What do you think?
Rate this book
Terra Vonnel: The Skulls of Aries: A 90 Minute Fantasy Adventure with Magic and Pirates
Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries; a thrilling high-seas adventure seen through the eyes of seventeen year old pirate Terra Vonnel, better known as the Sea Vixen. The roguish, yet charming girl has finally found one of the legendary Skulls of Aries, the greatest mystery known to man. With time running out she must now steal the remaining Skull from her vicious vampire nemesis, Count Dragos, and travel to Mount Aries to unlock the Gate of Monticule, which holds the Orb of Time.But what the Sea Vixen and her valiant crew do not know is something waits for them in the shadows of Mount Aries- something so unimaginable that no one has lived to tell about it. Full of excitement, the Skulls of Aries is an epic, breathtaking voyage packed with suspense-filled adventure, sword-clashing action, mystery and unforgettable characters!
113 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2010
8 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
D.C. Akers
11 books41 followersD.C. Akers was born in Texas, and after spending several years working in accounting, he began to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a writer. Like many who enjoy the fantasy genre, Akers started reading it as an adolescent. He was fascinated with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Bram Stoker's Dracula. He currently enjoys reading works by Dean Koontz, Heather Brewer, J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, and John Grisham.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 2, 2013
The book may be a novella but it is packed with action. Terra is a 17 year old pirate captain and is as dangerous as she is beautiful. If Lara Croft was a pirate she would be Terra. Within in the first few pages you get to see just how dangerous when she encounters other pirates but these are not your average pirates. The author really is able to pull off allot of information in just a few short pages. In other novellas it can be too much to fast but in this case you get just enough action and explanation. I loved her personality and how she handled her crew. She has a destination and no one or anything will get in her way. Mr. Akers really does a great job of letting you get to know her and truly invest in her. I only have on complaint and that is that it was over too soon.
April 20, 2013
Pirates, Vampires and ghouls...Oh my! What more can a person as for in a book? Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries is a fast moving, action packed novella.
Terra Vonnel is a pirate and master thief. At the age of seventeen she is already a feared pirate. She has a burning desire to right the wrongs of the past and will stop at nothing to get what she wants... She has already secured the first skull of Aries and is now on her quest to find the second skull and recover the Orb of Time. With that, she will be the most powerful woman alive. Follow Terra and her crew on the high seas as she begins her quest.
The book was full of vivid descriptions of the characters and surroundings. It was like it created a movie in my mind's eye. The author, D. C. Ackers has created a world that I would love to venture to again and again.
Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries is geared toward teens ages 13-17. It is short, about 100 pages in print form. Although short in length is isn't short on adventure. I am truly looking forward to reading the second book in the series. Available in both print and kindle format, this book is sure to please anyone seeking a short jaunt into the fantasy realm.
Terra Vonnel is a pirate and master thief. At the age of seventeen she is already a feared pirate. She has a burning desire to right the wrongs of the past and will stop at nothing to get what she wants... She has already secured the first skull of Aries and is now on her quest to find the second skull and recover the Orb of Time. With that, she will be the most powerful woman alive. Follow Terra and her crew on the high seas as she begins her quest.
The book was full of vivid descriptions of the characters and surroundings. It was like it created a movie in my mind's eye. The author, D. C. Ackers has created a world that I would love to venture to again and again.
Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries is geared toward teens ages 13-17. It is short, about 100 pages in print form. Although short in length is isn't short on adventure. I am truly looking forward to reading the second book in the series. Available in both print and kindle format, this book is sure to please anyone seeking a short jaunt into the fantasy realm.
July 5, 2013
This was an okay book for me. I had a few problems with this book that kept it from being higher than 3 stars. For one, the reader is thrown right into the story, with all sorts of info being thrown at you. If this was set in say modern day New York, that would be okay, since most people have an understanding of the world the story is in. However, this is set in a fantasy world with all sorts of paranormal beings, which requires some world building that is nonexistent. Events and characters are mentioned and then dropped and never explained. You get a taste, but no solution, which got aggravating after a while.
Also, I had a hard time believing this book was okay for kids. There was a lot of detailed violence that seemed unnecessary in a children's book. For kids ages 12 and up maybe.
However, this was a quick read and an interesting adventure, and I will keep my eye out for the second book, and hopefully more info and explanations will be forthcoming.
Also, I had a hard time believing this book was okay for kids. There was a lot of detailed violence that seemed unnecessary in a children's book. For kids ages 12 and up maybe.
However, this was a quick read and an interesting adventure, and I will keep my eye out for the second book, and hopefully more info and explanations will be forthcoming.
March 29, 2013
This is a well written book about history, pirates and vampires rolled into one book. It's about 100 pages long and can be read by children of just about any age from 10 and up.
I found this to be very interesting, entertaining and full of action and adventure.
Terra "Vixen" is out for the skull to go back in time to save her mother from being murdered during the night when she was five years old. Her father was out at sea and that left her all alone by herself. She's left to be raised by her father.
The rest of the story is left up to you to read to find out where the skulls come into the story, their meanings and what her mission is to be done with the skulls.
I honestly believe that any child that loves things to do with pirates or vampire movies or books would love this. These are my honest thoughts.
I found this to be very interesting, entertaining and full of action and adventure.
Terra "Vixen" is out for the skull to go back in time to save her mother from being murdered during the night when she was five years old. Her father was out at sea and that left her all alone by herself. She's left to be raised by her father.
The rest of the story is left up to you to read to find out where the skulls come into the story, their meanings and what her mission is to be done with the skulls.
I honestly believe that any child that loves things to do with pirates or vampire movies or books would love this. These are my honest thoughts.
April 2, 2013
For me I found the book to be a quick entertaining read full of adventure. I was also in love with the fact that the main character was a strong female character. In this story our heroine is in search of a special skull to go back in time to save her mother from being murder. Based in a fantastic fantasy world we re swept away by the author into high sea adventure and thrilling escapades. This is a great read for anyone and is very short which will allow you to finish it in a day or two. Plus it's a great read for kids so everyone wins. I definitely recommend this for your future summer reading list.
April 12, 2013
This week, I got to read a copy of "Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries" by D. C. Akers. Almost immediately after starting to read, I felt swept up in a world similar to that of Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones, Edward Cullen, and others, as we sailed along through the adventures of Terra Vonnel on her quest for the Skulls of Aries. It's a very exciting book, but the story didn't end when the book ended. You will definitely need AND want to read other books in the series. I know I am dying to find out the next leg of Terra Vonnel's journey.
April 14, 2013
I love movies and books with a "kick butt" girl in them. This is just that. Not a long book so this book was a fast read that I did not want to put down. You sit on the edge of your seat waiting for the next piece of action to happen and you don't have to wait long as almost all the ages have some sort of adventure to it. I would say this is a good book for girls age 10-18. I love that it is not like most pirate books. Thank you Mr Akers for making this pirate book unique.
April 1, 2013
This was a great book! Very inspirational to young girls, and pack full of action and adventure. If you like fantasy, adventure, and pirates you need to read this!
April 1, 2013
Such a great book! Very Excited to read the next book! Vampires, Pirates, Strong willed girl, What is not to love! I recomened this book to anyone who enjoys, action, fantasy, and adventure!
December 14, 2020
Tenía ganas de leer este libro desde hacía tiempo y, aunque no me ha decepcionado, me ha sabido muy a poco, en nada se ha acabado el libro y casi no he disfrutado de la historia porque todo pasa muy rápido, apenas profundiza en la trama ni en los personajes...Me dejó un poco fría, pese a que la historia está bastante bien y, lo poco que podemos ver de la trama, es interesante.
July 22, 2021
A pirate who is not really as good as she thinks she is.
Although the pirate lady thinks she is really special the story gives another possibility. The story is to easy to figure out.
Although the pirate lady thinks she is really special the story gives another possibility. The story is to easy to figure out.
August 16, 2013
(Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned below for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.)
Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries reads like Pirates of the Caribbean meets Indiana Jones for the teen set. It's a speedy 11,000 words in e-book format, meaning you can zip through it in one sitting without trouble.
The plot centers around 17-year-old pirate Terra Vonnel, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on a pair of magical skulls said to show the location of the Orb of Time. Once Terra steals the Orb for herself, she will be able to travel through time to save her murdered mother--and plunder to her heart's delight along the way. But before she obtains her treasure, she must battle vampires, dead souls, cursed mountain passes and other treacheries and somehow come out alive.
At first I had a little trouble believing that someone so young could be such a notorious pirate, but I guess this novella is aimed at teenagers, so in that light it makes sense to have such a young protagonist. It's nice to read a YA novella with a teen girl who's kicking butt instead of moping around in a love triangle. (Cough, most YA novels these days, cough...or is it just me?)
It's a pretty level adventure all the way through. I like stories with a feisty female lead, of course, but the story still has to flow and contain well-written fight scenes or else I lose interest. Luckily this novella has plenty of action and no unnecessary lags.
If I have one gripe it's that the story was too short; it feels like it cuts off too soon and leaves you wanting a bit more resolution. However, I note on the Goodreads page for this novella that it's the first in a series, so hopefully there will be new additions to the story coming soon--I'd like to read about more of Terra's adventures.
Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries reads like Pirates of the Caribbean meets Indiana Jones for the teen set. It's a speedy 11,000 words in e-book format, meaning you can zip through it in one sitting without trouble.
The plot centers around 17-year-old pirate Terra Vonnel, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on a pair of magical skulls said to show the location of the Orb of Time. Once Terra steals the Orb for herself, she will be able to travel through time to save her murdered mother--and plunder to her heart's delight along the way. But before she obtains her treasure, she must battle vampires, dead souls, cursed mountain passes and other treacheries and somehow come out alive.
At first I had a little trouble believing that someone so young could be such a notorious pirate, but I guess this novella is aimed at teenagers, so in that light it makes sense to have such a young protagonist. It's nice to read a YA novella with a teen girl who's kicking butt instead of moping around in a love triangle. (Cough, most YA novels these days, cough...or is it just me?)
It's a pretty level adventure all the way through. I like stories with a feisty female lead, of course, but the story still has to flow and contain well-written fight scenes or else I lose interest. Luckily this novella has plenty of action and no unnecessary lags.
If I have one gripe it's that the story was too short; it feels like it cuts off too soon and leaves you wanting a bit more resolution. However, I note on the Goodreads page for this novella that it's the first in a series, so hopefully there will be new additions to the story coming soon--I'd like to read about more of Terra's adventures.
September 4, 2013
Have you ever read a book that immediately grabs your attention and won’t let it go until you finish it? If you have ever felt that feeling then you know what I felt as I was reading Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries. Here is a brief summary of the book.First, let me say I loved it because you do not see to many women characters written as pirates. Normally they are the damsels in distress that the pirates kidnap. Second I also love that this book contained pirates. Growing up in the state that was the stomping grounds for Blackbeard the Pirate, having a pirate in the story was a real attention grabber for me. In fact this summer I visited Blackbeard’s Home on one of our many excursions.
This book is action packed and also holds a little bit of a mystical quality. I found it hard to put down and in fact I lost a night sleep’s over it because I could not stop reading it. So if you are looking for an attention grabbing book than this book is for you.
This book is action packed and also holds a little bit of a mystical quality. I found it hard to put down and in fact I lost a night sleep’s over it because I could not stop reading it. So if you are looking for an attention grabbing book than this book is for you.
January 23, 2014
Terra Vonnel and The Skulls of Aries is an action packed pirate adventure full of swashbuckling adventure and danger. From the deck of a magical ship on the high seas, to a cave where a fabulous treasure awaits, this story is nonstop excitement that will leave you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.
I absolutely love Terra. She is exactly what a pirate should be, fierce, strong, determined, and ruthless. She knows what she wants and she'll stop at nothing to get it. My only complaint with this story is the length. It's so short and I'm just dying to see what happens next. So far I haven't been able to find a sequel, so I'm not sure whether there's going to be one. With the ending it could sort of go either way. But I'll keep my eyes open and if I see another Terra adventure I'll be sure to pick it up.
If you like dashing pirates and breathtaking excitement, then I highly recommend this book.
I absolutely love Terra. She is exactly what a pirate should be, fierce, strong, determined, and ruthless. She knows what she wants and she'll stop at nothing to get it. My only complaint with this story is the length. It's so short and I'm just dying to see what happens next. So far I haven't been able to find a sequel, so I'm not sure whether there's going to be one. With the ending it could sort of go either way. But I'll keep my eyes open and if I see another Terra adventure I'll be sure to pick it up.
If you like dashing pirates and breathtaking excitement, then I highly recommend this book.
August 14, 2013
Terra Vonnel & The Skulls of Aries is a novella written by D.C. Akers. It is about a precocious young female pirate, holding her own in a world full of violence and men. She is determined and driven, not allowing a single obstacle to stand in her way. This book would be a great addition to the library of any young adult reader in your world.
I would rate this book PG-13 for the violence, but it is not gore and no worse than a typical teen video game. It was a quick read for me: an hour and a half at most. Reading it was like eating a piece of hard candy. Delicious at first and half way through you chew it right up and suddenly it is all gone, leaving you wanting another piece. I would be excited to see this as a young adult series and the adventures that Terra could encounter in the future. www.ginnysaysso.blogspot.com
I would rate this book PG-13 for the violence, but it is not gore and no worse than a typical teen video game. It was a quick read for me: an hour and a half at most. Reading it was like eating a piece of hard candy. Delicious at first and half way through you chew it right up and suddenly it is all gone, leaving you wanting another piece. I would be excited to see this as a young adult series and the adventures that Terra could encounter in the future. www.ginnysaysso.blogspot.com
September 2, 2013
I love the concept of vampires (and other assorted supernatural beings) as pirates. While this particular story did not delve much into the land and it's supernatural inhabitants hopefully the next will. I can't wait to see what happens next in Terra Vonnel's adventure and what other sorts of creatures and dangers she will face.
There is not much time to become fully acquainted with each character, so the only ones that really matter are the Sea Vixen and her first mate, Coven. Just enough is told about each of them to allow the reader to care about what happens.
Author D.C Akers paints vivid picture with every word. Although short it's very intelligent and captivating. I could see this making a great film. I could see this being a great film someday.
This novel was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Please visit me at http://www.theproductschool.org to view more.
There is not much time to become fully acquainted with each character, so the only ones that really matter are the Sea Vixen and her first mate, Coven. Just enough is told about each of them to allow the reader to care about what happens.
Author D.C Akers paints vivid picture with every word. Although short it's very intelligent and captivating. I could see this making a great film. I could see this being a great film someday.
This novel was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Please visit me at http://www.theproductschool.org to view more.
September 14, 2013
This is an action packed SHORT STORY. It was actually a very much needed break from the longer books that I have recently read. It is only about 20 pages long and is something that you can pick up and read in one night before bed.
Like I said it is very action packed and even though it does have a few fight scenes in some graphic detail, I believe that this could very well be for a 16 year old. Maybe even a mature 14-15 year old, but most definitely for adults.
In the beginning it is a little predictable in what is going to happen but then the author takes you for a turn and throws and few loops at you.
I have to say that now reading this first book I am really looking forward to the rest of the series!
Like I said it is very action packed and even though it does have a few fight scenes in some graphic detail, I believe that this could very well be for a 16 year old. Maybe even a mature 14-15 year old, but most definitely for adults.
In the beginning it is a little predictable in what is going to happen but then the author takes you for a turn and throws and few loops at you.
I have to say that now reading this first book I am really looking forward to the rest of the series!
October 6, 2015
I won this book from Goodreads giveaways.
First off this is such a tiny book, it reminds of a chapter book from elementary school. That would be my only complaint, its just too short.
In this action packed novella Terra Vonnel is the Sea Vixen, a 17 year old pirate with huge plans for her future, but first she needs access to the past. With creatures of lore and magic this a fast paced book that explores the high seas in a ship with a witches soul, powered by ghouls and charters it way on a sea of flame. Though short, it surely packs a punch. I can't wait to read more of Terra's adventures.
First off this is such a tiny book, it reminds of a chapter book from elementary school. That would be my only complaint, its just too short.
In this action packed novella Terra Vonnel is the Sea Vixen, a 17 year old pirate with huge plans for her future, but first she needs access to the past. With creatures of lore and magic this a fast paced book that explores the high seas in a ship with a witches soul, powered by ghouls and charters it way on a sea of flame. Though short, it surely packs a punch. I can't wait to read more of Terra's adventures.
August 31, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace of this book. It was packed with lots of details that made it easy to envision the journey Terra Vonnel took on her quest for the remaining skull from Count Dragos. I liked the in-depth writing of the fighting scenes. It was just enough to hold your attention and make you want to keep reading. The writing style was easy to understand, and I felt like I knew the characters within the first few pages. See my full review on my website All In A Day's Kitchen
May 5, 2014
This was a quick read, and I mean quick. You can read it less than a day. That being said, I would have liked it to be longer. I'm not one for reading abour pirates, but it did have an interesting plot. Reads very simplicly, but does okay with descriptions. The story does jump from one place to the next making you wonder how the characters got there, therefore leaving you with questions. I would recommend if you want a quick read and eon't mind sudden endings.
August 11, 2014
This novella pretty much has everything you could ask for: pirates, adventures, skulls, Vampires, witches, and treasure hunting. Add a kick-ass 17 year old FEMALE pirate boss and you've got a winner.Even though this was a short read it was jam-packed with action and I look forward to the sequel. Lots of room for the characters to grow and I love the "undead" helpers.
October 19, 2016
Fun empowering story of a young woman who is brave and determine to make her own way in the pirating world. Terra known as the Sea Vixen is a lovely feisty pirate fighting vampires and demons to continue the quest her ailing father started in hopes of saving Terra's mother. With the help of her crew, her mate Coven, and the Sea ghouls she gets what she came for, the orb of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2014
Good but...
While this is a well-done story, there isn't a lot of depth to it. Very brief, as well, so I would call it a short story, not a novel. Little in the way of character development.
While this is a well-done story, there isn't a lot of depth to it. Very brief, as well, so I would call it a short story, not a novel. Little in the way of character development.
February 26, 2015
Good quick read. Entertaining sea epic. A mixture of many elements.
Good read. Many moving parts. Many legendary creatures. Good melding of genres. Heroine has a developing back story. Must read more.
Good read. Many moving parts. Many legendary creatures. Good melding of genres. Heroine has a developing back story. Must read more.
November 20, 2015
What in God's name did I just do to my eyes?
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews