude. I'm not 5 years old anymore, nor am I one of those superfans who gets so into a story they build their lives around it, reading and rereanding and living in fan spaces until every nook and cranny of a work is deeply and intimately familiar. Dude, I will forget most of the names of the characters in my absolute favorite books five minutes after I've closed them. Hell, I can't remember half of them while I'm actually reading the books. While the story in The Hourglass Throne would come back to me quickly if I started rereading it, outside of that context, I don't remember the details anywhere near well enough to fill in the gaps here. You need to give us some reminders.
Fortunately, I have a lifetime of working around the gaps and not being able to hear a good chunk of all the conversations I'm involved in to get me used to that not 100% sure what's going on here sensation and just rolling with it anyway.
As I mentioned, Quinn is my favoritiest asexual teen prophet and I very much enjoyed getting to focus on him and Max and Anna for a book. POV alternates between the three, though I didn't find Max and Anna's voices distinctive or particularly vibrant. Prose was mostly invisible, which is generally the standard in SFF fiction.
So ultimately, while it's definitely not a starting point, I would recommend it to fans of the main series, but I really recommend this book be read immediately after The Hourglass Throne to get proper satisfaction out of it, and I think I will reread the whole sequence before I tackle the next one in the main series, whenever that comes out.
January 27, 2023
YES BITCH YOU BETTER WALK THAT FUCKING DUCK!!!!
Honestly if you like TTS why aren’t you reading the novellas you monster?!?
Amazing. Chefs kiss. No notes.
Honestly if you like TTS why aren’t you reading the novellas you monster?!?
Amazing. Chefs kiss. No notes.
September 23, 2023
AHHH WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK. K.D. I will direct deposit all of the money I have for the next book, PLEASE.
April 10, 2023
K.D. Edwards can only write five star books. What else can I say? Please, friends, give the Tarot Sequence series / world a chance! It’s incredibly good!
July 8, 2024
Alright friends, buckle up. I’m going to do my best to make my thoughts as coherent as possible, but if you find the flow meandering and hard to follow, please just imagine I’m channeling Quinn. Everything made sense to me when I wrote it. 😌
First things first, I was bummed when I found out KD was forced to cut a large chunk of storyline from The Hourglass Throne due to a paper shortage. What a terrible reason to have to edit a book. 🫠 The good news is that KD is a superb storyteller and he took the lemons he was given and turned them into a refreshing glass of lemonade for us in the form of The Eidolon. While I wish we could have had everything woven together in The Hourglass Throne as KD intended, what started out as an unfortunate situation turned into a lovely start to the Magnus Academy spin-off series. Although I read The Eidolon standalone this time, I will certainly be flipping back and forth between it and The Hourglass Throne on my next re-read since KD was kind enough to provide a cheat sheet for how the chapters line up between the two books. Beyond that, I'm excited to see where things go with the kids and their adventures at Magnus Academy. (And more Ciaran! I need to see professor Ciaran like I need air to breathe.)
If you were lucky enough to snag a hardcopy of The Eidolon from Rainbow Crate, you'll know you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful book. From the artwork, to the page edging and everything in between, the book is gorgeous! Plus, we were given a handy-dandy map of New Atlantis along with a glossary to help keep everything sorted. Having these references will prove invaluable when I inevitably forget something you think I would remember after having read the series as many times as I have already and will again in the future. 😂
Now, for the story itself...
The Eidolon gives us a glimpse into Quinn, Max, and Anna’s adventures during the course of The Hourglass Throne - how they were taken and what happened to them while they were gone. We finally get the opportunity to see the trio existing outside of Rune and Brand’s orbit for a while, seeing them through their own eyes and not just through Rune’s lens. It's still early stages, but it's clear they are starting to come into their own as they are increasingly forced to deal with the very real consequences of being a part of Rune's family. We finally get a taste of what Quinn, Max, and Anna are capable of when they aren't able to rely on the "adults" to rescue them. We see them push beyond simply "let's try not to get in the way" and "thanks for letting us come along for the ride" to "you know, we can actually save ourselves and while we're at it let's do everything we can to help Rune along the way." You can't help but be proud of these three. 🥹
Oh and one more thing...
ENDGAME
Oh boy. You know when you're reading one of KD's books and you see these words appear at the top of the page, stuff is about to go down. Bombshells will be dropping, your jaw will be hitting the floor, and you will be reconsidering everything you've read previously. You're going to be left thinking things like "WTF did I just read?" and "I knew it! I knew something else was going on there" and "I'm going to have to re-read the entire series from the beginning again aren't I? Clearly I did not have the context to understand it properly the first several times around."
I say this only to say that I live for this point KD's books. The buildup, the anticipation, all of it coming together in an explosion of revelations that have me looking backward and forward simultaneously. I know that for every question I had answered in the prior chapters, I'm going to come out of ENDGAME with about three times as many in their place. The Eidolon was no exception. 🤯 Although the best part comes after... when your mind is reeling and questions are springing up left and right, KD tosses out the biggest, most comfortable pillow you've ever seen embroidered with the word "Epilogue" and you know you have a soft place to land.
First things first, I was bummed when I found out KD was forced to cut a large chunk of storyline from The Hourglass Throne due to a paper shortage. What a terrible reason to have to edit a book. 🫠 The good news is that KD is a superb storyteller and he took the lemons he was given and turned them into a refreshing glass of lemonade for us in the form of The Eidolon. While I wish we could have had everything woven together in The Hourglass Throne as KD intended, what started out as an unfortunate situation turned into a lovely start to the Magnus Academy spin-off series. Although I read The Eidolon standalone this time, I will certainly be flipping back and forth between it and The Hourglass Throne on my next re-read since KD was kind enough to provide a cheat sheet for how the chapters line up between the two books. Beyond that, I'm excited to see where things go with the kids and their adventures at Magnus Academy. (And more Ciaran! I need to see professor Ciaran like I need air to breathe.)
If you were lucky enough to snag a hardcopy of The Eidolon from Rainbow Crate, you'll know you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful book. From the artwork, to the page edging and everything in between, the book is gorgeous! Plus, we were given a handy-dandy map of New Atlantis along with a glossary to help keep everything sorted. Having these references will prove invaluable when I inevitably forget something you think I would remember after having read the series as many times as I have already and will again in the future. 😂
Now, for the story itself...
The Eidolon gives us a glimpse into Quinn, Max, and Anna’s adventures during the course of The Hourglass Throne - how they were taken and what happened to them while they were gone. We finally get the opportunity to see the trio existing outside of Rune and Brand’s orbit for a while, seeing them through their own eyes and not just through Rune’s lens. It's still early stages, but it's clear they are starting to come into their own as they are increasingly forced to deal with the very real consequences of being a part of Rune's family. We finally get a taste of what Quinn, Max, and Anna are capable of when they aren't able to rely on the "adults" to rescue them. We see them push beyond simply "let's try not to get in the way" and "thanks for letting us come along for the ride" to "you know, we can actually save ourselves and while we're at it let's do everything we can to help Rune along the way." You can't help but be proud of these three. 🥹
Oh and one more thing...
ENDGAME
Oh boy. You know when you're reading one of KD's books and you see these words appear at the top of the page, stuff is about to go down. Bombshells will be dropping, your jaw will be hitting the floor, and you will be reconsidering everything you've read previously. You're going to be left thinking things like "WTF did I just read?" and "I knew it! I knew something else was going on there" and "I'm going to have to re-read the entire series from the beginning again aren't I? Clearly I did not have the context to understand it properly the first several times around."
I say this only to say that I live for this point KD's books. The buildup, the anticipation, all of it coming together in an explosion of revelations that have me looking backward and forward simultaneously. I know that for every question I had answered in the prior chapters, I'm going to come out of ENDGAME with about three times as many in their place. The Eidolon was no exception. 🤯 Although the best part comes after... when your mind is reeling and questions are springing up left and right, KD tosses out the biggest, most comfortable pillow you've ever seen embroidered with the word "Epilogue" and you know you have a soft place to land.
May 6, 2023
3.75 stars
Joint review with Sirius at DA:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o...
Joint review with Sirius at DA:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o...
February 18, 2023
I have multiple questions, and I cannot make it here.
The book is pretty amazing.
Max, Quinn, and Anna are awesome.
I wanna see more about them.
I want our mysterious four to come ALREADY! I wanna see the change in dynamic that can happen.
I want more Lord Fool, I want dragons being mystical and stuff.
Overall, pretty freaking awesome.
AHHHH! I already want the next installment, and it's not even out on kindle yet.
Sincerely,
ILOVEREADING
The book is pretty amazing.
Max, Quinn, and Anna are awesome.
I wanna see more about them.
I want our mysterious four to come ALREADY! I wanna see the change in dynamic that can happen.
I want more Lord Fool, I want dragons being mystical and stuff.
Overall, pretty freaking awesome.
AHHHH! I already want the next installment, and it's not even out on kindle yet.
Sincerely,
ILOVEREADING
March 1, 2023
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
The Magnus Academy series is a side collection of stories that show us Rune through other eyes, offering us glimpses into parts of New Atlantis previously unseen because Rune, as charming as he is, tends to be focused on his own path. If you haven’t read the Tarot Sequence series, very little of what happens in this book, or likely the following books, will make any sense to you at all. You won’t know how hard Max fought for his bravery, how fragile Quinn is, or why Anna’s powers are both extraordinary to behold and extraordinarily dangerous.
The writing is, as usual, top notch. The pace is a little rushed, but that makes perfect sense because the events taking place in the book are a frenetic burst of kidnapping, captivity, combat, and rescues. I enjoyed Quinn’s voice most of all, and the hints and promises of his future. I cannot wait for the next book, and the next and the next …
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
The Magnus Academy series is a side collection of stories that show us Rune through other eyes, offering us glimpses into parts of New Atlantis previously unseen because Rune, as charming as he is, tends to be focused on his own path. If you haven’t read the Tarot Sequence series, very little of what happens in this book, or likely the following books, will make any sense to you at all. You won’t know how hard Max fought for his bravery, how fragile Quinn is, or why Anna’s powers are both extraordinary to behold and extraordinarily dangerous.
The writing is, as usual, top notch. The pace is a little rushed, but that makes perfect sense because the events taking place in the book are a frenetic burst of kidnapping, captivity, combat, and rescues. I enjoyed Quinn’s voice most of all, and the hints and promises of his future. I cannot wait for the next book, and the next and the next …
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
December 31, 2022
[Reviewed from an ARC]
I loved this so much! The Eidolon is a perfect adventure, the threads of which run alongside and weave through The Hourglass Throne, telling what really happened to Max, Quinn, and Anna, and how their actions, only hinted at in passing in last year’s novel, made possible Rune and company’s costly defeat of Lady Jade. This companion story to the third book in the main series departs from that first-person narrative to take us into the mind of each of the three teens, giving them some well-earned space to develop for us without Rune as an interpreter. Much as he loves the kids of his family, he doesn’t always get them right (because who can know another person fully?), and seeing them inside their own heads -- Quinn more self-aware, Anna more careful and deliberate in her choices, Max (often) more mature -- than Rune’s need to protect them gives them credit for, is a wonderful gift. You’d think that knowing how it all turns out would lessen some of the anxiety of watching the kids walk open-eyed and deliberate into danger, but no, it’s worse, because you know what’s going to be jumping out at them, or you think you do. (You might be wrong.) The Eidolon is an essential complement to The Hourglass Throne for all lovers of The Tarot Sequence.
I loved this so much! The Eidolon is a perfect adventure, the threads of which run alongside and weave through The Hourglass Throne, telling what really happened to Max, Quinn, and Anna, and how their actions, only hinted at in passing in last year’s novel, made possible Rune and company’s costly defeat of Lady Jade. This companion story to the third book in the main series departs from that first-person narrative to take us into the mind of each of the three teens, giving them some well-earned space to develop for us without Rune as an interpreter. Much as he loves the kids of his family, he doesn’t always get them right (because who can know another person fully?), and seeing them inside their own heads -- Quinn more self-aware, Anna more careful and deliberate in her choices, Max (often) more mature -- than Rune’s need to protect them gives them credit for, is a wonderful gift. You’d think that knowing how it all turns out would lessen some of the anxiety of watching the kids walk open-eyed and deliberate into danger, but no, it’s worse, because you know what’s going to be jumping out at them, or you think you do. (You might be wrong.) The Eidolon is an essential complement to The Hourglass Throne for all lovers of The Tarot Sequence.
September 8, 2024
K D Edwards, I love you. These characters are perfect. This world is a dark, twisted, magical world and I love the people finding their way through it together. I cannot wait for The Misfits!
January 2, 2024
If you don’t mind reading prophetic spoilers/clues for the next and probably last books of The Tarot Sequence , then don’t read this book now.
It was good, I enjoyed Quinn’s chapters the most, his actions to his Sight are very interesting to read.
Max’s were good as well, he’s a great character, and I cannot wait to know more about Anna’s aspect.
And I’m looking forward to the arrival of their fourth friend!
The next book’s spoiler is AMAZING and I absolutely cannot wait five months to have it!!! I think it’s about the mysterious woman in the last book, who spoke to the River? Need. The Misfit Caravan. Now.
It was good, I enjoyed Quinn’s chapters the most, his actions to his Sight are very interesting to read.
Max’s were good as well, he’s a great character, and I cannot wait to know more about Anna’s aspect.
And I’m looking forward to the arrival of their fourth friend!
The next book’s spoiler is AMAZING and I absolutely cannot wait five months to have it!!! I think it’s about the mysterious woman in the last book, who spoke to the River? Need. The Misfit Caravan. Now.
March 2, 2023
Oh my God K.D. did it again. The Tarot Sequence is by far my favorite book series at this time and this story provided some very interesting information that occurred during book 3. The Sun Throne kids are all very gifted and different personality wise. Anna is a bad ass and I think she is my favorite from this story but Max and Quinn are also extremely intriguing in their own rights. I highly recommend!!
February 27, 2023
The nitty-gritty: A short novel featuring Max, Quinn and Anna, The Eidolon was a fun adventure in the midst of K.D. Edwards' epic fantasy.
The Eidolon is a pretty unique piece of writing that I enjoyed a lot, although I found it frustrating at times as well. First of all, the story takes place in the universe of Keith’s Tarot Sequence, and if you haven’t started that series, you will probably be lost reading this. Based on the author’s Foreward, The Eidolon was originally part of The Hourglass Throne, book three in the series. And because The Hourglass Throne was published during the Covid material shortages, the publisher had to place a strict page count on the final book. This resulted in Edwards cutting over two hundred pages of material, which ended up as The Eidolon. Luckily, the stars aligned and The Eidolon was able to be published, both in e-book format and as a limited edition hardcover from Rainbow Crate (which I purchased!).
The story is told mostly from Quinn and Max’s points of view. During Rune’s coronation party, Quinn—who can foresee the future—sense his timeline ending, and he has the horrible suspicion that he’s going to die. When he spots a suspicious woman in a green dress at the party, he knows she’s somehow connected to what’s going to happen, and so he decides to confront her in order to keep his friends safe. Max ends up going along with Quinn, which is how they wind up in the Eidolon, a subterranean “city” made up of a jumble of old buildings. Lady Jade, the woman in the green dress, has joined forces with a group of homeless kids calling themselves the Revelry, and she’s using them for nefarious purposes. It’s up to Quinn and Max to warn Rune and the others before it’s too late.
In The Eidolon, we get a focused story revolving around some of the younger characters, and I loved getting to know them better. The setting was really cool as well. I loved the Eidolon, which was created using a magic called translocation, where buildings and other structures all over the world are “translocated” to New Atlantis. The plot really picks up when Anna joins Quinn and Max, and if you’ve read the series you’ll know that Anna is going to be very powerful when she grows up. Occasionally the characters mention what’s going on outside of the Eidolon with Rune, Brand and the others, and I know this was done to solidify the connection between the two books, but I actually preferred the parts of the story that focused solely on their underground adventures.
THE EIDOLON Rainbow Crate edition cover
And yes, their adventures are fun and exciting, but as a standalone piece of fiction, I’m not sure how well this worked. I read The Hourglass Throne nine months ago, long enough to forget many of the plot points. The author does supply a timeline, slotting the chapters of The Eidolon into when they take place during The Hourglass Throne, but you would have to remember the play-by-play of that book in order to make sense of it. I consider myself a big K.D. Edwards fan, but there are WAY bigger fans out there who can recite each event in all the books and short stories from memory. I suspect The Eidolon was meant for those fans specifically.
Edwards includes a lovely map of New Atlantis, and this is the first time I’ve seen one so it was extremely helpful. He also has a handy glossary at the end describing the characters for the entire series, as well as a list of places and other interesting story elements. Overall, I’m very glad to have read The Eidolon, and it only makes me more excited for the next book!
Big thanks to the publicist for providing a review copy.
The Eidolon is a pretty unique piece of writing that I enjoyed a lot, although I found it frustrating at times as well. First of all, the story takes place in the universe of Keith’s Tarot Sequence, and if you haven’t started that series, you will probably be lost reading this. Based on the author’s Foreward, The Eidolon was originally part of The Hourglass Throne, book three in the series. And because The Hourglass Throne was published during the Covid material shortages, the publisher had to place a strict page count on the final book. This resulted in Edwards cutting over two hundred pages of material, which ended up as The Eidolon. Luckily, the stars aligned and The Eidolon was able to be published, both in e-book format and as a limited edition hardcover from Rainbow Crate (which I purchased!).
The story is told mostly from Quinn and Max’s points of view. During Rune’s coronation party, Quinn—who can foresee the future—sense his timeline ending, and he has the horrible suspicion that he’s going to die. When he spots a suspicious woman in a green dress at the party, he knows she’s somehow connected to what’s going to happen, and so he decides to confront her in order to keep his friends safe. Max ends up going along with Quinn, which is how they wind up in the Eidolon, a subterranean “city” made up of a jumble of old buildings. Lady Jade, the woman in the green dress, has joined forces with a group of homeless kids calling themselves the Revelry, and she’s using them for nefarious purposes. It’s up to Quinn and Max to warn Rune and the others before it’s too late.
In The Eidolon, we get a focused story revolving around some of the younger characters, and I loved getting to know them better. The setting was really cool as well. I loved the Eidolon, which was created using a magic called translocation, where buildings and other structures all over the world are “translocated” to New Atlantis. The plot really picks up when Anna joins Quinn and Max, and if you’ve read the series you’ll know that Anna is going to be very powerful when she grows up. Occasionally the characters mention what’s going on outside of the Eidolon with Rune, Brand and the others, and I know this was done to solidify the connection between the two books, but I actually preferred the parts of the story that focused solely on their underground adventures.
THE EIDOLON Rainbow Crate edition cover
And yes, their adventures are fun and exciting, but as a standalone piece of fiction, I’m not sure how well this worked. I read The Hourglass Throne nine months ago, long enough to forget many of the plot points. The author does supply a timeline, slotting the chapters of The Eidolon into when they take place during The Hourglass Throne, but you would have to remember the play-by-play of that book in order to make sense of it. I consider myself a big K.D. Edwards fan, but there are WAY bigger fans out there who can recite each event in all the books and short stories from memory. I suspect The Eidolon was meant for those fans specifically.
Edwards includes a lovely map of New Atlantis, and this is the first time I’ve seen one so it was extremely helpful. He also has a handy glossary at the end describing the characters for the entire series, as well as a list of places and other interesting story elements. Overall, I’m very glad to have read The Eidolon, and it only makes me more excited for the next book!
Big thanks to the publicist for providing a review copy.
October 17, 2025
i love that k.d. edwards was like okay i am giving you secret knowledge that rune doesn't even know yet!!!
as if i have any clue what these "reveals" mean or imply.
gotta say, i love a nine book fantasy series with time travel and prophecies because i am sure all of this will make sense in about four books but until then...my head is empty and all i can do is smile and wave!
but i am SEATED!!!! quinn is aspec and i am SEATED!!!!! anna has a fucking and i am SEATED!!!! and my sweet little max is gonna be a i am seated!!!!!! and queenie is
also. k. you can definitely tell me who the fourth person in their crew is, you can trust me. just tell me, i won't share it with anybody. i'll definitely know who it is if you give me their name.
as if i have any clue what these "reveals" mean or imply.
gotta say, i love a nine book fantasy series with time travel and prophecies because i am sure all of this will make sense in about four books but until then...my head is empty and all i can do is smile and wave!
but i am SEATED!!!! quinn is aspec and i am SEATED!!!!! anna has a fucking and i am SEATED!!!! and my sweet little max is gonna be a i am seated!!!!!! and queenie is
also. k. you can definitely tell me who the fourth person in their crew is, you can trust me. just tell me, i won't share it with anybody. i'll definitely know who it is if you give me their name.
March 8, 2024
Returning to this series is always a treat. K.D Edwards continues to add to this amazing world with this side story, giving more time with Quinn, Max and Anna. This continues to be my favorite book series and i cannot wait for next installment!
November 20, 2023
Full review TK, however, as someone who's been a fan of this series from the beginning, the insight this book (novella?) brings is eyeopening and gives me the feeling The Last Sun always has: excitement for what comes next.
February 7, 2023
The Eidolon is the companion short novel to the Tarot Sequence’s third book The Hourglass Throne and the start of a new spin-off series Magnus Academy. This book follows what was happening with the younger cast Max, Quinn and Anna during the events of the third book which was alluded to but never shown.
First and foremost, it is important to know that this book is intricately related to the plot of the third book and is not a standalone and is not at all a good entry point into either series. The Eidolon should be read alongside or after The Hourglass Throne. Personally, I would say it might be good to follow along the events chronologically (as The Eidolon states which chapter here corresponds with which on The Hourglass Throne). As it has been a few months since I read book 3, I did have some recollection issues while reading this.
That being said, it was wonderful to be able to return to this world and this found family cast. I appreciated that we got new insight into the younger cast as we get perspectives from all three of them. Quinn’s was a particular favorite of mine as we finally get to see what it means to have his prophetic powers and how he deals with it. I really liked Max’s perspective as well because he is my favorite character of the three and it displayed his maturity and particular relationship with Quinn. Anna still needs to grow on me.
Even though I basically knew what was going to happen already having read The Hourglass Throne, this book still managed to bring out a few tears from me especially during one scene mid-book. There are also still a few surprises within that promises to impact the story of the main series. While reading the book, it does end up feeling like it was meant to be in that third book and was just separated due to length issues. I am optimistic though that future books in this spin-off series will no longer feel like that.
The Eidolon is a nice return to the world of The Tarot Sequence that puts focus on the younger cast and the events they went through that was left out of The Hourglass Throne.
*Thank you to KD Edwards for sending me an eARC.
First and foremost, it is important to know that this book is intricately related to the plot of the third book and is not a standalone and is not at all a good entry point into either series. The Eidolon should be read alongside or after The Hourglass Throne. Personally, I would say it might be good to follow along the events chronologically (as The Eidolon states which chapter here corresponds with which on The Hourglass Throne). As it has been a few months since I read book 3, I did have some recollection issues while reading this.
That being said, it was wonderful to be able to return to this world and this found family cast. I appreciated that we got new insight into the younger cast as we get perspectives from all three of them. Quinn’s was a particular favorite of mine as we finally get to see what it means to have his prophetic powers and how he deals with it. I really liked Max’s perspective as well because he is my favorite character of the three and it displayed his maturity and particular relationship with Quinn. Anna still needs to grow on me.
Even though I basically knew what was going to happen already having read The Hourglass Throne, this book still managed to bring out a few tears from me especially during one scene mid-book. There are also still a few surprises within that promises to impact the story of the main series. While reading the book, it does end up feeling like it was meant to be in that third book and was just separated due to length issues. I am optimistic though that future books in this spin-off series will no longer feel like that.
The Eidolon is a nice return to the world of The Tarot Sequence that puts focus on the younger cast and the events they went through that was left out of The Hourglass Throne.
*Thank you to KD Edwards for sending me an eARC.
February 26, 2023
The Eidolon is a short companion novel to The Hourglass Throne following Quinn, Max, and Anna through the events of that book. KD very helpfully provides a guide to how the chapters of each line up, so on reread I’ll likely use that to read them concurrently, but for this read I had literally just finished a reread of the trilogy before my copy of this book arrived, which is stunning.
While I wouldn’t say this book is necessary to understand the other books, it does give some fun clues to what is going to happen in the next trilogy (seriously some of the reveals made me rethink everything we’ve seen so far) and it offers more insight into the kids as up to now we’ve only ever seen events from Rune’s perspective.
All in all, this was a fun addition to a world I love, and I will happily keep reading whatever KD writes in it.
While I wouldn’t say this book is necessary to understand the other books, it does give some fun clues to what is going to happen in the next trilogy (seriously some of the reveals made me rethink everything we’ve seen so far) and it offers more insight into the kids as up to now we’ve only ever seen events from Rune’s perspective.
All in all, this was a fun addition to a world I love, and I will happily keep reading whatever KD writes in it.
April 9, 2023
I've been eagerly awaiting this book since the author originally mentioned he'd had to remove Anna, Max and Quinn's major plot points from The Hourglass Throne. I loved this. It was excellent. Seeing those three tighter was a lot of fun. I definitely recommend reading this in tandem with THT at the points that Edwards mentions at the beginning of The Eidolon. Definitely essential reading for any Tarot Sequence fan!
December 10, 2023
3.75 stars
A cute novella featuring some of my fave side characters ever!!
A cute novella featuring some of my fave side characters ever!!
October 1, 2023
This is a great supplemental story to The Tarot Sequence series, but if you haven't read that series this isn't going to make a lot of sense to you. I enjoyed getting to see exactly what was happening with Quinn, Max, and Anna while captured by the Hourglass Throne. I love Quinn and Max so much. They're just such fun and I can't wait to see how Quinn especially develops in the series. This was interesting as Quinn for the first time in his life can't see all the options ahead of them and has to rely on his memories of futures he's seen previously. His joy and interest in the surprises was really sweet. He's so oblivious to his own danger though I know how much Max worries. These three are great together and the best kinds of friends.
February 14, 2023
Quinn and Max may have been taken prisoner by Lady Jade, but it’s all part of Quinn’s plan. Quinn’s gift of prophecy has told him this is the only way to get Rune the information he needs to defeat Lady Jade. But prophecy can’t see everything, and this task is still full of dangers as Quinn, Max, and Anna work to stay alive in the weird and creepy underground domain of the Eidolon.
THE EIDOLON is a fun little adventure for those already well-versed in the TAROT SEQUENCE universe. That’s an important distinction to make as this book is being marked as the first book in a new series, MAGNUS ACADEMY. While the primary books of the TAROT SEQUENCE focus on Rune and his journey, MAGNUS ACADEMY focuses on the younger members of his cohort: Quinn, Max, and Anna. This is not however, a good on-boarding point to the TAROT SEQUENCE, as this novella presupposes you’re already familiar with the universe. This is very much a companion novel to the main books, not an adventure that stands on its own, especially given that this plotline in particular was originally intended for book 3, THE HOURGLASS THRONE, but was cut due to page count limits. All of that is to say, if you aren’t already reading the TAROT SEQUENCE, don’t start here.
If you ARE a TAROT SEQUENCE fan, then you’re in for a bite-sized treat, full of mystery, explosive magics, and weird creatures. There are POV chapters from each of our three heroes that offer some crucial insights to these characters we’ve only seen from the outside before. I particularly enjoyed the chapters written from Quinn’s point of view, as it was fascinating experiencing what it’s like to constantly be experiencing different timelines and knowing that leaving an umbrella at a bus stop could change the course of someone’s life. Max is constantly comparing himself to Rune, while Anna, freshly coming into a level of power that dwarfs many adult’s, has a bit of an Elle Wood “What, like it’s hard?” flare when it comes to difficult magic workings.
THE EIDOLON is a great companion read to THE HOURGLASS THRONE. That said, it’s a bit of a weird read that essentially has to be read as a companion piece, as it is one piece of a bigger puzzle, and its weight can’t really be appreciated on its own. Do I wish the publisher of THE HOURGLASS THRONE had let this be part of the original book? Yes. But at least we get to still experience this particular storyline, and even get one or two surprise revelations along the way. (One of which had me shouting “I KNEW IT.”). I am certainly looking forward to more adventures from Max, Quinn, and Anna, and seeing how this novella bridges the main series with the other novels set in this universe.
I was given a free eARC by the publisher.
THE EIDOLON is a fun little adventure for those already well-versed in the TAROT SEQUENCE universe. That’s an important distinction to make as this book is being marked as the first book in a new series, MAGNUS ACADEMY. While the primary books of the TAROT SEQUENCE focus on Rune and his journey, MAGNUS ACADEMY focuses on the younger members of his cohort: Quinn, Max, and Anna. This is not however, a good on-boarding point to the TAROT SEQUENCE, as this novella presupposes you’re already familiar with the universe. This is very much a companion novel to the main books, not an adventure that stands on its own, especially given that this plotline in particular was originally intended for book 3, THE HOURGLASS THRONE, but was cut due to page count limits. All of that is to say, if you aren’t already reading the TAROT SEQUENCE, don’t start here.
If you ARE a TAROT SEQUENCE fan, then you’re in for a bite-sized treat, full of mystery, explosive magics, and weird creatures. There are POV chapters from each of our three heroes that offer some crucial insights to these characters we’ve only seen from the outside before. I particularly enjoyed the chapters written from Quinn’s point of view, as it was fascinating experiencing what it’s like to constantly be experiencing different timelines and knowing that leaving an umbrella at a bus stop could change the course of someone’s life. Max is constantly comparing himself to Rune, while Anna, freshly coming into a level of power that dwarfs many adult’s, has a bit of an Elle Wood “What, like it’s hard?” flare when it comes to difficult magic workings.
THE EIDOLON is a great companion read to THE HOURGLASS THRONE. That said, it’s a bit of a weird read that essentially has to be read as a companion piece, as it is one piece of a bigger puzzle, and its weight can’t really be appreciated on its own. Do I wish the publisher of THE HOURGLASS THRONE had let this be part of the original book? Yes. But at least we get to still experience this particular storyline, and even get one or two surprise revelations along the way. (One of which had me shouting “I KNEW IT.”). I am certainly looking forward to more adventures from Max, Quinn, and Anna, and seeing how this novella bridges the main series with the other novels set in this universe.
I was given a free eARC by the publisher.
March 12, 2023
Filled in a lot of information. Not necessarily gaps, but definitely helped make a lot more sense of different characters. Plus what the H-e-double-hockey-sticks is going on with Queenie?!
April 29, 2023
There was an author's note at the beginning that this content mostly had to be cut due to pandemic era page length limits by the publisher so here it is on its own. I see here on Goodreads that it is Magnus Academy #1 and I'm honestly not sure how much this would make sense if it were your first book into the Tarot Sequence universe.
But. I love how far Max has come to feel strong and capable. Quinn is his best friend in the entire world and he would have easily died for him. Quinn's seer gifts are now on the fritz and our merry crew is reunited in the end.
I am still in denial about the ending of the Hourglass Throne and it was a rude reminder that what happened there is still canon.
But. I love how far Max has come to feel strong and capable. Quinn is his best friend in the entire world and he would have easily died for him. Quinn's seer gifts are now on the fritz and our merry crew is reunited in the end.
I am still in denial about the ending of the Hourglass Throne and it was a rude reminder that what happened there is still canon.
December 30, 2024
(howling like a wounded animal) everything about this series makes me feel every single emotion on the entire feelings spectrum. i would kill several people for quinn, max, and anna. that's a promise
if i had any "real" complaints about this, it's that it obviously slots into the original series in a way that makes the story absolutely incomprehensible to someone who hasn't read the entire trilogy (and recently). i know publication restrictions make things wonky, and all of this is definitely an essential part of the series, but i could see someone looking at this labelling (of book #1 in its own series) and being absolutely lost lol. there were some details i needed to do a mental refresh on, and i read the hourglass throne not too long ago! a lot of stuff gets glossed over to avoid becoming repetitious, which absolutely makes sense but does impact the flow/pacing of this. but it is, in essence, a companion novella, bitch, so that's aight!
but anyway if you ignore all of that and are with the program, then you're more than welcome to join me as i sob and watch kd edwards like a hawk for any single crumb of what is to come
if i had any "real" complaints about this, it's that it obviously slots into the original series in a way that makes the story absolutely incomprehensible to someone who hasn't read the entire trilogy (and recently). i know publication restrictions make things wonky, and all of this is definitely an essential part of the series, but i could see someone looking at this labelling (of book #1 in its own series) and being absolutely lost lol. there were some details i needed to do a mental refresh on, and i read the hourglass throne not too long ago! a lot of stuff gets glossed over to avoid becoming repetitious, which absolutely makes sense but does impact the flow/pacing of this. but it is, in essence, a companion novella, bitch, so that's aight!
but anyway if you ignore all of that and are with the program, then you're more than welcome to join me as i sob and watch kd edwards like a hawk for any single crumb of what is to come
April 2, 2023
3 1/2 stars rounded up. I could see how this was basically cut content from previous books which had then been expanded upon.
I love these characters and am happy to read more and did enjoy this book but it would’ve been so much more enjoyable had it been incorporated in the previous stories.
I love these characters and am happy to read more and did enjoy this book but it would’ve been so much more enjoyable had it been incorporated in the previous stories.
August 5, 2023
I was skeptical about this book, I'm not going to lie. I enjoy the kids, particularly Quinn, but an entire book from their perspective just didn't hold a lot of interest for me. And while this definitely can't measure up to the Tarot Sequence books themselves, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did in fact enjoy this quite a lot! And there were some twisty turns that definitely made it worth the read. :) Very glad I took the chance on it!
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