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Seeds of Inheritance
A decade ago, Berenike, adept of the Fingertip Order, conspired to put her son on the throne at the head of a group of rebels who only wanted their futures back.
She failed.
Her son and husband dead, her dreams and reputation in tatters, Berenike makes the only bargain she can - she gives her magic-sealed oath to serve emperor Leontios the Unbending in exchange for the life of her young daughter, Evrim.
Now, after her failure to help the rebels and her years of slavery and humiliation, Berenike is dealt yet another blow. Evrim, frustrated with her mother's dedication to a lost cause, rejects Berenike's plans. She will not fight the battles Berenike cannot.
Berenike must find a way to unseat Leontios and redeem her promises to the rebels, all while navigating an almost unbreakable oath. Alone and disregarded, she will use any weapon that comes to hand - even if that weapon is her own daughter.
She failed.
Her son and husband dead, her dreams and reputation in tatters, Berenike makes the only bargain she can - she gives her magic-sealed oath to serve emperor Leontios the Unbending in exchange for the life of her young daughter, Evrim.
Now, after her failure to help the rebels and her years of slavery and humiliation, Berenike is dealt yet another blow. Evrim, frustrated with her mother's dedication to a lost cause, rejects Berenike's plans. She will not fight the battles Berenike cannot.
Berenike must find a way to unseat Leontios and redeem her promises to the rebels, all while navigating an almost unbreakable oath. Alone and disregarded, she will use any weapon that comes to hand - even if that weapon is her own daughter.
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
422 pages, Paperback
Published March 12, 2024
161 people want to read
About the author
Aimee Kuzenski
7 books11 followersAimee Kuzenski is a speculative fiction author and practitioner of Filipino martial arts. In the wider speculative fiction community, she is a graduate of Viable Paradise, a board member with the 4th Street Fantasy convention, you can find her short fiction online at Translunar Travelers Lounge. Her latest novel, SEEDS OF INHERITANCE, is available anywhere books are sold.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 15, 2024
My SPFBOX semi-finalist review of Seeds of Inheritance is published at Before We Go Blog.
“The single silver ring in one pointed ear mocked Berenike with an almost audible voice. Hostage, it said. Prisoner.”
Seeds of Inheritance is Aimee Kuzenski’s heart-pounding science fantasy about elves in space. Think of it as Dune but where Kuzenksi asks the question: what if Lady Jessica had failed? Filling the role of Lady Jessica is Berenike, the rebel leader who is held in captivity by the empire as part of a negotiated truce. Berenike’s son was killed during the failed rebellion, and now all hope rests with her daughter, Evrim. But Evrim is a reluctant savior to say the least, and her romantic relationship with the imperial princess, Hypatia, endangers the entire rebel cause.
I agree with everything Sofia has so eloquently articulated in her review, including her comparison to Lady Jessica and Dune. Despite the epic scope and fast-paced action of Seeds of Inheritance, this is fundamentally a character-driven story with the fraught mother-daughter relationship of Berenike and Evrim at its core. Kuzenski’s characters feel so real that they practically spring off the page. I also agree with Sofia’s criticism that the novel would benefit from more backstory regarding the relationship between Evrim and Hypatia. But this is a minor critique in what is an overwhelmingly well-plotted and executed novel.
This is what I love about SPFBO: the opportunity to discover breathtaking new fantasy books by authors I previously knew nothing about. I am delighted to join Sofia in recommending Seeds of Inheritance as a semi-finalist in SPFBOX. I encourage all sci-fantasy fans to check out this hidden gem.
“The single silver ring in one pointed ear mocked Berenike with an almost audible voice. Hostage, it said. Prisoner.”
Seeds of Inheritance is Aimee Kuzenski’s heart-pounding science fantasy about elves in space. Think of it as Dune but where Kuzenksi asks the question: what if Lady Jessica had failed? Filling the role of Lady Jessica is Berenike, the rebel leader who is held in captivity by the empire as part of a negotiated truce. Berenike’s son was killed during the failed rebellion, and now all hope rests with her daughter, Evrim. But Evrim is a reluctant savior to say the least, and her romantic relationship with the imperial princess, Hypatia, endangers the entire rebel cause.
I agree with everything Sofia has so eloquently articulated in her review, including her comparison to Lady Jessica and Dune. Despite the epic scope and fast-paced action of Seeds of Inheritance, this is fundamentally a character-driven story with the fraught mother-daughter relationship of Berenike and Evrim at its core. Kuzenski’s characters feel so real that they practically spring off the page. I also agree with Sofia’s criticism that the novel would benefit from more backstory regarding the relationship between Evrim and Hypatia. But this is a minor critique in what is an overwhelmingly well-plotted and executed novel.
This is what I love about SPFBO: the opportunity to discover breathtaking new fantasy books by authors I previously knew nothing about. I am delighted to join Sofia in recommending Seeds of Inheritance as a semi-finalist in SPFBOX. I encourage all sci-fantasy fans to check out this hidden gem.
August 29, 2024
Seeds of Inheritance by Aimee Kuzenski is a gripping intergenerational sci-fi-fantasy following a mother and daughter in the aftermath of a lost rebellion. In Foss-Karan, outlaws fight for the reproductive rights of spacefaring elves harmed in the course of the emperor’s single-minded expansion. Their former leader is Berenike, now enslaved after the rebellion failed when her son was killed. Her surviving daughter, Evrim, was a child created against the law, whom Berenike signed away her freedom to protect. With Berenike under oath to the emperor, the only way to advance the liberation of the empire is to use her child once again. But Evrim has fallen in love with the empire’s princess, Hypatia, and has no desire to comply with her mother’s wishes.
This mother-daughter relationship is the beating heart of the book. Berenike and Evrim have some vestiges of care for each other, but Evrim’s is tempered with bitterness and resentment, and Berenike’s is pushed down for the sake of the cause to which she’s devoted her life. Evrim is the perfect playing piece, so Berenike—who reminds me sometimes of Lady Jessica from Dune—refuses to let her feelings get in the way. This is an endlessly fascinating dynamic to follow.
However, I wish Evrim experienced more stepwise changes as a character; her development felt abrupt starting around the middle of the book, like a few steps were missing. I also would have liked to have seen more of Hypatia and Evrim’s history—I didn’t quite buy their connection, as no part of how they came to love each other was revealed. This was exacerbated by the occasional use of too-strong diction and overreaction incongruous with a scene, such as Evrim “cursing” Hypatia when seeing her calmness during a stressful situation. Ultimately, I wasn’t convinced of their love for each other, which detracted from my enjoyment of Evrim’s point of view chapters.
The plot was well-structured, with plenty of intrigue and twists. It’s ultimately fueled by the constant tension between the characters. It’s evident just from the summary how much resentment is bound to come between these characters, whether it’s between a former mentor and a disgraced student, or a woman in power and her effectively enslaved lover, or a mother who won’t give up and a daughter who wants to let go.
I liked how Berenike was always planning and putting herself in the middle of things, even while restricted by her oath. However, I wish the rebellion had a clearer game plan, which would have made that specific subplot more exhilarating. In addition, the ending came a bit too easily for my liking.
Despite these few issues, I enjoyed Seeds of Inheritance. I liked this novel because its motifs echoed some of my favorites from literary fiction, particularly those of fraught relationships between familial generations. What makes this book stand out is its union of an interstellar setting with traditional elven nature imagery and magic; it feels very intentional. I don’t know yet if the author has a sequel planned, but I would love to know what comes next in this world.
This is a review for the tenth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. More SPFBOX reviews can be found at Before We Go Blog.
This mother-daughter relationship is the beating heart of the book. Berenike and Evrim have some vestiges of care for each other, but Evrim’s is tempered with bitterness and resentment, and Berenike’s is pushed down for the sake of the cause to which she’s devoted her life. Evrim is the perfect playing piece, so Berenike—who reminds me sometimes of Lady Jessica from Dune—refuses to let her feelings get in the way. This is an endlessly fascinating dynamic to follow.
However, I wish Evrim experienced more stepwise changes as a character; her development felt abrupt starting around the middle of the book, like a few steps were missing. I also would have liked to have seen more of Hypatia and Evrim’s history—I didn’t quite buy their connection, as no part of how they came to love each other was revealed. This was exacerbated by the occasional use of too-strong diction and overreaction incongruous with a scene, such as Evrim “cursing” Hypatia when seeing her calmness during a stressful situation. Ultimately, I wasn’t convinced of their love for each other, which detracted from my enjoyment of Evrim’s point of view chapters.
The plot was well-structured, with plenty of intrigue and twists. It’s ultimately fueled by the constant tension between the characters. It’s evident just from the summary how much resentment is bound to come between these characters, whether it’s between a former mentor and a disgraced student, or a woman in power and her effectively enslaved lover, or a mother who won’t give up and a daughter who wants to let go.
I liked how Berenike was always planning and putting herself in the middle of things, even while restricted by her oath. However, I wish the rebellion had a clearer game plan, which would have made that specific subplot more exhilarating. In addition, the ending came a bit too easily for my liking.
Despite these few issues, I enjoyed Seeds of Inheritance. I liked this novel because its motifs echoed some of my favorites from literary fiction, particularly those of fraught relationships between familial generations. What makes this book stand out is its union of an interstellar setting with traditional elven nature imagery and magic; it feels very intentional. I don’t know yet if the author has a sequel planned, but I would love to know what comes next in this world.
This is a review for the tenth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. More SPFBOX reviews can be found at Before We Go Blog.
October 12, 2024
Read as a SPFBOX Judge for Before We Go Blog.
This book was voted as a semi-finalist by BWGB. Announcement here: https://beforewegoblog.com/spfbox-sem...
4/4.5 satrs.
As the semi--finalist and finalist announcements for BWGB have already been released I feel comfortable providing my individual thoughts ont this book.
What a uniquely engaging story! The world building is like nothing I've ever seen before: space elves that live symbiotically with sentient plants? Throw in a complex political system (frought with inequities that we can sympathize with in our lived experiences) and a core of inter-personal dynamics between a mother and daughter? Sign me up!
Berenike, once leader of the rebellion and now jailed servant, wants nothing more than for her daughter to follow in her foosteps and continue with the cause she gave her life to. However, expectations are a silly thing in that the more you press them on to someone, the more they eshew taking on the mantle. These frought fmaily dynamics kept me engaged with the story throughout and pushed my sense of morality as I could see the reasoning behind each side.
There were a few points int he middle area where I felt the plot would rush through important scenes or leap forward suddenly; consequetly lessening the emtional impact of later scenes. But these moents were sparse enough that they didn't feully hinder my experience.
This ended on a BANGER and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.
This book was voted as a semi-finalist by BWGB. Announcement here: https://beforewegoblog.com/spfbox-sem...
4/4.5 satrs.
As the semi--finalist and finalist announcements for BWGB have already been released I feel comfortable providing my individual thoughts ont this book.
What a uniquely engaging story! The world building is like nothing I've ever seen before: space elves that live symbiotically with sentient plants? Throw in a complex political system (frought with inequities that we can sympathize with in our lived experiences) and a core of inter-personal dynamics between a mother and daughter? Sign me up!
Berenike, once leader of the rebellion and now jailed servant, wants nothing more than for her daughter to follow in her foosteps and continue with the cause she gave her life to. However, expectations are a silly thing in that the more you press them on to someone, the more they eshew taking on the mantle. These frought fmaily dynamics kept me engaged with the story throughout and pushed my sense of morality as I could see the reasoning behind each side.
There were a few points int he middle area where I felt the plot would rush through important scenes or leap forward suddenly; consequetly lessening the emtional impact of later scenes. But these moents were sparse enough that they didn't feully hinder my experience.
This ended on a BANGER and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.
April 20, 2025
This is an intriguing fantasy/sci-fi story with rich world-building and a complex story about mothers/daughters and redemption. Elves in space is not something I would have imagined, but the author skillfully weaves a believable story within a fantastic and unusual setting, which includes spaceships and buildings that are living beings. Truly unique and compelling
September 15, 2025
Wasn’t sure at first, but once the hook set, this was quite the enjoyable read. The POVs are mixed interestingly in this book to weave the story into a subtle page turner. There’s a bit of space at the end for more (all main plot lines et all concluded), maybe there’ll be a second book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews