AURELIA

by Blair Van Der Berg

Set in the near future, Aurelia unfolds within a man-made city, a floating paradise built for the elite, where money no longer exists and the poor are promised new lives in exchange for labor. When Grace, a struggling worker from the lower districts, accepts an invitation to join the island, she believes she’s found salvation. But beneath Aurelia’s shimmering perfection lies a darker it’s a city that feeds on its own people.

509 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Keri M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wha an incredible read! A unique look at life in a place where the normal people don’t matter. When Grace is given the gift of visiting Aurelia, she realizes nothing is as it seems. Nate might be her forever, but will Aurelia let her have him?

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace goes to Aurelia for a better life and somehow finds so much more. The whole book is from Grace’s point of view and her descriptions are beautiful. She describes Aurelia as a living breathing thing. Something that takes much more than it gives. And what it gives is taken back ten fold in blood. It’s a sad book, but so good and detailed.

[Victoria Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

Aurelia was an incredible read with twists and surprises I never saw coming. The story kept me hooked from start to finish—beautifully written and absolutely worth reading again!

[Jenna White · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have officially DNF’d this book. At first, the plot seemed interesting along with the setting, but as I continued reading, there were many descriptions and grammar that made zero sense. This book shows many signs indicating that it’s another disappointing AI generated book. The characters are flat. The meeting of the FMC and MMC was so cringy and off-putting, it made no sense whatsoever. I gave it a shot and tried to ignore all of the signs that this is AI, but after finishing 35%, I cannot ignore it any longer. It’s unfortunate because I wanted to believe that Blair was a new indie author needing to get their name out there. However, it’s all very fake.

[Christine Chenery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace embarks on a new life living and working on a self-sustaining floating city advertised as paradise! But there's a dark secret to Aurelia! This book involves forbidden love that has deadly consequences. Strong friendship bonds. Survival and catastrophic events. I'm usually quite good at predicting what is to come but this book took a turn in a completely different direction which I absolutely loved! Aurelia was a great read.

[Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caught between utopia and dystopia, this is the story of Grace, a young lady who leaves behind a life of debt and insecurity to live in Aurelia, a man-made city in the sea. Built by elite founders and sustained by workers who live commune-like in a self sustaining society. Written in a staccato-like prose, the author captures your interest with unexpected twists.