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THE FLEDGLINGS by E. DeLaurentis

THE FLEDGLINGS

A Great Divide

From the Sakrosians series, volume 1

by E. DeLaurentis

Pub Date: March 9th, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73379-202-8
Publisher: Writing Studio LLC

In this fantasy debut, ethereal beings aid the progress of humanoids whose fate is entwined with theirs.

Once, the ancient beings known as Sakrosians existed as filaments of energy throughout the cosmos. Thanks to their love of change, they eventually manifested as physical beings on the planet Gaia. A Seer named El chose a lovely spot to erect Sakros City, which features numerous types of dwellings and public buildings. The Sakrosians soon wished to explore Gaia more fully, but they were tethered to the city’s energy source. Experiments resulted in Sakrosians transforming into bipedal forest dwellers, who now roam widely. Sakrosian Prophets believe that these “Fledglings” have the potential to evolve further, but the Fledglings of Norwyk, north of Sakros City, have concentrated on building an ever larger city, rather than exploring new lands. Their obstacle is the Great Divide, a steep canyon filled with rapids that seems too deadly to cross. El and a contingent of Sakrosians—including Ak, their leader; and Ved, their logistics commander—travel to Norwyk to encourage the Fledglings to cross the Great Divide to the fertile land of Terrenor. However, Fledglings like Telek, who value strength first and foremost, cause El to doubt the experiment that the Sakrosians have pursued for 60 generations. DeLaurentis adds a fantasy flourish to a prehistoric adventure that’s reminiscent of Jean M. Auel’s 1980 novel The Clan of the Cave Bear. She compellingly draws a clear line between being sensitive and talented (like the Fledgling musician, Luken) and being able to perceive El’s thoughts, and shows the usefulness of this when braving the Great Divide. The journey effectively highlights the Fledglings’ best and worst traits, as the tough situations reveal who’s trustworthy and who’s unfit for Sakrosian patronage. DeLaurentis’ smooth prose conveys the “transition” notion clearly, and solid worldbuilding prepares readers for higher stakes in the next volume.

A series opener that explores an intriguing creation myth in the making.