The Assembly of Thirteen: The First Two Companions,

The Assembly of Thirteen #1

by Omayra Vélez

June Dunbar, a rundown by life camerawoman, was hiding from the world in her home in Livermore, California. A sole survivor from a terrorist kidnapping and murder, nightmares were her constant companions— fixing old car motors, self-harming in bad days, and writing children’s books in her good days. A stranger came to visit, and a box stole her life.

Athany, murdered, pillager, gorgeous, cursed, and paragon of self-hatred, Kara Ter-Kushtaneo believes life is no longer worth living. She had killed one too many children in the name of her Emperor. Her dreams of freedom came with the realization that if she dared to disobey the orders of her Emperor, she would surely die. But after 300 years of warmongering, cheap sex and losing many friends in the heat of battle, she was ready to die doing something good. She wasn’t going to kill any more children, but could she?

The Athany people, Judges of the land, turned torturers, executioners, mercenaries of the Emperor and cursed to serve him blindly. But from them, the next Companion to start the Assembly that would come to heal the land. They needed to survive. No one knew they held the power to bring hope for Quetza.

The Thirteen, the hope of the land, the harbingers of magic, the hand with power to destroy and create Empires, but they were scattered all over Quetza. They were slaves, prostitutes, assassins, noblemen, smiths, or simpletons living with the mark or the Thirteen but hidden or used because of their incredible power. Hunted, hidden, hatted, used and loved.

Lastly, we have the Emperor, his brother, and the brother’s sons. The Falesto family with yellow eyes and magic acquired by the sacrifice of flesh. Fratricide, incest, rape, murder, hate, and dark magic rule the life of the family for generations. A spectacular evil and strategists for war, leaders of demons and destroyers, but whatever they touched would turn to gold. They managed the Empire with an iron fist. They made chase, cursed and charmed to cast destruction at every corner where June, Kara and the Athany would turn.

Rage, hate, fear, hidden intrigue, and conspiracies would rise to the surface. Ancient curses in need of cures, old scores ready to be settled, and the lives of all in five Kingdoms at the mercy of demons that walked during the day among heroes and villains make the fabric of this tale. Blood will be drawn before the Assembly of Thirteen could bring freedom the Empire needs.

Unconventional, compelling, eccentric and bursting with complex twist and turns. The Assembly of Thirteen is a high fantasy novel with characters so real that it will be like friends undergoing real tribulations.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure

438 pages, ebook

First published December 18, 2017

About the author

Omayra Vélez is a retired US Army disabled veteran, now an award-winning author for the book Ultima Skylar. Her family now calls her Lady of Grimdark after they read her book Calixta.
The author loves Spaniel dogs and now is a fur-mom of two puppies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, one named Winston Carlyle Velez and the other named Otto Hightower Velez.

Reviews

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique, quite riveting fantasy.

Incredibly detailed world building, lore and character development by an adept author. Unusually for fantasy, these felt like real people undergoing tangible trials and tribulations, both physical and emotional.

A compelling storyline, complicated at times, but always enthralling. Vivid prose, eclectic characters and a fascinating read all round. Looking forward to further books in this series, it's definitely one worth checking out.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy and chose to write a review.

[Cynthia Brandel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice in Wonderland Meets The Fellowship of the Ring!!!!!

June is a minimalist suffering from PTSD. As a photojournalist, she and two of her colleagues were kidnapped-only she made it out alive. June is transported by a mysterious box into the Forest of the Living Death, with blue trees and over-proportions flowers. She is chosen to serve as the Blue Companion, one of four companions bound to reset the balance of power in the Empire.
The Companions are meant to break the curse of the Athany by forming a new Assembly of the Thirteen to choose a new leader to rule Quetza. That can only happen when the Blue Companion Judge protects her charges and helps join the other Gifted to the other Companions. June is the protector of two Gifted, the Teacher-Magi and the Water-Magi, as well as the leader of the other Companions. Kara is the Red Companion. Her first charge is Kuroi, a Healer-Magi.
The Assembly of the Thirteen is a collection of stories that tells a greater story. Velez introduces each new Gifted giving a little bit of their back story along the way.
The good: I loved the complexity of the individual characters. Each one of the protagonists has struggled through their own life-battles, fought against their own demons, and beat the odds. I loved how each individual story played a part of the bigger picture.
The bad: I felt that there were too many characters which made it hard for me to identify with “one” in-particular. I would start feeling the vibe with one character but then be introduced to a whole new set of characters and a different back story which made it hard for me to stay focused on the main goal of the novel—to find the Companions and their Charges.

[Omayra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello all, I am the author of the book, and I am bias. This book is not for everyone. It is written in parts. It is on the third edition and I have changed many things. You will not find the first two I hope. This edition has has no preface, author's notes, and I deleted the epilogue. I added a timeline and an expanded list of the characters to know who the people of interest are. However, this story is unique in the way the story is being told. It does not follow the three arc way of storytelling. So if that is what you like, this is not the book for you.

This book is written in multiple POVs. It has many characters and they are all interconnected. If you keep reading books 2, 3 and 4 you will find that what I start in book 1 comes back and the story grows and will make sense.

Now, Some of you say that I give too much tell and not enough show. other's say I show too much and don't tell enough. I guess I can't please everyone. One thing I did fixed was the way the characters interacted with one another. Hopefully this new edition will be better received.

I had a lot of fun writing the bad guys, the demons, and dark characters. I foresee you loving what I did with the tax collectors. However, there is one evil man I love, but you will know why I say this when you read book 3.

Remember, I write in the third person multiple. However, there are a few sections where the characters have internal monologues and thus they are written in first person.

Many people like to start with one character and continue with that one character the entire story. If that is you, this is not the book for you.

If you have any questions with it, ask.

Happy reading

[Renee Spicuzza · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Assembly of Thirteen: The First Two Companions” is Omayra Vélez’s, novel from a fantasy perspective that also encompasses the aspect of old world styled diplomacy and management. I like how there is this combination because the dichotomy makes the plot very unique and entertaining due to its crazy dictator styled leadership and those who are suffering from it. June and Kara are the main individuals we follow throughout the progression of the story. Their backgrounds are not something that you would think would be able to accomplish the goals of being the hero and working together. Creating harmony and safety are there goals while simultaneously attempting to become the best version of themselves. It is a very well written book with a detailed plot that has thought out messages and hidden ideas that come to light after some time. It was a great read and am so happy it was a decent length to be able to be immersed for a bit longer.

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy thriller with a good storyline.

The fantasy genre is not my ideal genre but I really enjoyed the assembly of thirteen. A ruling family that has kept command for 500 years and want to eliminate all non human races. Each of the races vowed to create the assembly of thirteen to break the rule of this clan. The future lies in June Dunbar and Kara and the vessels that will make up the thirteen. . The battle has begun and it is a fight to exist. With good characters and a fun story line, this fantasy story will take you on a journey through warlords, soldiers, demons , and more on a trip to save the future. The characters are relatable and easy to root for in the coming battle. This is a fun read and good for all the sci-fi fantasy fans who love the battle between good and evil. Check this one out and let me know what you think.

[Julius Blitzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many intriguing universes out there, many of them are worth to take a look and just admire, but this one we are about to know deserves more attention than you think.
Not only this new setting is compelling and amazingly crafted, but the characters make this world more alive than ever, one thing I noticed while reading A Song of Ice and Fire is the character of Tyrion felt so out of place but in a good way, his sarcasm, dark humor and very on point and direct questions were what makes that world felt so alive. This time the characters are the best contrast to the world and that is what makes this book so memorable, each character add something new as the chapters goes on which makes it harder to put this book down.
A very exciting journey is waiting for you, filled with exceptional characters and a story that does not disappoint, a fantasy worth of reading and living.

[Angela Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by the author thru Voracious Readers Only to read and in return I would give an honest review.
The Assembly of Thirteen: The first Two Companions was a enjoyable fantasy, that most would like with a lot of characters, whom seem to interconnect through the story. The author is able to paint a picture with her words that brings the story alive with fantastic places and characters that can create, kill, love or murder. With magic and quests its a battle centuries old and the search to find those that can aid the change to a better world. Definitely give this book a go, well worth reading . Look forward to the next book in this series

[Iggy Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one chaotic book to read. The first 5 chapters were fine, you think the story is about June but then pow. Nope, the story changes and you get to know this villain and his lover. The story changes and I needed a notebook to keep track of all the characters. I am not a quitter so I followed through. And when I realized what was happening The story ended and I was left waiting for the second book wanting more. This is one medley of occurrences that move a story that has many parts. It was so chaotic I loved it.

[Lacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly didn't think I was going to finish this book much less enjoy it. The start was slow for me, felt like mundane dropping into Wonderland a little to awkwardly. After the first 2 chapters I put the book down for 3 months. When I picked it back up a few days ago to give it a second chance I was hooked within the next chapter. The explanation was riveting. I'm super glad I picked the book back up and finished it.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* It was a decently entertaining read. There were a few errors and a couple of sections that were less interesting to read through, but it is the start of a series and the story looks promising. I will probably check out the second book at some point to see if it has improved on the first's foundation.

[ka fi de · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this for a month???

excuse me

i was under the impression that i read this in 3 weeks

ffs

okay let's get into this.

i honestly thoroughly enjoyed this. i know i put this down as a 3 star book but only because this was just exuding chaotic energy and i love it for that but there were a lot of things that brought this down and i'll get to that.

first impressions... i did not choose this book. i put in 70 random books into an online generator and it picked this for me. the title immediately struck me as YA. i was hesitant because i wouldn't pick this for myself and the last book i read from BookSirens was not that good. but i stuck to my guns and decided to give this a shot because i don't quit (i'm fully aware that i'm ignoring the luminaries which i dnf-ed).

now let's talk about what i liked :)

i love the concept of the story. i will admit that the plot is so chaotic that this aspect also belongs in what i didn't like about this. the story is chock full of lore. the five races are interesting. i am intrigued by the idea of gifts and vessels and gift-vessels (i still don't get how it works but i did like it in the book).

the progression of the plot was slow??? in a way??? the story isn't rambly or anything but spoiler alert but by the end of the book, june only got 2 of the 8 that she was after.

the world building is relatively okay. there is a lot to take in but the scenes were set up enough for me to picture the setting in my head. which helped especially because i read this intermittently and going back into the story after days of not reading was not that difficult.

i managed to get invested in a few characters. vesi was my favourite.

..and now what i didn't like

my main gripe with this book, and you'll read this in my notes, is that i was just... so lost and confused all the way through.

i thought that we would be following through june's storyline but not even halfway through and we were reading about somebody else and i just kept thinking... "okay when is this side story going to end??? can we get back to our actual protagonist???".

there were TOO MANY characters. it was so confusing for me to get invested in some of them because it was just so overwhelming. I understand that we're laying the groundwork for the future books by introducing all the potential characters but holy shit was it a lot.

the author also did this weird thing like renaming characters??? champ became light and lacey became curves (?) and then became lacey again

and a lot of character names that begin with the letter "C"

another book that i've read that has an ensemble of characters is GOT (and crucify me for comparing these two). But the way that characters come and go in that was effortless. And what was a bonus for that was that a lot of them were main characters and they were all written well and fleshed out and I knew exactly who was who.

With this one, I got the feeling that we just needed to have more names in there so that the scale is bigger. if that makes any sense???

we would get introduced to a character and get an in-depth backstory on them and they just... disappear or die??????????

i just had a look at the table of contents and the book is separated into parts but it didn't feel like there was a separation.

It was just generally very difficult to follow.

there were also a few typos

and there were also weird issues with the author referencing something from "the real world". i don't know if i'll be able to explain this properly. i'll try. this is a fictional world and the characters are other-worldly but why are there references to pop culture or human terminology almost as if the characters who aren't Humans are going to get it??? i don't know what i just said. it just ruins the immersion while i was reading. i get into it in my notes... i think. whatever. ignore this.

i don't know what else to say. so let's get to my kindle notes if you want to read them below. if not, then i'll see you at the end :)



a white man

why was this important to note? soz. probably not important but whatever

This must be RADIOACTIVE!”

so far... this reads a kid's book. maybe i should get this established right away so that i proceed with caution and knowing that i'm not the demographic and i judge this for what it is.

the flow is something i'm not particularly used to. it's very... sequential??? it like "i'm doing this and i'm going here and i'm reaching for this and yadda yadda". not that it's a problem but i feel like i'm being fed the events instead of me using my imagination.

it's very basic so far.

A fragile female who apparently had tried to take her life. The marks on her wrists and arms were clear indications of a desperate soul in despair.

this is a bit dark for a kid's book

June could see her light-blue hands.

it's the blue avatar people

Not a dog anymore, he was now a huge animal thingy—a chameleon with the body of a wolf that could blend perfectly with the forest at will.

i hope no one else mentions that champ is a wolf-chameleon hybrid. twice is too much especially because we already had an in-depth explanation prior.

por favor?

why is she speaking Spanish if they're speaking in a foreign alien language?

“Oh, my ... June, heh, you need to place your rear in the indentation in the wall and do what you need to do. For men, they pull some of the rocks that stand to the side of the indentation for urination. Males and females squat with their bottom in the indentation. The moment you place your rear in the area, water will start to flow. The water will take your urine or waste and clean you at the same time. Once you finish, all you need are linens to dry yourself.”

i don't know why this information needed to be in here in all honesty. hahahaha like... everything else is normal? why must the toilet be different???????? i'm so confused bahahahaha

I just got out of a tree in a land that makes no sense to me.

...but you just said that you understood the land.

"She learned about the land." *a few pages ago*

a new thing to make her even more unattractive.

i don't think i like june very much.
she's very self-centred. very into her looks, i think? very much into "her"
i don't know how to explain it.
very narcissistic... so far.
confusing too. she's like whoa this new place is weird, but i don't want t stay here, but also i sort have to so i'll stay here but also i wanna go home now but i hate my home because i'm miserable but that's just me.

Having been a camerawoman and photojournalist for fifteen years, covering war-ravaged areas in the Middle East and Africa, she knew about weapons.

okay. okay.
this information would've been really helpful in the beginning especially for context. just so we understood why she's the way she is.
hats off to all people who work in these areas.

but what the fuck?”

also me: what the fuck i thought this was a kid's book

June was surprised to see the Headmistress at her door with her breakfast.

i thought shasso was a child

However, about 480 years ago, the leader of Quetza, Tatiana Falesto, went to war against an entire ethnic group called the Geners.

everything keeps going back and forth. we've had this conversation, haven't we?

“We believe the curse will break by having a new Assembly of Thirteen, and having the eight Gift-Vessels and the four Companions together, who will call for representatives and select a new Quetza ruler to replace the Falesto.

this is so confusing.

“June, you remember when I explained about the Gift-Vessels and there were only eight per generation?” asked Starr.

wasn't it carmen who explained what vessels were? i'm so lost oh god help

to have a tumble with the wenches

this is not a very nice word

said Seamus.

this whole dialogue of seamus is so unnatural with how normal conversation go. it sounds very brain-dump-y

ensuring to rub his groin in the process.

i legit just cringed and looked away bahahahhaa i could throw up right now

The fourteen let the freedom of the many be controlled by the will of the one empress, Tatiana Falesto.

this book has so much chaotic energy and i love it

Picture if you can:

the tone of the book is so weird. it's in third person but it's sentient almost because it's talking to the readers. strange.

like prima ballerinas dancing the nutcracker.

umm... i don't think we were ever told if Opal was a human or if she's on of the other races but... if I don't think she's human so then why would she know what prima ballerinas are and what the nutcracker is? i know this isn't dialogue but considering that his is opal's perspective, she shouldn't be aware of what those are??? idk

he, he, he.

he, he, he.

What Happens When You Eat a Lot? Indigestion

what a weird chapter title

three sons—Cliff, Clifton

what is it with the names that begin with the letter c???

Princess Coventry’s

THEORY: is princess coventry june's mum??? and she disappeared to earth???

Claire and Clara Graham

more names with c's

Claire could teach things to other people,

so claire has the same gift as opal??? or is claire opal??? and clara is dia???

edit: i just read on and nope.

The next day. Late in the middle of the afternoon. Not in Kara’s diary.

there seems to be no consistency with the writing style. we're in diary entry territory now.

All Tom knew of his parents was that they had drowned.

what is it with the background characters in this story??? hahaha. they either disappeared or they died.'

the beautiful Kuroi.

i ship it

Nope, he took his horse Raven and rode with determination to his granny.

Tom "Red Riding Hood" Arrensen

They were bound to the Falesto Royal Family, but Kara and June were not.

we don't really know kara that much so this is very strange that you're asking me to root for her when i don't know who she is.

The Gener people have not been heard of in well over four hundred years.

is this going to try to pull off a district 13 scenario where they've just been hiding underground this whole time and plotting their plan to defeat the emperor??? i think it is. oof

redheaded maid

wait who had red hair??? kara had red hair so was this kara going undercover??
i'm so obviously not paying attention now. soz.

edit:i have read further on and nope. not kara.

Later on, when she had the chance to release Opal, the Teacher-Magi, she took it without hesitation.

release her from what??? we don't know their connections and this getting really confusing even when i was paying attention. aaaaaaaaaa

Casandra’s unbound hair covered her face and one of her breasts.

wtf aren't they related baahahahaha ew

When Casandra opened her eyes when Callo was holding and cleaning her face inside the pool, she saw Callo directly to his eyes.

what is this sentence?

My Spirit Demon destroyed her!”

is this spirit demon a new concept? or did we learn about this before and i'm just lost?

edit: it has been mentioned before but wow i'm still lost

Do you understand? We must have an Assembly of the Thirteen.

if gaston is planning to overthrow klastos and in essence... the athany are also doing the same... can't they work together??? both parties have no idea at this point if we are being led to believe that the athany people are the good guys then what about gaston??? is he also an antagonist in this story??? WHERE'S JUNE??? we haven't had her narrative in a hot minute

“Thank you, Mother. I love you, Ma.”

are two different people talking?

“Gregor, Klastos will never kill his brother and Gaston will never hurt Klastos. My son’s animosity comes from the way the throne was bestowed on Klastos. Gaston knows he can’t be king after he lost his place of ascension. Klastos worries for nothing; Gaston is just angry. I asked Klastos to give Callo and Gallo dukedoms in the Southern Kingdom, which will make Gaston happy.

the names have just merged at this point. what am i even reading

The Family Business

i've just finished this chapter and it was so hard to get through because my brain is just so fried with how many people are in this story

The Assassin, Keme

we have a new character. aaaaaaaaaaaaa

“Lace. That was my name,” said Curves, who now went by Lace.

ffs

Tuan did not know what had possessed him to say that, but he did not want anyone near Lace.

i hate myself for saying this because alce is technically owned by tuan and i don't condone this but ***i'm shipping these two***. there i said it

said Mr. Sung

i do honestly love the diversity in this book though. no joke.

I’m not sure if this is a real Gift or if it’s the way a broken Gift manifests.

i'm not convinced that this gift-vessel thing is rare biw considering how many people haave it

It no longer matters we are part of the Royal Family and in line for the throne. This way of ruling must end; we must make sure it ends.

we have 3 separate parties that are working to overthrow the empire. this is stressing me out.

All Comes in to a Full Circle 

but will it though?

I am a Gift-Vessel.

we have another one ugh

These he used to stab Casandra straight through her head and chest.

wtf

That’s when they kissed.

awwwwwww

Despite Karl starting his fighting career to gain the heart of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, Tamla, in the end she married the baker’s son.

karl buddy YOU'RE GOING TO BE OKAY BUDDY YOU'LL GET THROUGH THIS

I had her Gift suppressed by giving her plenty of sun. I knew because she was half Lavei she needed to be near the forest, so I kept her weak with the sun and the dry air to keep her abilities quiet.

this is actually a good strategy

“Mother, I assume this is my father and I'm happy we’re united, but I must get outside.

when i hear this in my head, she says it so nonchalantly and it's hilarious

“Old man, I’ve about had it with people popping up out of the armpit of the earth and crazy shit happening. If you try to call something forth from the pit of Hell—any silly, horrible, Freddy Krueger’s first cousin’s neighbor—I promise you I am going to kick your behind so hard your hemorrhoids will be on fire for a month! Capisce?” threatened June.

... i know we haven't seen june in a while but i'm impressed that she still feels very distinct to me.



i will read the next book :) i like this. the chaos is very appealing.

10/10 would recommend.

no characters left in this review. oof

disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. :)

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating is a 3.5


This book started out really interesting and stayed that way throughout the book. Unfortunately, the beginning felt like the main character was rushed though everything and that made the beginning a little chaotic for me. I liked the book but I won't be reaching for it in the future.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fantasy and a book with many characters. This book excels. A bit slow to start but it will soon capture yur imagination. I would definitely recommend it.

[Arielle Van Deusen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book brought me on an emotional roller coaster. At first it was a slow beginning and did not understand what was going on or why I was reading what I was reading. And I was having a hard time getting hooked. Eventually I did but then again I was confused.

There are a lot of characters in this book that end up intertwined and it is interesting to see it happen. But there are also time jumps but it is hard to keep track since it isn't in a time that is normal and a lot of terms also to keep track of. I do wish that at the beginning of the chapter it gave you a heads up of who the point of view is from, I feel that may lessen some of the confusion. But I feel that this series has great potential.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sounded interesting. But i had a really hard time getting through it. i did not like the writing. It was just all over the place and trying to understand what was going on was not easy. Even within the chapters themselves, it was jumping from one spit to the next. The story line is not bad, but it's just all over the place. For that reason i really ended up not liking this book.

[Ami R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where you start reading, and things go well, and then bam, the author throws you a wrench. I am reviewing this book after reading all four books in the series.

There are spoilers in my review.

The book is separated into parts.
The first part is all about June. She is a broken woman from Livermore, California. But by page 5, she is taken from earth to another world in a kingdom called Vayan in an Empire called Quetza. There she encounters these enormous blue trees, and she is engulfed in one of the trees for the length of one year. Inside the tree, she is transformed into a blue giant woman. When she gets out of the tree, she encounters a group of people called Athany and they help her. June is the First Companion and is supposed to be the leader of the group of 13. June finds out there are eight gifted that needs to be found and there needs to be four companions that must protect the gifted. The book's first part follows the first chain of events that get the Assembly started. It also tells the story of Opal and how she became the first gifted (magi) to be found by June. It also introduces four villains, Sheamus Tomaso, Callo Falesto, Gemma, and Count Hugh. And you will meet two very important characters, Cassandra Falesto and Corrysande Falesto. The Falestos are the other family with a family tree at the back of the book. This family has been in power for over 450 years. The Current Emperor's name is Klasto Falestos.

But then, part 2 is a really short part. Here, June is left behind, and we are introduced to the Tolenko family. It is Chapter 10, and the chapter starts by taking you back 33 years before June's arrival to Quetza. The Tolenko family is very important and they come to the picture. The Tolenkos even have a family tree at the back of the book. You follow the story of the Tolenko's and how the history of the people of Quetza has evolved into an oppressive society over the years. Chapter 11 you will see the Tolenkos at the time when June is in Quetza. Then you meet Kuroi Tolenko and Kara Ter Kushtaneo. Kuroi is the next gifted (magi) to be found, but this time it was by Kara Ter Kushtaneo, who becomes the Red Companion or the second companion. We also meet Tom who is a Gifted that has been in hiding.

Part 3 is longer but here you have a series of chapters that are more like short stories. They all tell you what is happening in the lives of the other six gifted. In part one you meet gifted Opal and in Part two you meet gifted Kuroi and Tom. In part 3 you meet gifted Tuan, Lace, Remy, and Wagner. We get to know their stories and a glimpse at the Emperor. We also can see the evil of Gallo Falesto.

In Part 4 we have the story of Karl, and Jray and Vesi. Karl is important for later books. Jray is the mother of the last gifted introduce, Vesi. In this part we are introduced to a very short love story of Vesi's parents, which becomes important in book 2.

So that is a synopsis of the book without giving it all away. I am invested in this story. I even have created my own map as I read through the books. With this first book, I found it so crazy I could not believe there was such a great story in it. The key to following is to have a good memory and use the glosary and appendixes, at least it was for me.

I hated June but when I found out the story wasn't about June I kept on reading and later I learn to have an appreciation for June and her mental state. June is a woman with a mental disorder. She is bipolar and yet she must keep a group of 13 people all marching to one tune. She is the leader of what is the last hope for an Empire. Miss Velez has writen a complicated story that gets more and more comboluted with each sequel.
I love the story and books 2, 3, and 4 are a fantastic ride.

[Otto Jovi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure what to say about this book. At the start, I thought the book was about June, and I didn't like June. But I kept reading. Then the book changed, and other characters kept appearing, and things change. The book is not about June. The book is about a group of people, or at least that is what I gather. June is one of the many. I am looking forward to seeing June's character arc.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my normal reading genre but found this storyline entertaining

[Feather Chelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

clean and thrilling fantasy adventure

If you are looking for a clean, yet epic, fantasy adventure, this book is great! Although it borrows elements from all types of fantasy, it is very unique and enthralling. I adore the characters and the authors brilliant writing style. I love the small tidbits of humor splashed amongst the action. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to love this book, and the story is a good one. However, I had a difficult time following all of the characters, and their places in time.

I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads giveaways.

[B. Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omayra Vélez masterfully weaves an intriguing world of fantasy filled with giants, fairies, demons, vampires, witches, zombies and magical humans. Broken into four parts, each one mise en scene the crucial moments of this centuries long war of the Five kingdoms of Quetza.

Part 1 follows June, the first companion and main protagonist as she is first transported to
Lady Starr, the Master Botanist and Master Quartermaster for the castle of the mighty Giants the Athany Judges.

Part 2 introduces the Tolenko family (who Velez provided a family tree) from which the second companion, Kuroi comes. The first couple chapters in this part takes place 33 years before June arrives. They are meant to provide some background into the importance of Kuroi's character. Then, it quickly picks back up after June's arrival with Kuroi as the POV,

Part 3 tells the other events that takes place the year June arrived, and Part 4 is the Ouroboros to our Epic novel.

Usually books written from multiple POVs and different timelines are hard to follow, Velez provides family trees and a detail timeline to help the reader keep track. Each chapter has a unique story being told about a character, however once you get to the end, you understand that all of the stories are roadmaps. Velez adds a layers of complexity to her characters that one sometimes have to stop and think if these stories really did happen in history. She also includes a brief glossary of terms which I found useful to look over before reading. I will admit, normally giants and fairies are not my interests in reading, and I rolled my eyes when I saw they were included in this world. However, I am happy that I continued on with reading it.

I know some people do not like the POV of this story. However, I believe it allows the reader to have a multifaceted POV themselves of what is going on. Often novels give a one sided "single story" version of events and we as the reader have to rely on the main narrator's version as the truth. However, by Vélez's unique storytelling style, we are not forced to rely on one version but we have the chance to think about the unraveling story as it unfolds.

If you are looking for a novel with a simple plot, then this book is not for you. However, if you enjoy being pulled into another world with mysteries that need to be solved then this book will keep your fire lit on a dull day. I would highly recommend this novel for fantasy enthusiasts. Lastly, I do have to commend Vélez on being able to tell such a profound story in a novel manner.

*I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Dino Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had a very hard time getting into and staying attached to this story
the word i would use to describe this book is chaos- in a good way or a bad way depending on your preference
this book would've been a 2 for me and was almost a DNF but i really enjoyed the additions of the maps, timelines, family trees, etc that helped me try to immerse myself in the story

here's what i enjoyed!
* the map at the beginning!
-i love a map when it comes to fantasy books!
*the post appendixes
-glossary of terms that are unique to this book
-a timeline (sine it's written out of sequence)
-important family trees
* the idea
-a unique story with great races and story lines
* the world building
-the descriptions were great and i felt like i could envision what i was reading

here's what didn't catch my attention
*the characters themselves
-the intro to the first (and i think main) character, and throughout most of the chapters, was that she has PTSD and bipolar and she was "broken"... um? ok?
-i didn't have a connection to a single character
-there were so many characters and it was hard to keep track
*the timeline
-the timeline at the end helped and was a great idea, but due to not being written in order it was very hard to follow
*some of the writing style
-now this is probably just me but there were some word choices that felt so odd and not fitting to the book, time period, or characters

i hope i captured all the triggers since they weren't listed anywhere and that was incredibly surprising to me since i felt like there were some biggies

TWs: mental health stigmas, PTSD, bipolar, mentions of SA, mentions of rape, torture, slavery, sacrifice, racism (fantastical), general abuse, mental abuse, murder, off page SA of underage girls, off page torture of underage girls, and off page rape of underage girls

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

GoodReads Giveaway

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, it was a hard read but I loved it

[Adam Sequoyah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The preface turned me off. The author informs us that she uses "lots of words and concepts" in this book. Oh, right. Lots of words. Thank you! I wouldn't have known to expect that from a novel.

I read a tiny bit into the first chapter. And I could tell the rest of the book wasn't going to be much better than the preface.

I approached this story with a general expectation of something fantasy/sci-fi but very little beyond that. I didn't know where or when the story is set, and I expected the author to take me there. Well, we do start out with a full map of a fictional continent (which is almost a photocopied version of Tolkien's Middle-Earth maps). But then in the first page or two of text, we are bombarded with a literary frenzy of sundry forest birds, a few sonic booms (with all-caps onomatopoeias), and a reference to the arcade game Whac-A-Mole. And practically no other context. Is this Earth? Are these explosions over the landscape normal in whatever place this is – or not? Why am I being told there are so many large birds? Is this a serious story or is everything going to relate for kids, somehow, to carnivals and pizza? Sad to say, these questions are raised inherently, but they are not answered. At least not right away. And I wanted to think the author is setting this up as a slow reveal...but I got the stronger impression that the author is just doing a poor job of it without realizing.

We are told that no one is around to hear those sonic booms. But there is some mysterious traveler – and then the author doubles back and says that somebody else had in fact heard the noises. But maybe it's in her dreams? Maybe the guy, still asleep in her bed, and her dog don't hear it? Again, lots of unannounced, mishmashed details are thrown at us. It at least felt jarring and unpleasant, and I didn't want to keep reading.

The author may have some good content for this story. There are hints toward an intriguing mystery yet to unfold. Maybe the whorl of images eventually focuses into a clearer picture, like a kaleidoscope forming a pretty pattern. But the writing seemed juvenile to me in the negative sense of the word. I wondered if English is not the author's native language, because what was presented here was not polished. And it turned me off enough to not continue forward.

[Clipinchick]

I this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my
review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.

[Lavender]

Placeholder

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate receiving free copies of books. The synopsis was very enticing and I looked forward to delving into this world. Who wouldn't want to be the hero in another dimension!?! I could only make it through a few chapters. The writing is stilted. Human beings don't start every interaction with others by using their names. Every paragraph. Perhaps the next book will benefit from this review and the editor will assist this gifted writer. I will keep it on my to read list and try again another time.

[Rena Luccian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, and then we have The Assembly of Thirteen. Talk about writing in 3rd person multiple. I like books that are written in multiple POVs, but this one falls in the ridiculous arena. There are over 15 characters that the author writes in a single POV. And she created over 30 named characters.
The book is divided into 4 parts, and each part gave me a chunk of a story. The first part presents the story of the first companion and a gifted. She gave a glimpse of some enemies. I must say. This author excels at writing evil characters. All the bad people are so well written; I love all of them.

I don't give spoilers, but this book has an awesome ending. I started reading the second book the next day I finished this one.

[Crystal’s Pets · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to like this book. The world it is written in sounded like it would be great. But June talks like she is 10. Everything is groovy. I don’t know I just could not get past it. But please try for you self. There is also a look of characters going back-and-forth on their points of view and I really don’t like that kind of stuff but some of you might so please give the Book a try.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.