Rise of the River-Man

Chimera Chronicles #1

by L.S. O'Dea

This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B014I7M82I

Guards were bred to serve the Almightys...

Too strong to be purchased, too tainted by a lost fight, Mutter waits for execution. Death is the only way out of this cell, unless another Almighty purchases him. And one does - as long as Mutter swears to obey.

Guards always obey.

There's food and a soft bed. And screams from other cages, smells like nothing he's known. They're giving him shots, and letting him walk around the compound but nothing moves as it's supposed to.

They trust him. He's bred to follow their rules. But if he doesn't escape, he'll become food for one of those things in the other cages. Or worse... turn into one of them.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Paranormal, Ebooks, Novella

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2015

About the author

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Reviews

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A True Rockstar Book!

Seriously, you guys should start reading this one!<

The first book in the series of Conguise Chronicles and it is damn brilliant!! Conguise is the name of a mad professor who is doing a lot of experiments in his labs. Some are deadly and others are deadlier.

The River-man from Lake of Sins series is the protagonist here. Many a times, River-man is considered as a myth but this book supports some different facts.

Mutter, a guard who is used for fighting and entertainment, has been sold to an Almighty and eventually to Conguise, the professor. They take him away from his previous cruel master, just to experiment even dangerous things on him.

Little did he know that what these evil people have in their minds. of all the things in the world, Mutter wants his freedom and nothing else. But he finds his master kind and friendly, so he obeys him.

All in all, this was a thrilling romance in a fantasy world for me.

In merely 100 pages, the author has thrilled me immensely. I'm feeling so fortunate to have read this book. I absolutely loved Conguise Chronicles and Lake of Sins series by the author. I appreciated the language used by her. It was elegant and sincere. Both young and old generation will enjoy it.

Since the first pages, I found myself stuck to it. The characters, setting, plot - everything were fantastic. The ending of this book horrified me. I'm yet to get out of its dark and heart-breaking climax. I warn you that it will also break your heart and you'll be speechless for a week.

You can read this River-man's tale without reading Lake of Sins series. However, I'll suggest that you at least read one book of Lake of Sins, so this book will be more entertaining for you.

Verdict : This is fantabulous. You must read it along with the Lake of Sins series.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, loved it!
Conguise Chronicles: The Rise of the River Man :Mutter's Story is a fantastic fantasy of a fiendish Professor Conguise and his experiments on guards, one of those guards was a guy named Mutter. Creepy but thrilling story I couldn't stop reading once I started.

[L.S. O'Dea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series - Conguise Chronicles. It is a spin-off from the Lake of Sins series. These stories will cover what Conguise is doing in his lab and the creatures that he uses for experiments.

This first story is about Trinity's River-Man, Christian. I had a lot of interest in this character so I thought I'd let you see who he was before he became Christian the River-Man.

He is a flawed Guard who had a rough life that gets rougher once he meets Professor Conguise.

I enjoyed writing this book. It's short and fast, but also dark and horrific. I hope you like it.

[Neil Campau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it went quick I must say, and the story was unusual and I liked it. I was surprised I did. A good teller of a simple story which for me felt drawn to this story by L.S. and looking forward too more stories of Mutter, I hope!

[Soph ♡ (elfmumma) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.5

[Mettesknit · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was slightly entertaining but very short.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/1...

While waiting for the third instalment of the Lake of Sins trilogy, the author was kind enough to hand me this little pearl.

For those who have not read the main books this may be a bit confusing, although Miss O'Dea includes an introduction to the main world concepts in the beginning of the story and a glossary at the end.

For those who have read the Lake of Sins books, this is the true story behind the myth of the River Man.

I have to say that, considering how short the tale was, it was quite well crafted. I was engaged from the get-go, just like with the other books. Without getting into details that would spoil this for you, there is a bit of a romance going on. The author obviously went through great lengths not to make this insta-love and I would say she succeeded for the most part, which I gotta tell ya, not easy with little over 100 pages.

I guess it was mostly the beauty and the beast vibe that didn't cut it for me. I would have liked to see more of a reaction from Sweet when she first met Mutter. The guy did sound quite scary, after all.
Also, names have always been a thing with me and these books. Sweet? Meh. I think the guy could have come up with something better than a pet name.
His escape felt a little bit rushed to me as well.

Anyway, those couple of things did not hinder my enjoyment by much at all and I breezed through the story. Amazingly, there was a lot going on. There's a scary laboratory with a creepy professor and assistant and it does get very frightening at some points. The character development of Mutter was also pretty good! I definitely got carried away and read it all in one go. It puzzled me that I would feel that way...

This can be read as a stand-alone but I think you would enjoy it more if you read the other books of the series.
I highly recommend all Lake of Sins books.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the author for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading from the perspective of one of the 'creatures.' I hope that 'Christian's' pov story will continue and follow Lake of Sins story line.
The gore and cruel actions are just as intense as the Lake of Sins books. Which has taken me some time to adjust to.


I received a free copy for an honest review, but I also bought a copy.

[Matthew Futter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vivid and well-told horror story, though I found I am not the right reader for this series. We learn immediately that classism and slavery are the norm in this future dystopia, and the inhabitants’ overall acceptance of that social (and economic!) structure made this read uncomfortable. Not because of the subject matter itself, but from seeing that most people didn’t even question why it’s wrong to treat living beings as truly disposable possessions.

As someone who has read extensively and written a fair amount about the social contract and the extreme wrongness of racism and in fact all bigotry, taking this crafted world in stride to let this story develop was perhaps not my best decision. However, from the blurb, I’d wanted to read this for some time and finally bought a copy, so it’s only right to review it fairly.

The story itself is compelling in a number of places, and for a horror story, it reads well enough. As a writer and an open-minded reader, I’m glad I took the time to begin exploring this post-apocalyptic world, but the casual abuse of thinking beings is too much for me to want to pursue the rest of the series.

With a bit of a glossary and cast list at the end, I expect the author wanted to include a helpful reference, which is a much better choice than I’ve seen by authors who place such a guide at the beginning. (Needing a reference guide before you can dive into a book always feels like the author simply missed the mark in the storytelling. This follow-up appearance may be meant to help readers drive further into the series with ease.)

If you like genetic-engineering horror, this book is a strong read. If you’re powerfully sick of deeply-ingrained bigotry right now, put it on your TBR for later. Content warnings aside, this writer seems to know their craft well enough that I might try a different series or a standalone of theirs another time.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Experimentation has the ability to lead to helpful advancements, but there are some experiments whose outcomes have resounding consequences in L.S. O'Dea's The Rise of the River Man (Conguise Chronicles Volume 1).

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

Having lived a brutal life of fighting at the whim of others and without love from family, Mutter has channeled his focus into finding an escape from his disenfranchised life. Provided an opportunity to leave the fighting life behind him to serve as an obedient Guard of the Almighty who purchased him, Mutter seizes it and begins plotting how he can obtain his freedom. Experimented upon with serums, Mutter's body begins to heal rapidly, increasing his hunger, both for meat and freedom. Taking a chance during an unapproved solo exercise session to leave his new captivity, Mutter wanders familiar streets for refuge, which is where he finds the Servant at the grocer who's kindness draws them together as his body undergoes significant changes. Naming her Sweet, she and Mutter are committed to helping each other survive, no matter what sacrifices they might have to make.

There's good world-building in this volume that establishes the class order that governs its functioning; it has the familiar hallmarks of dystopian societies split in distinct strata that have prejudices between them that keep them disparate and foster distrust. In the brief span of this story, the development of Mutter and Sweet's relationship feels too expedited and pushes the bounds of suspension of disbelief as Mutter is unconscious for stretches of time; however, recognizing that the stakes for survival are higher in this world, their reliance upon and devotion to one another does have reasonable grounds for some acceleration. The experiments that Conguise undertakes are disturbing and fascinating, raising questions of morality and reasonable boundaries related to scientific progress - just who is the monster?

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is scary but possibly waiting for us somewhere in the future. Genetically enhanced and morphing species occurs in the beginning of this series. Mutt, an ugly, scared fighter, a Guardian, has lead a life of aggression. The social classes are redefined in this series into three distinct classes: Almighty's, humans; Guardians, large slightly furred beings born to protest their Almighty masters; Slaves, slight of figure and servants to the Almighty's. Failure to perform your job or loss of usefulness means a certain death at the shelters. Expendables there are used in many gruesome ways all ending in death. Mutt becomes the property of Dr Conguise's research facility. The good doctor is developing a genetic modification of possible warriors, army first line defenders against the other surviving communities after the apocalypses. The other separate distant communities seek more mechanical means of defense, that is not the purpose of this lab. Mutt is probed, and deformed but retains a connection to a Slave known as Sweet, who helped him recover and hide from his last unsuccessful fight. She can see him as he really is and follows him into captivity. As he morphs, so does his behavior and that is the tragedy of the tale. What does love mean for each of them and how can they express it across the genetic chasm? This was a free book to read and review and I am not connected to anyone involved. This is a series that carries chill forebodings and sadness as its theme. Man is man, the noblest of creatures?

[Madelon · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE RISE OF THE RIVER-MAN caught my eye because of another book that I read about a river monster. I wanted to compare them. As it turns out, L. S. O'Dea has created a dystopian world in which to set the tale of her River-Man where more than one kind of monster can be found. The two books evoke two diverse kinds of horror.

When starting THE RISE OF THE RIVER-MAN, I didn't realize that the world in which it is set was created for an earlier series: Lake of Sins. I am what you might call a completist… I like to read book series in the order they were written. There were some things about THE RISE OF THE RIVER-MAN that I found confusing. Perhaps if I had read the parent series, that wouldn't have happened.

THE RISE OF THE RIVER-MAN is the story of Mutter, a member of the Guard caste; his purchase for Conguise’s Laboratory where he is the subject of experiments by Conguise and Abelson, both Almightys; and Sweets, a female of the House Servant class. It is a brutal tale of genetic mutilation that falls into the category 'if I can, I will' - not 'if I can, should I.' It is also something of a Beauty and the Beast story where Sweets is the beauty and Mutter is the beast.

I found THE RISE OF THE RIVER-MAN an intriguing foray into the realm of speculative fiction. It is both dystopian science fiction and horror, a combination that I find read-worthy. I am now of a mind to read the parent series before continuing this one.

[Saundra Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rise of the Riverman is the start of a fantastic spin-off series in the land of Lake of
Sins. If you have read any of that series you probably wondered where some of the monstrous creature came from. This is your chance to find out! If not then it is a great introduction to the world.

Mutter is a guard. He has made his owner money in organized fights, but when he loses a fight, he is cast off. Sent to the shelter, he must either get adopted by a new owner or killed.

Ableson is a scientist working for Professor Conguise. He is looking for a large, strong guard to use in his experiments. He needs someone obedient, one who will follow all orders without question. Mutter is perfect.

Mutter has no idea what he is in for; being used in the experiment will change everything about his body. Though the experiment causes great pain, Mutter endures. However when he gets a chance he escapes.

What will become of Mutter? His mutation can’t be stopped. Where can he hide? Will he be found by Ableson and brought back? What is it that he is becoming? Find the answers in Rise of the Riverman.

[Ted Waterfall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a book that blends elements of a Gladiator novel, Beauty and the Beast, and the Island of Dr. Moreau, only using genetic manipulation instead of vivisection into one story line, throw in a tragic but compelling love story, and you get and unusual and most unique story.

The Almightys are the ruling class. Guards are big and strong and utterly obedient. They hunt and protect the Almightys. House Servants are small and take care of domestic responsibilities. Both are owned by the Almightys. Bickers uses his Guards to earn money by fighting. Those who lose are sent to a market to be either purchased or executed. One such Guard is Mutter, the central character of this story. He is purchased by Ableson, an assistant to Professor Conguise who owns a lab that is conducting horrific genetic experiments that essentially create River creatures, a different species, through genetic manipulation. He eventually escapes, meets a House Servant he calls Sweet with whom he falls in love, and they both battle to survive overwhelming odds against them.

I liked this book. In fact, my only complaint has been voiced in a number of other reviews and that is that is was too short.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already read, and thoroughly enjoyed, all five books from The Lake of Sins series and decided to read this side novel as I am really interested in the experiments Professor Conguise has been carrying out, since in the previous books readers have already encountered many of these monsters out in the lake and the forest! So this book was about a guard called Mutter who Conguise was injecting with serum to turn into a monster. Mutter is a very likeable character especially when he falls so deeply in love and becomes so protective of the servant he meets and who loves him as well no matter what he turns into! This is the first book that made me cry and I hate Conguise even more now and really need to see him killed in the most brutal of ways. Would love it if Mutter who is now a river man does get his chance to wreck vengeance on this evil and corrupted professor! All fans of Lake of Sins series really have to read this book, as always Ms. O'Dea has written a great novel.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

An interesting story of a mad/evil/unknowing scientist and one of their experiments.



It's always fun when things don't always go the way the scientist expects things to go. The scenes with one of the other experiments has me intrigued and wanting to read further into this series.

Loved the relationship between Mutter and Sweet. As far as the scientist and his cronies go... I think Conguise needs to find better workers... Seriously your assistant "lets" one of your experiments escape and you keep them around. That's a definite no for me. And shame on Conguise for being so narrow-minded to think that these subjects become nothing more that animals with no comprehension of what going on. Just because they no longer "talk" doesn't mean they don't understand what you are saying/doing.

[Jean Stillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speechless! I am completely awestruck by this book by L.S. O'Dea, Rise of the River Man. I had read the book blurb, so I knew there would be experimentation and some gruesome creatures, but this was so much more! I loved the characters, Mutter: a former guard, tuned fighter, and Sweet: a house servant who helped Mutter.
I also liked this author's writing style. I loved the descriptive approach taken throughout the book so you could genuinely empathize with the characters.

What I disliked about the book was the length. I really wanted more of the story and hoped it might come in the next book. However, from what I read on that book blurb, it appears to just be another poor victim of the professor's. So I don't think I'll go there. I liked this book, so after a few days, I may change my mind.

[CDWB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lake of Sins

This was a fantastical tale about genetic engineering on the people that were considered lower then the Almighty's. The Almighty's were considered the rulers of the world after The Great War killed everything except a small remnant of the people. They were divided into classes, the servants, the guards, and of course the Almighty's. The scientists use the guards and servants as their base for the many creatures they genetically modified. The River man was initially a brutal guard who was bought for the new experiments. He was painfully changed into a "thing" that exists only in water. He has gills, flipper feet and hands, and a tail. He escaped from the lab and is now a resident in the Lake of Sins. Good book, well written, interesting plot and I'd recommend this book.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unwanted guard Mutter is facing death when he is given a chance - an Almighty says if he will agree to obey (in this case by brutally killing a child) he will take him to work for him. He is then taken to a lab which contains caged strange creatures that bare no relation to anything he has seen before. Then his masters give him shots and taking blood and he starts to fear that he is changing to something else - much more like the creatures in the cages.

I enjoyed this story of Mutter and all the events that happened to him. There were sections when I was appalled at his treatment, enthralled by the bond he had with the one person who helped him, and heartbroken at the way the story ended with such loss. Well written and enjoyable, it was easy to understand.

[Ann Kilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guess who is responsible for all the monsters in the world of Lake of Sins? My horrified mind keeps on asking "How can anyone do these things to others?"but the sad truth is that it does happen. My heart was bleeding for Mutter and I was so immersed in the story that I didn't want it to end. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read the next in the series. I would recommend that if you enjoy this book, that you also read all the Lake of Sins books by L.S.O'Dea. The Conguise Chronicles and Lake of Sins books are all set in the same dark dystopian world and the characters intertwine. I recommend every single book, I guarantee that you won't be able to put them down.

[Greg D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story very much had a "The Shape of Water" feel to it. I was not too keen on "The Shape of Water" neither was I too keen on "Rise of the River-Man". It went in a completely different direction than what I thought it would go. At first having a Lord of the Rings feel to it with strong orc (Fighter) characters to the feeble Elf (Servant) characters and human (Almighty) characters. Only for the Fighter to be turned into a fish essentially. And, what would become of the fish's Sweet love? Though creative, this story was a bit too corny for my taste. Good writing and good character development, but just wasn't my taste.

[Suze Prescot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rise of the Riverman is the first of the Chimera Chronicles. It features Mutter and Sweet. Alone and unloved they meet and become attached to one another, but then they are taken by Professor Conguise's staff and Mutter finds himself subject to experimental treatment aimed at changing him into something else. Mutter is a tragic character, angry and unhappy, while Sweet is - as her name - kind and considerate, seeing in Mutter more than he sees in himself. A lovely, yet tragic tale, summing up the quote from Burns: man's inhumanity to man.

[Clinton Sites · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivers on the phrase "exciting horror action adventure"

I gave this book 4 stars not because of any authorial writing issues but because I wanted to know more about how the society the story is set in evolved..
"Mad" scientists - yes, monsters a-plenty - check, all the horror tropes are touched. Yet you are seeing it all from the "monsters" POV. The horror really comes from what is done to the "monster" and what it is made to do.

I will follow this series as best I can.

I did receive a copy in a book give away.

[Sue Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just been introduced to the most amazing author. L. S. O'Dea wrote a book called Rise of the Riverman. Mutter is an unloved and unwanted member of his community until he meets Sweet. Not her real name, but that's what he calls her. She stands by him through thick and thin. Experiments by a mad professor turn him into a monster but still she stands by him. She is his calm in the storm. No matter what the professor and his cronies throw at them - they stay true to each other.
A really touching story and I'd love to read the others in this series.
Highly recommend.

[Jen Garren-Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully gruesome. If you're following the Lake of Sins series, this will "hit the spot" on more reasons to hate the Professor. He's the ultimate bad guy. Full of arrogance, his own selfish interests and the believe that none of the lower classes have value or knowledge, the Professor makes me sick to my stomach. Literally. This book just documents the origins of the River Men in greater and darker detail.

[Grogan Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didnt know what to expect in this book. I was afraid I wouldn't like it at all because the things that Professor Conguise does in the LAKE OF SINS books is really horrible to me, so I opened it with trepidation. I found I had no reason to be worried that the book would freak me out, or whatever it was that I was concerned about. I very much enjoyed it. It's not just a story of horror in the lab. There is so much more here than you would ever guess. I got insight into some of the things that happened in the LAKE OF SINS series, also. I definitely recommend this novella to everyone. I look forward to the next one in CONGUISE'S CHRONICLES: FEEDING FERSIA.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Human-animal hybrids are used as guard but if they fail then they are killed. He failed and now he is waiting to die. He is given a chance of a life and now he is somewhere else where he has injections. There are scary noises and now he knows he needs to escape. Will he be able to escape? What are in the other cages? See what will happen

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Penny lurkykitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series. It is a strange and sad book, but compelling and well written. It is set in a dystopian society in which human-like Almightys rule over other beings called Guards and House Servants. Mutter is a Guard who is sold to a laboratory conducting horrifying experiments. He finds an ally but eventually is changed into a monster. This book raises good questions about how our society treats people and animals.

[Wanda Jewell]

This is a unique book. Kinda like the island of Dr. Moreau, but from the viewpoint of the experimented upon creatures. The world building is fantastic. The characters are unique and original. I love this book. I look forward to reading more stories in this fantastic world. I would highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I was enthralled with this story it reminds me of the movie the Island of Dr Moreau it’s very emotional and a horror story all in one. This is my 1st read and review for this author and I was amazed by this story love is never biased or cares what you look like but my heart went out to Mutter, I can’t wait to read book 2 of this series. I loved this story it was an amazing read and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.