Only by embracing her diversity will Elon find her true strength.Pulled from her slumber by an empathic species hidden deep in the mountains, Elon realizes change looms on the horizon. Within days, a savage race of vamphyres emerges, bringing devastation to the inhabitants of the settlement she calls home. As Elon tries to stem the bloodshed, the purpose of her midnight visitation becomes clear.… becomes clear.
Thrust into an unknown destiny, facing growing powers even she does not understand, Elon follows the unbidden path set before her. When a magic basin leads her to a hidden city of dwarves, she learns she must rely on the strength of her diverse heritage in order to defeat the rising evil engulfing her once peaceful home.
Will she succeed in uniting the planet’s warring species in time or will she sacrifice part of herself in order to preserve her world?
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*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
I have to say there is some interesting world building going here. We get entirely new planets inhabited by versions of trolls, dwarfs, witches, vampires, and so very much more. Elon is a mix of quite a few and has been pretty much ostracized for it. After the death of her parents she makes a home for herself as a protector along with a friend with a sassy personality. The two of them make a great combo as stuff starts happening one after another until they find themselves deep in parts Elon had no clue existed learning secrets constantly until we got the sport at the end. Great for fans of sci-fi fantasy. Book two is going to be awesome! I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
If you are a reader looking for an incredible fantasy that you will fall in love with right away, you have come to the right place. This book is instantly engaging for the reader. I was taken immediately with Elon and all that she is. Her friendship with Qid is so wonderfully presented, the reader can’t help but hold both characters close to their heart.
Personally, I love how the author was able to create a heroine who has the amazing abilities of Elon. Being almost virtually indestructible, Elon is a hero every planet needs. No one can defeat her, and nothing can stop her.
The story of the Sidra is compelling. The journey that Elon and Qid take is inspiring and mesmerizing.
That this is but book one of at least a 2-part story has left this reader desperate to get their hands on book 2. I personally cannot wait for Elon to get her weapons on that selfish vamp and turn her into vamp pieces that can then burn in the sun.
A fantasy that is worthy of a place in the pantheon of great fantasy stories of the past. Yes, I would put this book in the realm of Tolkien or Martin. A must read for fans of Lord of The Rings or Game of Thrones. An incredible first piece of fantasy work for an author. The second part can’t get into my hands soon enough.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Issues of Genetics and Prejudice Are Just Below the Surface of this Compelling Fantasy
Elon must discover and learn to harness her powers if she is to save her planet from destruction. At that level, Elon: Journey to Truth is a fairly typical fantasy. But author Isabella Adams introduces an interesting twist. She links Elon’s emerging powers to her genetics, something that our protagonist worries about as well. “I reflected on my mixed genetics, wrestling with familiar confusion about my place in the universe.” In Adams’ fantasy world, being vamphyre means you can control minds, being Sidar means you can use telepathy, and being troll means you’ll be strong. And Elon has all three in her blood. Her best friend, Qidira, on the other hand, is initially identified as dwarf and human, but later in the story she is told she has “… the rare genetic gift of a fairy somewhere in your (her) bloodline.” As you might guess, with all this mixing of gene pools, there is great diversity in our characters and with it, considerable prejudice. More than once, Elon has to defend vamphyres against the closed-mindedness of her peers, reminding them that they are not all bad. Genetics may set the bounds, but few, Elon included, believe they define what one will be.
In addition to character development, this world-building tale creates a beautiful setting with lush valleys, forested mountains, clear blue lakes, and lots of caves. It also has an interesting mix of technology. Interplanetary travel is commonplace and yet, much of their food is obtained from hunting and foraging. Much of the industry is based on manual labor, although sometimes it is aided by magic. And even the weaponry hasn’t progressed beyond knives and swords. Will part of a future story expand upon that divergence?
I did have a couple of concerns about the book, both relatively minor. First, I occasionally had difficulty connecting a character’s emotional reaction to the setting. Why was this individual so reticent given the scene? What caused that biting reply? The other issue was the amount of text spent on activities that were part of our characters’ daily routines, e.g., eating, grooming, lodging, side conversations. Much of that did not seem to further the story. That said, it’s difficult to tell what might prove relevant in a later installment of what I assume will be a series.
Overall, Elon: Journey to Truth sets the stage admirably to answer the question, can Elon harness her genetic gifts to save her home? Only the next book will tell.
After the death of her parents, Elon flees her home planet of Sidra to Truth. A mix breed of vamphyres, river troll, Sidra, and a few other races, she possesses many of the strengths and weaknesses of each race. On Truth, she makes a home with a dwarf and life is pretty good until a ship of vamphyres arrive and wreck havoc on her village which is made of mixed races of human, Sidra, and many others. Now, she must stop the invasion while learning who she is and what she is capable of.
First of all, there is some terrific world building here and the characters are very engaging. Her “Journey to Truth” is as much about herself as the world around her. It was also interesting that the main character was not gender specific until the end. Nor does it matter in the slightest. My only nitpick is that in the last quarter of the book there was a lot of “Hello,” “Nice to meet you,” type of dialogue. That I think could have been edited out.
But all-in-all, this is a delightful book and I look forward to the sequel.
Great quick read set in an interesting world of humans, vampires, dwarves and “others.” Perfect for young adults and anyone that loves fantasy, quests and destiny novels. The book follows the life of Elon, a young woman of mixed heritage, termed as an “other.” She struggles with identity and acceptance in a world where she is shunned by the majority of society. The book takes the reader on an exciting journey of personal growth and is an allegory that touches on society’s own struggles with race, genetics and identity. Definite must read!