The Legends of Eve: A Warrior’s Past by Anonymous
Summary:
Everyone is a part of the Circle of Time, eternally reliving the same life. But Destrou is the anomaly. And this is his first chance at life—maybe his last, if everything works out.
S’rae is a lonely girl born millennia after Destrou. Before she could achieve her dream to graduate top of her class at the School of Wind, the professor tells her she is one of the twelve destined students from the three elemental schools chosen to visit the Valley of Gaia. Fun, right? Except this destiny was written by the blood of Gods and no one has seen the Valley in over three thousand years.
How are they linked?
Destrou has a book written about his life, which has been bound away since the beginning of time.
And S’rae is destined to read it.
At first, reading a book to uncover a secret seems foolish until S’rae finds herself with the ability to affect its world, watching the words of his life change before her eyes. But that's nothing compared to the shadows plotting to kill them to make sure Destrou's secret is not told.
The Legends of Eve was like Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Harry Potter. Element-wielding children, set in a slightly dystopian world, learn that they have mysterious destinies – that they can only understand after reading a mysterious book. In a valley that no one has visited for years. Oh, and giant mechanical robots are coming to destroy them and the book. Run of the mill action? Heck no!
This book is written through two different perspectives: the real-time reading of the Book of Eve and through Destrou’s point of view. While Destrou’s story is one that has taken place millennia ago, readers are completely absorbed by the vivid life that Anonymous paints for Destrou. In a frozen land governed by mysterious rules, Destrou and his older brother, Ranmau, struggle to survive in a village of young, savage boys. This whole part has some strong Lord of the Flies vibes because in the absence of older leadership, the boys learn to govern themselves, following the orders of Leader and trying to get enough food to survive. But it isn’t as simple as it seems – there are secrets afoot that are primed to rock this village to its core.
In the present, S’rae has been chosen to enter the Valley of Gaia along with several other students chosen from the various elemental schools. At first this selection seems to be an honor, but as the students arrive and meet the mysterious Gabrael, they come to realize that they haven’t been chosen just because they’re the best from their schools. Something grander is in the works, pulling them all together, but it’s unclear just what fate these children have. To solve this puzzle, Gabrael reads to them from the Book of Eve, hoping they all see themselves reflected in its history and can unlock what they’re supposed to do next to save the world.
Major kudos to Anonymous for this stunning debut. From the cover, to the images inside the book, to the complex story lines, reading The Legends of Eve was an absolute blast. Every character had their own intricacies and curious pasts, and Anonymous does a great job keeping them distinct while weaving them together as the plot evolves. I loved S’rae and Vayp’s interactions. With so much history between them, some of which hasn’t even been fully explained, they were a dynamic duo – at times like to magnets pushing against each other and at other times pulling each other together. Han’sael, who at first came across as the annoying sidekick, turned out to have some pretty cool powers! I definitely didn’t see that one coming, and I thoroughly enjoyed every time he entered a scene.
With a story that’s only beginning, The Legends of Eve is set to become an incredible new series, revealing new mysteries and shattering the world that these characters are in. I definitely can’t wait to read book two and see just how much more Anonymous adds to this exciting tale!