Aegis Rising

By: S.S. Segran
Illustrated By: Eric Newport
Publisher: Inkmagination
Publication Date: November 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9910813-0-1
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: June 3, 2014

For five teenagers, Kody, Jag, Tegan, Mariah, and Aari, a plane ride into the forests of the Pacific Northwest sounded like a grand adventure. However, that thought is quickly dashed after their plane flies into the middle of a terrible storm and goes crashing to the ground, surrounded by fiery flames. When these five regain consciousness they find themselves in a strange community surrounded by odd but accommodating villagers. Of course their first thought is that of escape but as their caretakers and the elders of the villagers began to tell them of a prophecy they are believed to fulfill, their minds slowly begin to change about the idea of escaping. Especially after almost being devoured by ferocious wolves with their first escape attempt, the five friends decide that staying with these people would be the best choice.

Soon after deciding to stay, these five begin their training one on one with an elder assigned to each of them. Before too long specific inner powers begin to immerge from each of them and they quickly discover that they have been destined for much more than any of them ever thought possible.

A bird engulfed in flames falling from the sky was the first sign the elders of the village believed they would see when the five destined to fulfill the prophecy arrived. Soon after seeing this sign the five teenagers are brought to the village, making them the obvious answer to the upcoming prophecy. Some in the village, however, are not convinced because they believe the five in the prophecy should come from their own people rather than strangers from an outside land. However, as the elders spend more and more time with these five friends they become convinced that these teenagers are the ones they have been waiting for and come to believe that they will be strong enough to face all of the challenges ahead of them.

Up in the mountains the head of a mining expedition named Ajajdif is under strict orders to extract a special kind of ore in a matter of weeks. When the project started it was thought that this would not take more than two months but unfortunately more time is needed and Ajajdif is feeling the pressure of the approaching deadline weighing down on him. Ajajdif believed that these mountains did not have anyone living in them, but after arresting four trespassers who obviously dwelled within these mountains, his belief was quickly shattered. These were not just simple mountain dwellers either but skilled and intelligent fighters who are giving Ajajdif more problems than he wants to deal with. If need be Ajajdif will go to war with these people to keep the mining expedition on track and if these villagers continue to cause problems he knows that will be his only choice.

From the very first page this story had me transfixed and I ended up absolutely loving this book! Everything from the landscape, the characters, the plot, and the different societies was so well described and were brought together to form an epic adventure. Being able to see the perspective of many characters was also something that I truly enjoyed as I don’t think I would have been able to grasp the plot of this book without seeing it from every angle. It was agonizing knowing that a battle was coming and then having to wait for each character to come to the realization in their own time. Each part of this book had me hanging on the edge begging to know what comes next and how the five heroes would stand up to the challenges that would soon be thrown their way.

Quill says: This is an absolutely thrilling story that grips onto the reader and never lets go!

For more information on Aegis Rising, please visit the author's website at: www.sssegran.com

Author Interview