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Aivan: The One Truth
Two young people from opposite sides of the Great Continent must make sense of their life.
Rune has grown up all of her life in the mountainous northern nation of Kansanai. As granddaughter of the Senior Elder, she has been a devout believer of the Vihishki gods her whole life. Yet, when a prophet challenges the Vihishki gods against his Aivan, the One Truth, everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. Will she be able to let go of the life she thought she deserved for something far greater than what she could have ever imagined?
Rolf goes through the motions of everyday life in the southern nation of Etalentin. Yet, his routine is disrupted when a voice claiming to be the one true God speaks to him. Listening to his heart, he follows Aivan, but he is thrown temptation after temptation on his journey. Will Rolf be able to resist the temptations in order to fulfill Aivan’s plan for him?
The One Truth is a story about self-discovery, identity, and faith.
Rune has grown up all of her life in the mountainous northern nation of Kansanai. As granddaughter of the Senior Elder, she has been a devout believer of the Vihishki gods her whole life. Yet, when a prophet challenges the Vihishki gods against his Aivan, the One Truth, everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. Will she be able to let go of the life she thought she deserved for something far greater than what she could have ever imagined?
Rolf goes through the motions of everyday life in the southern nation of Etalentin. Yet, his routine is disrupted when a voice claiming to be the one true God speaks to him. Listening to his heart, he follows Aivan, but he is thrown temptation after temptation on his journey. Will Rolf be able to resist the temptations in order to fulfill Aivan’s plan for him?
The One Truth is a story about self-discovery, identity, and faith.
124 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2022
1 person is currently reading
1584 people want to read
About the author
Kayla E. Green
17 books188 followersKayla E. Green is an author and poet who writes to remind others—and herself—that light always prevails over darkness. When she isn’t writing, reading, or spending time with her family, she loves singing loudly and off-key to KLove Radio and pretending she’s a unicorn. She has written an award-winning YA fantasy novella, Aivan: The One Truth, and an inspirational poetry collection, Metamorphosis. Kayla also
has stories and poems featured in various anthologies as well as contest-winning stories published in Clean Fiction Magazine and online with WOW! Women on Writing. Additionally, she has several flash fiction stories available through Havok Publishing. Kayla’s next YA fantasy novel is set to debut in 2025. Learn more and connect with her at theunicornwriter.com and on Instagram @theunicornwriter93.
has stories and poems featured in various anthologies as well as contest-winning stories published in Clean Fiction Magazine and online with WOW! Women on Writing. Additionally, she has several flash fiction stories available through Havok Publishing. Kayla’s next YA fantasy novel is set to debut in 2025. Learn more and connect with her at theunicornwriter.com and on Instagram @theunicornwriter93.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 11, 2023
4/5 stars
I received a free copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This was an excellent Christian fantasy novella! From start to finish, it was full of biblical themes and positive messages that really added to the story.
There are two main characters in this novella, and the story is told from both of their perspectives. I enjoyed that we got to spend some time with both Rune and Rolf and got to witness both of their lives and struggles. I also liked Rune's sister Adda. She has dreams that seem to be visions, and she does her best to be there for Rune.
Faith plays a huge role in the story. If Rune wants to follow Aivan, she'll have to go against everything she's ever known. As Rolf begins to trust in Aivan, he experiences temptation and loss. Both of their stories are full of faith and love.
This novella is very fast-paced which does make it an easy and entertaining read. It did make it hard to get to know the characters and the setting. The plot goes by at a breakneck speed, and I wish we got to see a little more background for Rune and Rolf. The setting seems interesting, but it was a little tricky to get a feel for it when the story happened so fast and in so many places. The world-building itself was well-done! The different regions had their own customs, and the false religion was fleshed out.
I'd recommend this Christian fantasy to people of all ages! It's an encouraging, enjoyable read that you can read through very quickly. I would also be comfortable giving this to younger readers as it is full of positive messages and has no inappropriate content.
I received a free copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This was an excellent Christian fantasy novella! From start to finish, it was full of biblical themes and positive messages that really added to the story.
There are two main characters in this novella, and the story is told from both of their perspectives. I enjoyed that we got to spend some time with both Rune and Rolf and got to witness both of their lives and struggles. I also liked Rune's sister Adda. She has dreams that seem to be visions, and she does her best to be there for Rune.
Faith plays a huge role in the story. If Rune wants to follow Aivan, she'll have to go against everything she's ever known. As Rolf begins to trust in Aivan, he experiences temptation and loss. Both of their stories are full of faith and love.
This novella is very fast-paced which does make it an easy and entertaining read. It did make it hard to get to know the characters and the setting. The plot goes by at a breakneck speed, and I wish we got to see a little more background for Rune and Rolf. The setting seems interesting, but it was a little tricky to get a feel for it when the story happened so fast and in so many places. The world-building itself was well-done! The different regions had their own customs, and the false religion was fleshed out.
I'd recommend this Christian fantasy to people of all ages! It's an encouraging, enjoyable read that you can read through very quickly. I would also be comfortable giving this to younger readers as it is full of positive messages and has no inappropriate content.
August 3, 2022
A sweet novella about two young people discovering the truth about Aivan...
Rune and Rolf live in a world plagued with polytheism. People worship different gods and kill those who oppose their beliefs. Since they both grew up in this world, they don't question it-at first.
Of the two characters, Rune develops the most. She goes from someone who desires domestic bliss above everything to recognizing that Aivan is the real one in charge of her love life. Adda is also an interesting side character. As Rune's sister, she acts a bit like a prophetess, predicting that her sister is meant for more and encouraging Rune to embrace her destiny. Rolf is interesting because he faces temptation and other obstacles with great faith. He faces temptations to leave and overcomes them.
The plot is fast-paced. Each chapter is only a few pages long, so as soon as one event happens, the next comes directly afterward. I like how Green included events that are similar to biblical ones (Elijah v. the prophets of Baal, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the flames, Daniel and the lions den, the plagues of Egypt). It was fun to see these biblical scenes reimagined in a fantasy setting. It also wraps up the story fairly well.
The setting is a bit underdeveloped. There were some things that I understood: there is a north and southern kingdom at odds, people can use magic by saying incantations, there is a dream realm, real realm, and heaven realm. I also understood that there is a female, rather than male, savior coming. However, at times, there was little explanation of where the characters were or where they ended up. I sometimes felt like the setting was left to the imagination or blank. I would have liked just a tad more description, mainly to "set the scene" before launching into the action.
This is a quick read, something worth reading on a Sunday afternoon before bed. It is pleasant, cheerful, and fun. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and would have loved to see how Rune and Rolf fall in love, what happens to Adda, and so many more things that were shown, but not really explained in detail.
I recommend this for all ages, as there is no negative content, as an encouraging tale of two people refusing to believe the lies of their culture and embracing the truth that only God gives us. An enjoyable, quick, read!
Rune and Rolf live in a world plagued with polytheism. People worship different gods and kill those who oppose their beliefs. Since they both grew up in this world, they don't question it-at first.
Of the two characters, Rune develops the most. She goes from someone who desires domestic bliss above everything to recognizing that Aivan is the real one in charge of her love life. Adda is also an interesting side character. As Rune's sister, she acts a bit like a prophetess, predicting that her sister is meant for more and encouraging Rune to embrace her destiny. Rolf is interesting because he faces temptation and other obstacles with great faith. He faces temptations to leave and overcomes them.
The plot is fast-paced. Each chapter is only a few pages long, so as soon as one event happens, the next comes directly afterward. I like how Green included events that are similar to biblical ones (Elijah v. the prophets of Baal, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the flames, Daniel and the lions den, the plagues of Egypt). It was fun to see these biblical scenes reimagined in a fantasy setting. It also wraps up the story fairly well.
The setting is a bit underdeveloped. There were some things that I understood: there is a north and southern kingdom at odds, people can use magic by saying incantations, there is a dream realm, real realm, and heaven realm. I also understood that there is a female, rather than male, savior coming. However, at times, there was little explanation of where the characters were or where they ended up. I sometimes felt like the setting was left to the imagination or blank. I would have liked just a tad more description, mainly to "set the scene" before launching into the action.
This is a quick read, something worth reading on a Sunday afternoon before bed. It is pleasant, cheerful, and fun. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and would have loved to see how Rune and Rolf fall in love, what happens to Adda, and so many more things that were shown, but not really explained in detail.
I recommend this for all ages, as there is no negative content, as an encouraging tale of two people refusing to believe the lies of their culture and embracing the truth that only God gives us. An enjoyable, quick, read!
October 29, 2022
Powerful Messages but Predictable Plot
Aivan the One Truth is a debut novella by Kayla E. Green. I overall enjoyed it and it was a fast-paced read, but I also have a few mixed feelings about it.
Positives: I LOVED the book’s strong, Biblical themes! From the beginning, it’s clear this book is overtly Christian, yet not in a preachy way. Green wove in fantastic themes such as God’s faithfulness, deliverance from disaster, and trusting the Lord against cultural pressures. Green also cleverly works in stories from the Bible, and the premise…coming to God out of paganism…was one I enjoyed.
Rune was a pretty good lead character. She and the secondary MC, Rolf, were both likeable and changed over the course of the story. I also appreciated the rotating POVs, as we got equal time in both of their heads. Oh, and this book is very clean!!!
I enjoyed the world! Green’s fantasy cultures gave me a few Avatar: the Last Airbender and Daughters of Tamnarae vibes. Yet they were also unique, standing on their own. For Biblical themes, great messages, and world-building, I’d give this book 5 stars.
Negatives: unfortunately, the plot felt incredibly rushed, shuffling our heroes from one dramatic disaster to another without any time to recover, process, or breathe. The result was that Green’s characters experienced a LOT of emotions. I, the reader, felt next to nothing along with them. Everything happened so fast that several emotions felt surface-level, rather than hitting home.
The other problem I encountered was that Green gave WAY too much foreshadowing. I’m a big fan of foreshadowing, but it felt like the reader was told many plot beats ahead of time. This destroyed any suspense for me. Aivan was there a page beforehand, telling the characters exactly what would happen. I appreciate the author’s heart, and have myself had scenes where God reveals future events to a character. However, it was overdone.
I’d give Aivan: the One Truth 3 stars for pacing, execution, and characters. Combined with 5 stars for messages and world, my rating is 4 stars. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series because, despite its shortcomings, Aivan was an encouraging reminder of Biblical truths. It's well worth a read.
Aivan the One Truth is a debut novella by Kayla E. Green. I overall enjoyed it and it was a fast-paced read, but I also have a few mixed feelings about it.
Positives: I LOVED the book’s strong, Biblical themes! From the beginning, it’s clear this book is overtly Christian, yet not in a preachy way. Green wove in fantastic themes such as God’s faithfulness, deliverance from disaster, and trusting the Lord against cultural pressures. Green also cleverly works in stories from the Bible, and the premise…coming to God out of paganism…was one I enjoyed.
Rune was a pretty good lead character. She and the secondary MC, Rolf, were both likeable and changed over the course of the story. I also appreciated the rotating POVs, as we got equal time in both of their heads. Oh, and this book is very clean!!!
I enjoyed the world! Green’s fantasy cultures gave me a few Avatar: the Last Airbender and Daughters of Tamnarae vibes. Yet they were also unique, standing on their own. For Biblical themes, great messages, and world-building, I’d give this book 5 stars.
Negatives: unfortunately, the plot felt incredibly rushed, shuffling our heroes from one dramatic disaster to another without any time to recover, process, or breathe. The result was that Green’s characters experienced a LOT of emotions. I, the reader, felt next to nothing along with them. Everything happened so fast that several emotions felt surface-level, rather than hitting home.
The other problem I encountered was that Green gave WAY too much foreshadowing. I’m a big fan of foreshadowing, but it felt like the reader was told many plot beats ahead of time. This destroyed any suspense for me. Aivan was there a page beforehand, telling the characters exactly what would happen. I appreciate the author’s heart, and have myself had scenes where God reveals future events to a character. However, it was overdone.
I’d give Aivan: the One Truth 3 stars for pacing, execution, and characters. Combined with 5 stars for messages and world, my rating is 4 stars. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series because, despite its shortcomings, Aivan was an encouraging reminder of Biblical truths. It's well worth a read.
February 3, 2023
3.5/5
We follow Rune and Rolf as Aivan intercedes in their separate lives, as He has been thrown aside and replaced with false gods. However Aivan is a jealous God and wants His people back. Will Rune and Rolf obey or will they continue to follow the old gods?
This little novella loosely pulls from alot of Bible stories which I found interesting. Definitely good for a younger person who loves fantasy
We follow Rune and Rolf as Aivan intercedes in their separate lives, as He has been thrown aside and replaced with false gods. However Aivan is a jealous God and wants His people back. Will Rune and Rolf obey or will they continue to follow the old gods?
This little novella loosely pulls from alot of Bible stories which I found interesting. Definitely good for a younger person who loves fantasy
January 16, 2024
I enjoy it when I can see a writer’s Christian beliefs and knowledge of the Bible sneak into a fiction work. That was definitely the case with Kayla Green’s book Avian: The One Truth. There are bits of the plot that reminded me of the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel, the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and the story of Joseph and his dreams as well as Satan’s fall from glory. This fantasy story is well-written and drew me in. It is short which is a bit rare in the realm of young adult fantasy but that did not lessen my enjoyment of it.
There was one thing that concerns me a little - I’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out in future books in the series. There is a brief indication that the female main character will give birth to the daughter of the god Avian and that the male main character will raise it as his own (even though it isn’t his). This sounds too close to the virgin birth of Jesus to make me feel comfortable with it. But it was just one paragraph near the end of the story so I’ll have to see how this plays out in the next book.
Because of this one concern, I do recommend K-12 Christian school librarians (and parents) read the book for themselves before deciding if they want the children and teens they work with to read it. From a reading level stand point, it is appropriate for upper elementary through high school. I do not think I would place it in my school library even though I really enjoyed the book.
I received a complimentary copy of Avian: The One Truth. This is my honest review.
There was one thing that concerns me a little - I’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out in future books in the series. There is a brief indication that the female main character will give birth to the daughter of the god Avian and that the male main character will raise it as his own (even though it isn’t his). This sounds too close to the virgin birth of Jesus to make me feel comfortable with it. But it was just one paragraph near the end of the story so I’ll have to see how this plays out in the next book.
Because of this one concern, I do recommend K-12 Christian school librarians (and parents) read the book for themselves before deciding if they want the children and teens they work with to read it. From a reading level stand point, it is appropriate for upper elementary through high school. I do not think I would place it in my school library even though I really enjoyed the book.
I received a complimentary copy of Avian: The One Truth. This is my honest review.
February 19, 2023
Aivan: The One Truth is a YA fantasy story that takes you on an adventure and a search for truth and faith. You view this lovely story through the eyes of Rolf and Rune. Rune is a young woman living in a culture that she begins to question and doubt. She strongly feels conflict between the beliefs she grew up with and the truth that is speaking to her heart. Rolf walks his own path, and he also must choose between the pagan culture he grew up in and Aivan: the One Truth. Aivan speaks directly to Rolf and gives him specific instructions. Despite a dangerous encounter with the King and Master Alviss who answers to the dangerous Lord Paholai (whose character appears to represent Satan in the Bible), Rolf stays true to Aivan and immediately believes and has faith in the plan Aivan has for his future. Rune's sister Adda is wise and at times seems to have prophetic abilities. She guides and prepares Rune with the knowledge she possesses. Rune must go through the traditional rites in her religion called the 'Pairing Ceremony'. The ceremony places the young with their one true match. The ceremony sets Rune's search for the truth in motion. Rune has not yet realized that Aivan has an entirely different plan for her life. Rolf is courageous and determined to follow his faith in Aivan. He never waivers in his belief in the One Truth as he moves forward and battles many obstacles. Rune also believes in the One Truth in her heart, but it takes Rune more time to fully see who Aivan is and what this means for her own life. The reader will thoroughly enjoy this story and finding out where Rune and Rolf's journey takes them along with the many challenges they face along the way. The book is faith based, and the author adeptly pairs several scenes in the story with pivotal moments in the Bible. The author also does an accomplished job of world building. You can envision Rolf and Rune as they move through the world of Vihishki and beyond. You will also find yourself caught up in Rolf and Rune's living world anticipating what will happen next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was able to successfully complete it within an afternoon. I recommend it for any age group, especially its intended audience which is YA fantasy. This is a book full of hope, adventure, love, and faith. I easily give this delightful story 5 stars!
January 21, 2024
This story is a fantasy story about two young people who are meant to be together to help save their world. It also seems to be an allegory with many Biblical examples and situations throughout. Especially since this is the story of Aivan and how the creator wants his world to come back to him.
Now I don't mind allegories, and some can bring me to tears. However, for a fantasy story, which usually are so much longer, this one packed a lot in for just over a hundred pages. I felt the world and their customs could have been a bit more fleshed out, it needed more of a backstory.
The other thing that was not a favorite was the idea of a female savior, their messiah. I won't say anything more on that, but it wasn't something I thought that needed changed.
Then their magic system which seemed very ordinary and complex at the same time. I liked their magic system, not necessarily the incantations spelled out on the page, but the idea that magic played an everyday role in their lives was neat. Again, here I wish we had more details about it, the truth as they find it out and the mythology. Overall, the story was one that kept me interested. I think it could have been longer for the reader to really dive right in. The author can tell a compelling story, and except for the things I disliked and the shortness of this story, it is a fairly good start.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
https://pausefortales.blogspot.com/20...
Now I don't mind allegories, and some can bring me to tears. However, for a fantasy story, which usually are so much longer, this one packed a lot in for just over a hundred pages. I felt the world and their customs could have been a bit more fleshed out, it needed more of a backstory.
The other thing that was not a favorite was the idea of a female savior, their messiah. I won't say anything more on that, but it wasn't something I thought that needed changed.
Then their magic system which seemed very ordinary and complex at the same time. I liked their magic system, not necessarily the incantations spelled out on the page, but the idea that magic played an everyday role in their lives was neat. Again, here I wish we had more details about it, the truth as they find it out and the mythology. Overall, the story was one that kept me interested. I think it could have been longer for the reader to really dive right in. The author can tell a compelling story, and except for the things I disliked and the shortness of this story, it is a fairly good start.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
https://pausefortales.blogspot.com/20...
January 28, 2024
Will they lose everything or find it....
I've been on a young adult / new adult fantasy kick in recent months so this little novella, Aivan: The One Truth, was right up my alley. Kayla E. Green's blend of fantasy and Biblical retelling turned out to be even more interesting than I had anticipated. In fact, I wasn't even really expecting to come across Elijah and the prophets of Baal on the mountain. But there they were against a backdrop of magic and quite the fantasy realm.
Aivan: The One Truth was a quick read and considering it is scarcely over 120 pages I found Kayla E. Green's fantasy realm to be surprisingly detailed, though there is still plenty of room for it to grow. The novella was an interesting series starter and with that ending I'm now curious to find out where things will go in the next book....
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
I've been on a young adult / new adult fantasy kick in recent months so this little novella, Aivan: The One Truth, was right up my alley. Kayla E. Green's blend of fantasy and Biblical retelling turned out to be even more interesting than I had anticipated. In fact, I wasn't even really expecting to come across Elijah and the prophets of Baal on the mountain. But there they were against a backdrop of magic and quite the fantasy realm.
Aivan: The One Truth was a quick read and considering it is scarcely over 120 pages I found Kayla E. Green's fantasy realm to be surprisingly detailed, though there is still plenty of room for it to grow. The novella was an interesting series starter and with that ending I'm now curious to find out where things will go in the next book....
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
January 22, 2024
I loved that I could read this book as a family read a loud. It is filled with faith. Our two leads even though they were raised a certain way, are tempted, hated, rejected they hold fast to their faith in Aivan no matter what they face. The story has you on the edge of your seat wondering how it will all turn out for them. I love all the bible stories woven into the the story it was fun. I love the message of faith and perseverance.
Ray- I loved all the Bible stories it told. I liked how the characters grew in their faith it was inspiring.
Ephraim- I liked how it mixed bible stories into a fiction story. How it went back and forth between old and new testament.
Hannah Beth- I also liked how it told bible stories while also telling its own story. I thought it was really good and that it will help others in their faith.
Ray- I loved all the Bible stories it told. I liked how the characters grew in their faith it was inspiring.
Ephraim- I liked how it mixed bible stories into a fiction story. How it went back and forth between old and new testament.
Hannah Beth- I also liked how it told bible stories while also telling its own story. I thought it was really good and that it will help others in their faith.
June 23, 2023
A quick and exciting read. It’s nice to find a YA book that can be read by younger teens and tweens but also keep the interest of adults. Fast paced and adventurous, a great read for those who love fantasy.
January 12, 2024
Aivan” by Kayla E.Green is a book written for ages 8-12 years but I think adults that like fantasy would enjoy this book. I am not a fan of its fantasy but I had no trouble following this story. It is a tale of false gods battling against the One True God, Aivan. While rereading this book I was reminded of several Biblical stories. Such as plagues in Egypt and Daniel in the lion’s den and the fiery furnace and the burning bush. Except in this case it is a tree on fire that doesn’t burn and also Elijah and the burning altar. Of course the characters and the circumstances are different than what is in the Bible. This story is different than other but has a really familiar plot as others fantasy books but this book was easier to follow. I am waiting for the next book in this series to become available.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.
April 4, 2023
Aivan: The One Truth is full of beautiful ideas, and the story ahead has tons of potential. Pirates next? Hoo boy!
Author Kayla E Green walks a difficult line, weaving countless Biblical parallels into an allegorical fantasy world. Her two main characters, Rune and Rolf, each walk a road that leads them to faith in Aivan, the true God within the story.
Sometimes this line was walked excellently, and at other times I could see slipping. Rune’s story is more detailed; she struggles with her newfound knowledge of Aivan and its dissonance with her traditional faith. The ceremonies and customs of her town were interesting, if not as fleshed-out as I would have wished to see. Her sister Adda’s storyline in particular was intriguing.
Rolf was less relatable, as he did not seem to struggle with his newfound faith, even when ultimate tragedy struck him. I would have loved to see him struggle more.
The story culminates in both a surprising cliffhanger and a possibly troubling revelation. The cliffhanger left me wanting more, but the prospect of a possibly female savior makes me uncertain how I feel. That said, it was a bit unclear if she is meant to be a Moses-figure, which I would not worry over, or a Christ-figure, which again, I may find I struggle with.
Lastly, while Green’s prose gives the story a solid foundation, it does seem as though she was not provided a worthy editor. With proper editing, I do feel that so many more of her thoughtful ideas about God and faith could have sung, so many more of these remarkable allegorical moments could have soared, and Rolf could have become a more compelling, heroic protagonist.
I await the next book in the series with optimism. Pirates? My formative years took place when Pirates of the Caribbean ruled the seas – ahem – box office. Pirates, indeed, are always welcome. Yo ho!
I received a free copy of Aivan: The One Truth in exchange for an honest review.
Author Kayla E Green walks a difficult line, weaving countless Biblical parallels into an allegorical fantasy world. Her two main characters, Rune and Rolf, each walk a road that leads them to faith in Aivan, the true God within the story.
Sometimes this line was walked excellently, and at other times I could see slipping. Rune’s story is more detailed; she struggles with her newfound knowledge of Aivan and its dissonance with her traditional faith. The ceremonies and customs of her town were interesting, if not as fleshed-out as I would have wished to see. Her sister Adda’s storyline in particular was intriguing.
Rolf was less relatable, as he did not seem to struggle with his newfound faith, even when ultimate tragedy struck him. I would have loved to see him struggle more.
The story culminates in both a surprising cliffhanger and a possibly troubling revelation. The cliffhanger left me wanting more, but the prospect of a possibly female savior makes me uncertain how I feel. That said, it was a bit unclear if she is meant to be a Moses-figure, which I would not worry over, or a Christ-figure, which again, I may find I struggle with.
Lastly, while Green’s prose gives the story a solid foundation, it does seem as though she was not provided a worthy editor. With proper editing, I do feel that so many more of her thoughtful ideas about God and faith could have sung, so many more of these remarkable allegorical moments could have soared, and Rolf could have become a more compelling, heroic protagonist.
I await the next book in the series with optimism. Pirates? My formative years took place when Pirates of the Caribbean ruled the seas – ahem – box office. Pirates, indeed, are always welcome. Yo ho!
I received a free copy of Aivan: The One Truth in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2023
I wanted to like this book. The cover drew me in, and I'd seen it a few times, so I decided to try it. Sadly, though it's grammatically correct, and the prose is readable (if in need of polishing in places), the story just isn't there. We get brief overviews of scenes and world building elements that should occupy pages (or chapters), but these opportunities are consistently glossed over.
As a Christian, the biggest thing that made me uncomfortable about this book was the attempt at engineering a female "messiah." I'm sure this wasn't the author's intent, but this element felt sacrilegious at best. It bothered me enough to make this one a DNF (though I did make it over halfway through before setting it aside).
If this author chose to heavily edit and re-release this book, I'd be willing to give it another try, but until then, it'll remain unfinished for me.
As a Christian, the biggest thing that made me uncomfortable about this book was the attempt at engineering a female "messiah." I'm sure this wasn't the author's intent, but this element felt sacrilegious at best. It bothered me enough to make this one a DNF (though I did make it over halfway through before setting it aside).
If this author chose to heavily edit and re-release this book, I'd be willing to give it another try, but until then, it'll remain unfinished for me.
September 16, 2023
I would classify this as a bridge between a Middle Grade book and a Young Adult book. If you have an advanced little reader, then they would adore this book. If you have a reluctant older reader, then this may just spur that interest in reading.
Kayla Green's story is a mix of allegory, parallel telling, and fantasy magic rolled into an easy to read fantasy that would be sure to delight young readers.
Kayla Green's story is a mix of allegory, parallel telling, and fantasy magic rolled into an easy to read fantasy that would be sure to delight young readers.
February 9, 2023
Kayla is a friend of mine, which makes it all the more painful to me that no one advised her to get more experienced eyes on this book before publishing it. Ill-edited indie books are painful enough, but all the more so when I know the author and I know their intent in writing.
I noticed the writing first. While largely grammatically correct (though there were a number of places where punctuation was missing or out-of-place), the prose in this book is all very sterile and dull, with no connection to story or character and simply weak writing. An overabundance of adverbs didn't solve the lack of emotive description. And the dialogue, while fine, was all incredibly straightforward and boring, with no subtext or feeling.
In the beginning I had high hopes for the potential of the worldbuilding, noting some interesting details that I would have liked to see fleshed out further--the Dream Realm, for example, and the mythos surrounding it. But the further the book went, the stranger and yet less interesting the world seemed to be. The marriage ceremonies had the potential to be fascinating, but they fell flat with details apparently overlooked and with not enough time spent developing the rites or (certainly) Rune's feelings about them.
Much of the worldbuilding centered on the religions of the world, which is where most of the oddness appeared. Aivan: The One Truth is full of thinly veiled allegory, obvious enough that its few creative twists then feel very out-of-place and thematically off. Having a female messiah, for example, struck me as very wrong. If the story were less allegorical and simply focused on a general theme of salvation, this wouldn't be so odd, but with the allegory it feels like a weird change to the true salvation story--though I'm sure that was not the intention.
The allegory made for a weird plot, as well. Besides the overly fast pacing, providing a plot that lacked setup and left no room for characters--and readers--to process events that felt disjointed from one another, a good half of the events in the book were clear parallels to biblical narratives. Just off the top of my head I recall the fiery furnace, Elijah and the saints of Baal, the burning bush, Daniel in the lion's den, Moses in the river, the ten plagues, and Jesus's temptations in the wilderness. Any one or two of these could have been cool to see adapted into a fantasy story if the writing and overall story had held its own, but as it was, the parallels seemed forced.
Another concern I had was with the magic system. While I'm not generally one to be terribly conservative about magic systems in fantasy, I did find the magic system in Aivan: The One Truth to be under-explained, and especially felt that Rolf's training with Paholai was glossed over. Did he then use this training from the Devil character for good later? Or were his later "incantations" (another thing I'm not super comfortable with) unrelated? Where does the magic originate in the first place and how does that connect to the overall religious themes? Overall, the magic system seemed quite fuzzy to me and I wasn't entirely comfortable with the written "incantations," though there's nothing inherently wrong with them as they are fictional. I would have liked to see the magic system handled more carefully.
The speech of a God-figure is something I've talked about before with previous reads, so I won't get into that here. As a summary, I didn't have a problem with it but I wasn't super impressed with it, either.
Ultimately, I think this book needed several more editing passes, including professional input on both plot and prose. The heart of the story is admirable, and I wish that more time had been invested to build it up into a stronger story with stronger characters, a more thoroughly developed world, and smoother prose.
I noticed the writing first. While largely grammatically correct (though there were a number of places where punctuation was missing or out-of-place), the prose in this book is all very sterile and dull, with no connection to story or character and simply weak writing. An overabundance of adverbs didn't solve the lack of emotive description. And the dialogue, while fine, was all incredibly straightforward and boring, with no subtext or feeling.
In the beginning I had high hopes for the potential of the worldbuilding, noting some interesting details that I would have liked to see fleshed out further--the Dream Realm, for example, and the mythos surrounding it. But the further the book went, the stranger and yet less interesting the world seemed to be. The marriage ceremonies had the potential to be fascinating, but they fell flat with details apparently overlooked and with not enough time spent developing the rites or (certainly) Rune's feelings about them.
Much of the worldbuilding centered on the religions of the world, which is where most of the oddness appeared. Aivan: The One Truth is full of thinly veiled allegory, obvious enough that its few creative twists then feel very out-of-place and thematically off. Having a female messiah, for example, struck me as very wrong. If the story were less allegorical and simply focused on a general theme of salvation, this wouldn't be so odd, but with the allegory it feels like a weird change to the true salvation story--though I'm sure that was not the intention.
The allegory made for a weird plot, as well. Besides the overly fast pacing, providing a plot that lacked setup and left no room for characters--and readers--to process events that felt disjointed from one another, a good half of the events in the book were clear parallels to biblical narratives. Just off the top of my head I recall the fiery furnace, Elijah and the saints of Baal, the burning bush, Daniel in the lion's den, Moses in the river, the ten plagues, and Jesus's temptations in the wilderness. Any one or two of these could have been cool to see adapted into a fantasy story if the writing and overall story had held its own, but as it was, the parallels seemed forced.
Another concern I had was with the magic system. While I'm not generally one to be terribly conservative about magic systems in fantasy, I did find the magic system in Aivan: The One Truth to be under-explained, and especially felt that Rolf's training with Paholai was glossed over. Did he then use this training from the Devil character for good later? Or were his later "incantations" (another thing I'm not super comfortable with) unrelated? Where does the magic originate in the first place and how does that connect to the overall religious themes? Overall, the magic system seemed quite fuzzy to me and I wasn't entirely comfortable with the written "incantations," though there's nothing inherently wrong with them as they are fictional. I would have liked to see the magic system handled more carefully.
The speech of a God-figure is something I've talked about before with previous reads, so I won't get into that here. As a summary, I didn't have a problem with it but I wasn't super impressed with it, either.
Ultimately, I think this book needed several more editing passes, including professional input on both plot and prose. The heart of the story is admirable, and I wish that more time had been invested to build it up into a stronger story with stronger characters, a more thoroughly developed world, and smoother prose.
January 14, 2026
Aivan: The One Truth by Kayla E. Green
Christian fantasy
My Review:
This book totally exceeded my expectations! I loved all the biblical allegories and references to several Bible stories throughout. This is the first (a prequel I believe) to the ref of the series, in which the next book releases later in 2026. I will totally be reading the next book, and I definitely recommend this for teens(or anyone) who loves deep themes and strong faith in their fantasy. Many obvious parallels to several biblical truths and Bible studies. Aivan sounds a lot like “I AM”. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not.
Violence: mild peril and a couple side character deaths. High tensions (fights break out, invasions) within the regions where the story takes place.
Other Content:
Mentions of a spell being cast and an arrow flying and harming a believer in the one true God.
Set in a fantasy universe rife with false gods where two teens hear the Truth and learn to trust it. There are mentions of false gods(“river gods” and “sun gods”) and people praying to them at the temple. This is shown as blasphemy and evil in the main characters’ eyes once they convert to faith. Also mentions a family honoring guardians and reading tea leaves. Again, shown as wrong.
The prologue clearly shows that the blasphemous worship of these false gods is wrong, and obviously references God, “one truth”.
💕Romance in the sense that the two are paired together- no kissing, only friendship and a connection with each other as they seek truth. The prologue jumps to when they are married and have a child, when their island is invaded, which sets up the next book.
My age rating: 14+
Christian fantasy
My Review:
This book totally exceeded my expectations! I loved all the biblical allegories and references to several Bible stories throughout. This is the first (a prequel I believe) to the ref of the series, in which the next book releases later in 2026. I will totally be reading the next book, and I definitely recommend this for teens(or anyone) who loves deep themes and strong faith in their fantasy. Many obvious parallels to several biblical truths and Bible studies. Aivan sounds a lot like “I AM”. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not.
Violence: mild peril and a couple side character deaths. High tensions (fights break out, invasions) within the regions where the story takes place.
Other Content:
Mentions of a spell being cast and an arrow flying and harming a believer in the one true God.
Set in a fantasy universe rife with false gods where two teens hear the Truth and learn to trust it. There are mentions of false gods(“river gods” and “sun gods”) and people praying to them at the temple. This is shown as blasphemy and evil in the main characters’ eyes once they convert to faith. Also mentions a family honoring guardians and reading tea leaves. Again, shown as wrong.
The prologue clearly shows that the blasphemous worship of these false gods is wrong, and obviously references God, “one truth”.
💕Romance in the sense that the two are paired together- no kissing, only friendship and a connection with each other as they seek truth. The prologue jumps to when they are married and have a child, when their island is invaded, which sets up the next book.
My age rating: 14+
June 7, 2023
Working in education, it often is disheartening to see how much darkness bombards today's youth. With Aivan: The One Truth, The Chronicles of the One Truth series, and all my writing geared to young adults, my primary goal is to offer young readers a beacon of light in this dark world. Reading is very much subjective. As such, I know that not everyone will enjoy Aivan; however, though positive reviews make my heart smile, my hope is not for everyone to fall in love with my writing. Instead, my prayer is that Rune and Rolf's journey in this fantasy novella will serve as a guiding beacon to lead readers of all ages to seek truth in our reality--the truth that can only be found through our one true God.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
"A smoothly written religious fantasy enlivened by fiery antagonists." -Kirkus Reviews
"Like the compelling stories of C.S. Lewis's Narnia, paralleling the stories of faith in the New Testament, this story will appeal to young readers, challenging them to confront their own quest in a search for self-identity and faith." -Readers' Favorite (5 Star Review)
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
"A smoothly written religious fantasy enlivened by fiery antagonists." -Kirkus Reviews
"Like the compelling stories of C.S. Lewis's Narnia, paralleling the stories of faith in the New Testament, this story will appeal to young readers, challenging them to confront their own quest in a search for self-identity and faith." -Readers' Favorite (5 Star Review)
January 12, 2024
With a mixture of fantasy, great characters and lots of adventure I found myself really enjoying the story. Rune is the main focus of the book for me. Her growth was slow but oh how I enjoyed her delight when she found the truth. One thing I noticed throughout the book was the many references to topics from the Bible. The Ten Commandments were front and center as their guide to how they live their lives in this mystical place. I didn’t like the mention of magic in the story however . The thought of someone having power over another person to meow like a cat was too much for me.
Rune questions who is “The One Truth Lives ,” and I think this overwhelmed her. We see her struggle as she wants to follow the “One” but others around her try to influence her in ways that could turn her against truth and freedom. The book is fast paced and does not shy away from bringing readers to see that in this fiction story is Biblical truths that Christians live by.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Rune questions who is “The One Truth Lives ,” and I think this overwhelmed her. We see her struggle as she wants to follow the “One” but others around her try to influence her in ways that could turn her against truth and freedom. The book is fast paced and does not shy away from bringing readers to see that in this fiction story is Biblical truths that Christians live by.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
January 22, 2024
Here's a story with two POV's. One is from Rune's and one is from Rolf's take on things. They are in a world full of gods, all kinds of gods, not too unlike some of our own world's past history. Rolf has grown up knowing the one truth, Avian, but Rune hasn't. It's a very fast read, that's quite engaging.
As a well-done parallel to Christ and there's a lot of pulling from Bible stories worked into this short read that's a faith-themed story. Who you believe in, what happens with misplaced faith, and much more. I enjoyed the characters and their story and I'm hoping for more in the next book. This has so many ways it can go with their story, so I hope to read the sequel to learn more.
Thanks to Celebrate Lit for my digital copy. This review is my own and a positive review is never required.
As a well-done parallel to Christ and there's a lot of pulling from Bible stories worked into this short read that's a faith-themed story. Who you believe in, what happens with misplaced faith, and much more. I enjoyed the characters and their story and I'm hoping for more in the next book. This has so many ways it can go with their story, so I hope to read the sequel to learn more.
Thanks to Celebrate Lit for my digital copy. This review is my own and a positive review is never required.
December 21, 2023
Aivan: The One Truth is the first time I have read anything by Kayla E Green. I thought it was a pretty good read. I enjoyed taking this journey with Rune and Rolf. On this adventure, there was faith and how to find yourself. At around one hundred and twenty pages, it was easy to take a break to read the whole book in one sitting.
I am giving Aivan: The One Truth four and a half stars. I believe readers who enjoy reading quick and clean young adult fantasy will want to pick this one up. I would love to read more from Kayla E Green again to see what else she has in store for her readers.
I received a paperback copy of Kayla E Green’s Aivan: The One Truth from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Aivan: The One Truth four and a half stars. I believe readers who enjoy reading quick and clean young adult fantasy will want to pick this one up. I would love to read more from Kayla E Green again to see what else she has in store for her readers.
I received a paperback copy of Kayla E Green’s Aivan: The One Truth from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
January 19, 2024
This story was an easy read and I was instantly drawn into the lives of the characters in which I felt invested in their journeys. However, I do recommend the author add pronunciation of names for the characters, places and gods as this is for young adults and as an older adult I had trouble reading it at first until I just decided I was going do my best with my own pronunciation and go with it. Besides that the story was very enjoyable, it had aspects of stories in the Bible,reminded me my identity and purpose is found in the One True God,and when we face temptation He's always there to help us through.
July 8, 2023
My overall thoughts: Amazing characters. The book could have been triple the length and still not enough ❤️ their love felt very epic and divine. The complexity of the settings and side characters were awesome.
It was fun at catching all the Bible stories peppered throughout.
It was fun at catching all the Bible stories peppered throughout.
August 24, 2024
Not a good book to read
It is DEFINITELY not a Christian fiction
It takes the 10 commandments and puts them to a false god, which is the number 1 commandment NOT to do. I couldn’t even finish the book I am getting rid of it.
It is DEFINITELY not a Christian fiction
It takes the 10 commandments and puts them to a false god, which is the number 1 commandment NOT to do. I couldn’t even finish the book I am getting rid of it.
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